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The head of an inquiry into the future of party political

broadcasts has backed the idea of turning them into 30-second slots like

commercials.

Sam Younger, the chairman of the Electoral Commission, the body which

supervises elections, believes that scrapping the traditional five- or

ten-minute films shown during general election campaigns could help to

boost the declining turnout at the polls.

He said: "If there can be anything done to make the watching of party

election broadcasts more attractive to the viewer in a way which fits

with the broadcasters' schedules, that is something I would want to see

happen. We'd all like to see the level of participation going up again.

We are all worried about it coming down below 60 per cent."

Although BBC chiefs fear that 30-second spots would undermine their

long-standing opposition to taking advertising, Younger's view may

signal the end of party broadcasts in their existing form. Most have

already shrunk from ten minutes to the minimum of two minutes, 40

seconds.

But some Labour figures fear that the move would result in an explosion

of American-style negative advertising.

Tony Wright, a Labour MP who chairs the Commons Public Administration

Select Committee, said: "We can go down that route if we want to. I know

what the consequences would be. It would be disastrous for the

democratic political system."