Cameron has said that he will only take part in one election debate. He wants it to involve seven leaders and take place before parliament is dissolved on 30 March. Methinks he is scared.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31742155

 

They should just have the three main leaders, Greens and UKIP for an English debate and empty chair anyone who doesn't show up. Then one regionalised debate in each of Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland.

 

David Cameron is coming across so badly though.

I am really confused at what Cameron is trying to get out of this. He should not be able to dictate the terms of when and where the debates happen, there's clearly a call for them, and there is no way he's not going to look bad for trying to duck out of them.

 

The broadcasters need to hold their nerve and go ahead with the original plan (which is also what's confusing me, I thought they'd already laid out a plan for three debates with a different number of leaders at each one, so his statement about it being chaos makes no sense to me).

It's David Cameron's right not to take part in the debates if he doesn't want to. And it's everyone else's right to constantly remind him of that fact.

 

And from someone who doesn't want to get involved in the debate to someone who does, but won't be. The BBC just announced that the DUP, despite being the 4th largest party in Westminster, won't be invited to the debates. Which is a pity, because I was looking forward to the other leaders asking Peter Robinson why he thinks the world is 6000 years old, and why he thinks blood from gay men is so icky.

Cameron has nothing to gain from appearing and everything to lose, cos he knows his record will be under fire from all-comers, and it gives them credibility to be on the same platform, so unless Labour also has something to lose (from the SNP/Greens appearing) he's taking the logical approach.

 

Squawk, cluck, cluck, squawk, peck peck peck....

Surely it's a mockery of democracy that the current Prime Minister won't appear in a debate to defend the decisions which he and his Government have made of the past five years.

When the PM tried to say that debates were not needed because they had one every week in the Commons, the leader of the opposition replied

 

I have to say to the Prime Minister that if he really thinks that these exchanges once a week are a substitute for a proper television debate, then he is even more out of touch than I thought.

 

We have to be honest with ourselves: not many people watch these exchanges, and not all those who do are hugely impressed with them.

 

There are parliamentary systems that do have television debates; we have seen them in Italy, Australia and Poland. The Prime Minister has no objection in principle: when he was Shadow Chancellor, he did a television debate against the then Chancellor of the Exchequer.

 

So I have to ask him: What on earth is he frightened of?

 

That leader of the opposition was a chap called Cameron in 2008.

I wouldn't call PMQs a debate. It's more a screaming match.

I wouldn't call PMQs a debate. It's more a screaming match.

Precisely. I'm not sure the number of questions from an opposition MP that Cameron has actually answered has yet reached one.

like a lot of politicking it's soundbites and putdowns and vacuous one-liners....

 

facts are frequently inconveniences to propaganda. There's a soundbite they can borrow, I think I invented it but I stand to be corrected. :P

If the debates don't happen then I honestly see turnout dropping below 50% this time. I somehow can't see an election campaign consisting solely of leaders doing photo-ops in supermarkets catching the public imagination.

Broadcasters are calling Camorons bluff again and have announced that they will press ahead with their plans.

Good on the broadcasters! If he doesn't show up for the head-to-head, I'm sure Clegg would be more than willing to take part. But still empty chair him.

Good on the broadcasters! If he doesn't show up for the head-to-head, I'm sure Clegg would be more than willing to take part. But still empty chair him.

Clegg has already offered to do so.

If the debates don't happen then I honestly see turnout dropping below 50% this time. I somehow can't see an election campaign consisting solely of leaders doing photo-ops in supermarkets catching the public imagination.

Really? I think UKIP's rise if nothing else ensures we won't dip below 60% now there's something to vote for for traditionally disenchanted (well, in the last twenty years) voters.

Does anyone actually care about these debates? I'd rather we were talking about policies. When the (admittedly limited amount of) UK news I read is about whether someone wants to participate in a debate, it's not really telling me much.

Does anyone actually care about these debates? I'd rather we were talking about policies. When the (admittedly limited amount of) UK news I read is about whether someone wants to participate in a debate, it's not really telling me much.

 

But there's going to be even less talk about policies without them, though. The debates are the only thing which stops the leaders from the endless cycle of managed publicity stunts.

Edited March 6, 201510 yr by Danny

But there's going to be even less talk about policies without them, though. The debates are the only thing which stops the leaders from the endless cycle of managed publicity stunts.

Exactly. That's why Cameron is so determined to avoid them. People might notice just how clueless he is.

 

Are people interested? The viewing figures in 2010 suggest that they are.

Does anyone actually care about these debates? I'd rather we were talking about policies. When the (admittedly limited amount of) UK news I read is about whether someone wants to participate in a debate, it's not really telling me much.

 

The policies will be discussed in the debates. That's the whole point of them.

Ugh it so infuriates me that this Bullingdon boy has squirmed out of these debates - just because it's part of the campaign Lynton Cosby can't dictate and control so of course there's no way they can happen. So dictatorial!!

 

Hope Milliband makes sure he mentions it in his audience with shows.

 

That's the thing with this PM he believes he was born to rule and wanted to be PM because he thought he'd be good at it and it's clear he has no real ideology.