A decision has been reached to hold a series of debates regarding the future of the entire country, between the two men vying to be Prime Minister for the next five years and Nick Clegg.

Yet some are not happy. Specifically, Ieuan Wyn Jones and Alex Salmond (the leaders of Plaid Cymru and the SNP, by the way) as well as UKIP and the Greens, who are threatening legal action because they haven’t been invited to take part.

But why should they? None of them are really national parties – only the SNP and Plaid Cymru have any MPs but they’re location specific. This is a general election; we’re choosing a government for the entire UK. The Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems are the only truly national parties – and even though the Lib Dems have no chance of forming a government, they may end up with the role of kingmaker.

It is entirely not “undemocratic” to exclude them from the debates. Rather, it would be undemocratic to include them considering their limited appeal. No-one in England can vote for the SNP or Plaid Cymru, so they would be simply getting in the way. It would be undemocratic to exclude Nick Clegg because even though he’s not at all likely to become PM – which ironically is the Lib Dem’s argument for excluding the others – he does have a significant amount of national support.

Frankly, the objections of the SNP an Plaid Cymru are petty and absurd – especially since the BBC have already committed to holding special Scottish and Welsh events.

And as for the rest of the minor parties – UKIP, Greens et al? They need to get over themselves. They’re not real candidates for, well, anything. They get a few protest votes here and there, but nothing else.