Chippiewill
18-01-2013, 04:58 PM
David Cameron has dismissed calls for UKIP leader Nigel Farage to be allowed to take part in the leaders' debates at the next general election, due in 2015.
The PM told The House magazine only parties "that are going to form the government" should be included.
Mr Farage once accused Mr Cameron of being "weak" and suggested he was not "grown up and sensible" enough.
But the PM has previously described the eurosceptic party as containing "loonies and closet racists".
Mr Cameron said in an interview: "Obviously, we have to decide on this nearer the time, but the TV debates should be about, you know, the parties that are going to form the government, in my view."
Some recent polls have placed UKIP, which wants the UK to leave the EU, in third place ahead of the Liberal Democrats.
'Scared'
Mr Farage said: "If UKIP's share of the opinion polls were to continue as they are now, to exclude us from the debates when the Lib Dems were included last time would make British politics look as outdated as the closed shop and embarrassingly out of touch.
"If he wants to restrict it to those parties who are likely to form the next government, he'd better not be booking studio time himself with confidence."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21066558
Mr Cameron is clearly delusional if he believes that UKIP should be left out and both the Tories and Lib Dems included. This is precisely what the Americans have achieved with their system, now only Democrat and Republican candidates in America get to do televised debates, independents instead excluded altogether (Along with any other parties, if they were to exist). If this is the system Mr Cameron wants then Mr Cameron is not a PM we should have.
The PM told The House magazine only parties "that are going to form the government" should be included.
Mr Farage once accused Mr Cameron of being "weak" and suggested he was not "grown up and sensible" enough.
But the PM has previously described the eurosceptic party as containing "loonies and closet racists".
Mr Cameron said in an interview: "Obviously, we have to decide on this nearer the time, but the TV debates should be about, you know, the parties that are going to form the government, in my view."
Some recent polls have placed UKIP, which wants the UK to leave the EU, in third place ahead of the Liberal Democrats.
'Scared'
Mr Farage said: "If UKIP's share of the opinion polls were to continue as they are now, to exclude us from the debates when the Lib Dems were included last time would make British politics look as outdated as the closed shop and embarrassingly out of touch.
"If he wants to restrict it to those parties who are likely to form the next government, he'd better not be booking studio time himself with confidence."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21066558
Mr Cameron is clearly delusional if he believes that UKIP should be left out and both the Tories and Lib Dems included. This is precisely what the Americans have achieved with their system, now only Democrat and Republican candidates in America get to do televised debates, independents instead excluded altogether (Along with any other parties, if they were to exist). If this is the system Mr Cameron wants then Mr Cameron is not a PM we should have.