Party political broadcasts may be replaced with American-style 30-second advertisements, the Electoral Commission said yesterday.

In an attempt to counter spiralling voter apathy, the commission, which is responsible for overseeing elections, said short and snappy adverts could improve participation at the polls.

However, the idea is opposed by politicians across the political divide.

It is understood that ITV is broadly in favour of shorter political broadcasts, while the BBC has stressed that the final decision on the length of its broadcasts was its alone.