Televised Leaders Debates..

[deadslow]

can anyone work out whether CMD is stting and pissing in terror, mildly petrified, or just very scared to share a stage with Farage?

[Bradgate]

This is about Farage. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the Greens.

Dave's biggest fear is that UKIP will split the right-wing vote to such an extent that Labour will win by default. For Dave to share a platform and debate as equals with Farage, who is not even an MP, can only enhance the UKIP leader's credibility and make this outcome more likely.

The broadcasters should go ahead with the debates and 'empty chair' Dave if he won't participate.

[Pesty]

How people on this site can support that coward is beyond me.


Anyway problem solved. It was supposed to be three or four debates. Two with just labour and cons.

One with cons labour and libs and one with all four.


Easily solved let ukip take faves place if he doesn't want it.

[0a]

Cameron does not come out of this well - all sides are slagging him off for it. A bit of a miscalculation. Either he looks like he's scared of Farage, or it looks like he's purely taking a position to use the greens to split the Labour vote.

He's not an idiot, and while Farage will score some points, he should be man enough to point out the deficiencies of Miliband and Clegg.

[johnxjsc1985]

I can see a seat with a tub of lard on the stage like the old Have I got news for you
He is definitely trying to scupper this but then again would you want to sit through it.He might be doing us a favour

[Gogoplata]

I agree that this is over the fear of competition from UKIP. But if you let the Greens in would you have to let in the SNP too? Where would you draw the line?

[johnxjsc1985]

Gogoplata said:

I agree that this is over the fear of competition from UKIP. But if you let the Greens in would you have to let in the SNP too? Where would you draw the line?

that's his strategy next he will say there are too many to have a proper debate

[Pesty]

johnxjsc1985 said:

I can see a seat with a tub of lard on the stage like the old Have I got news for you
He is definitely trying to scupper this but then again would you want to sit through it.He might be doing us a favour

Yeah that would be great. But I'd have the other three there too.

Don't tell Dave he isn't interested.

[anonymous-user]

These debates are crap. Soundbite TV for people who can't be bothered to listen to or think about long sentences, like Americans. A poorly chosen import for us.

Last time around, the big winner from the debates was Nick Clegg and the LDs, leading to a coalition Govt. Who really thinks now that the boost the LDs got from the debates was a good idea?

So who in their right mind would want a re-run?

As for Farage, the DUP, PC, and the SNP all have more seats than UKIP. They have far better claims to be included. The suggestion that Farage/UKIP should be on the platform is not tenable on a rational basis; it's just populism run riot. That's not to say that UKIP should be shut up - they have a message and it should be heard. But there are plenty of opportunities for UKIP to get its message across outside these debates and these debates are not a place for UKIP as the fourth and last party on the stage.

Personally, were I the PM (and it really wouldn't matter what party I was from) I'd say ps off to the whole debate suggestion.

[davepoth]

johnxjsc1985 said:

Gogoplata said:

I agree that this is over the fear of competition from UKIP. But if you let the Greens in would you have to let in the SNP too? Where would you draw the line?

that's his strategy next he will say there are too many to have a proper debate

You would have to let the SNP in; that's sort of the idea. The SNP and the Greens will be there to steal all of Labour's thunder, since they are leftist. That makes two leftist "fringe" parties against one rightist fringe party. I think it's fair to say the Miliband will not be very good in any debate, so he will flounder and look terrible, leaving Cameron to focus on Farage. Clegg is an irrelevance this time round IMO.

Only having UKIP on the stage results in Cameron having to fight both ways - to the right to try and take the wind out of UKIP's sails, while still not looking like he's "pandering to extremism" or some other typically Islingtoneque phrase as far as Labour are concerned. It makes him look bad to take the ball away, but he'd have real trouble looking good in a UKIP-Tory-Lib Dem-Labour debate.

[MarshPhantom]

Greg66 said:

These debates are crap. Soundbite TV for people who can't be bothered to listen to or think about long sentences, like Americans. A poorly chosen import for us.

