Watchdog: Ukip should be treated as a 'major party'
Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has ruled that the UK Independence Party (Ukip) should be given the same status as the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.
Ofcom said Ukip must be treated as a "major party" in England and Wales for election broadcasts.
"We hope that all broadcast outlets will reflect on the fact that patterns of support in British politics are changing very quickly and that more and more people are supporting and voting for Ukip," the party's director of communications Patrick O'Flynn said.
The Ofcom rules state that "due weight must be given to the coverage of major parties during the election period" and there must be "due impartiality."