David Cameron insists he isn't ducking live TV general election debates
DAVID CAMERON yesterday insisted that his offer to join a single seven-party live TV debate with his rivals before the general election campaign was “unblocking a log jam”.
The Prime Minister was criticised after Downing Street rejected the broadcasters’ formula of three debates next month – two with seven leaders, then a third a week before the May 7 election with just Mr Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband.
Number 10 instead issued a “final offer” for Mr Cameron to take part in one 90-minute show with at least six other leaders, to be held this month.
Opponents said it was just the latest Tory bid to scupper the US-style general election debates which were held for the first time in Britain in 2010 after then opposition leader Mr Cameron pressed for them.
Tories reportedly fear a two-way debate with Mr Miliband because anything less than a disaster for the often-inept Labour leader would be hailed a triumph.
Speaking during a visit to Staffordshire, the Prime Minister said: “The broadcasters came up with a series of proposals that other people realised were flawed.
“I am unblocking the log jam and saying let’s have this debate and get on with it before the campaign.”
He rejected claims that staging the debates before party manifestos are published would limit the opportunity to scrutinise plans, insisting: “Everyone knows what the Conservative proposals are and Labour’s, and the other parties can speak for themselves.”
Labour vowed yesterday to keep up the pressure, saying Downing Street’s proposal was a climbdown.
Mr Miliband declared: “David Cameron is ducking the debate with me.
Why are you running scared?
“He is cowering from the public.
“The British people deserve this.
"I’ll debate him any time, any place, anywhere.”
And in his first ever Twitter message directly to the PM, Mr Miliband demanded: “Why are you running scared?
"The British people want a head-to-head TV debate.
"Let’s give it to them.”
Tony Blair’s former spin chief Alastair Campbell has reportedly been playing Mr Cameron in debate rehearsals with Mr Miliband.
Mr Campbell said: “It’s got to be Ed against David Cameron, and David Cameron is running scared of it.”
Mr Cameron was also derided by UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, initially tipped to join a four-way debate with Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg before the PM’s insistence on including the Greens led to proposals for a seven-way encounter also involving Scottish and Welsh nationalists.
Speaking on ITV’s Loose Women Mr Farage said he suspected that there were conversations he wanted with Mr Cameron that the PM didn’t want to engage in.
“I suspect that’s why they have sabotaged it,” he said.