Last time around, the big winner from the debates was Nick Clegg and the LDs, leading to a coalition Govt. Who really thinks now that the boost the LDs got from the debates was a good idea?

So who in their right mind would want a re-run?

Cameron was more than happy for these to happen when he wasn't PM, as they thought it would hand victory to The Tories. That didn't work now he's trying to weasel out, the coward.

His reason for not wanting to do this is laughable.

[greygoose]

MarshPhantom said:

Cameron was more than happy for these to happen when he wasn't PM, as they thought it would hand victory to The Tories. That didn't work now he's trying to weasel out, the coward.

His reason for not wanting to do this is laughable.

Agreed he just seems scared, which is a bit pathetic given the opposition.

[powerstroke]

BlackLabel said:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/08/of...

David Cameron will refuse TV debates if Greens excluded

CMD either really cares about the Greens and democracy in general hence his demand, or he's running scared over the debates because he thinks it will lose him votes. Mmmm wonder which one it is.

Edited by BlackLabel on Thursday 8th January 18:11

Perhaps CMD is looking for support from the like minded
Maybe he is considering a coalition with the greens on past form he would appear closer to them in attitudes than other parties.

[JustAnotherLogin]

If the other parties are so convinced that Cameron is running scared, why not call his bluff and have the Greens on?

Or go with the OFCOM interpretation of a major party and exclude UKIP.

Either seems reasonable to me

[Einion Yrth]

JustAnotherLogin said:

Or go with the OFCOM interpretation of a major party and exclude UKIP.

You seem to be behind the times.

[JustAnotherLogin]

Einion Yrth said:

JustAnotherLogin said:

Or go with the OFCOM interpretation of a major party and exclude UKIP.

You seem to be behind the times.

Am I?

The text of your article (not the headline) says that UKIP may ualify for major party status

The Guardian article linked above says:


Ofcom said its current list of major Great Britain-wide parties consists of the Conservative party, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

In Scotland and Wales respectively, the major parties are joined by the Scottish National party and Plaid Cyrmu.

In Northern Ireland, they are joined by the Alliance party; the Democratic Unionist party; Sinn Féin; the Social Democratic and Labour party; and the Ulster Unionist party.

[Esseesse]

JustAnotherLogin said:

If the other parties are so convinced that Cameron is running scared, why not call his bluff and have the Greens on?

Or go with the OFCOM interpretation of a major party and exclude UKIP.

Either seems reasonable to me

If they exclude UKIP, Cameron/they all will appear to be running scared, regardless of their reasoning.

[jet_noise]

isn't this all about pressure from Mrs C?

regards,
Jet

[Johnnytheboy]

Don't put Natalie Bennett on TV, ffs, she has a really annoying voice.

[Yazar]

Greg66 said:

These debates are crap. Soundbite TV for people who can't be bothered to listen to or think about long sentences, like Americans. A poorly chosen import for us.

Last time around, the big winner from the debates was Nick Clegg and the LDs, leading to a coalition Govt. Who really thinks now that the boost the LDs got from the debates was a good idea?

So who in their right mind would want a re-run?

What do you think will be happening on parties posters, pamphlets,telephone, email and tv ads?

Not long sentences but short soundbites. Why do you think the Tories upped the maximum campaign spend allowance against election commission opposition and without any parliamentary debate ( link )

The fact is that the rich Tories are looking to outspend labour by 3 to 1 on campaign budget, and more multiples to UKIP. The televised debates puts them equal and gives much needed exposure to the parties with less money to spend.

Greg66 said:

As for Farage, the DUP, PC, and the SNP all have more seats than UKIP. They have far better claims to be included.

You are talking 2010, and the landscape has changed radically since then. If you cannot recognize that based on their ongoing performance in council, eu, by-elections, polling and so on, that UKIP have become a major party then you are deluded- the facts speak for themselves.

2010 GE were a very long time ago.