Ed Miliband sides with Cameron in freezing out Farage from TV Debates

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...=feeds-newsxml

'Stop ducking and diving... sign up to TV debates': Ed Miliband challenges David Cameron to agree to live showdown

- Labour leader calls for a rerun of the 2010 format with Tories and Lib Dems
- Wants to freeze out UKIP leader Nigel Farage who has demanded a place
- Mr Cameron wants debates held earlier to not 'suck life' out of campaign

LibLabCon - all in this together. Ed Miliband has sided with David Cameron on freezing out Nigel Farage from the debates.

Ed Miliband today challenged David Cameron to sign up to TV debates at the next election.

The Labour leader told the Prime Minister to 'stop ducking and diving' and agree to repeat the live broadcasts first seen during the 2010 campaign.

Mr Miliband ruled out the idea of UKIP leader Nigel Farage being given a place insisting it should be the same format as last time, with Lib Dems, Labour and Tories represented.

Excluded: if Cameron and Miliband get their way then Farage will be excluded from the Debates.

Many senior Tories blame the debates in 2010 for Mr Cameron's failure to secure an outright majority.

He performed badly in the first encounter, while Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg benefited from being comparatively unknown.

Conservative strategists feared Mr Farage could enjoy a similar boost in the polls if he was given a platform in the debates.

But Mr Miliband made clear it should be a straight battle between the three main party leaders.

Speaking during a Q&A session at the Labour party conference, Mr Miliband said: 'It is time for David Cameron to stop ducking and diving to agree to the TV debates just like the last general election, so the country can make its choice.'

In 2010 each main broadcaster hosted a debate, including Sky News, ITV and BBC.

What a cowardly bunch of spineless wimps, and what a mockery it makes of democracy when the latest Opinium poll put the parties on the following (and I have added the results back in May from an actual election that took place):

LAB 36% - Local Elections 2013 result: 29%
CON 29% - Local Elections 2013 result: 25%
UKIP 17% - Local Elections 2013 result: 23%
LDEM 7% - Local Elections 2013 result: 14%

I'm not even a fan of debates, but surely if we are going to have debates then other parties that are polling high should be allowed? personally if we are to have debates I would even like to see the likes of the Greens and BNP included as I don't think we should be confined to the choice of three identical parties when it comes to an election. Even more ironic is that of the 650 seats across the United Kingdom, only UKIP are planning to put up candidates in all these seats whereas Labour and the Tories are only fielding around 630 and the LDems even less.

The reason why they want to exclude Farage is simple though: he'd wipe the floor with all three of them.

Nigel Farage MEP

Ed Miliband was all for @ukip being involved in televised debates until he woke up to the fact that we take votes from all over the political spectrum

Thoughts, should Farage be included?

[MKR&*42]

I think Conservative, Green, Liberal Democrats, BNP, Labour and UKIP should all be allowed on. Although it might seem a little crowd, there's no denying the popularity of previously "minority" political groups is growing and the public clearly has a widened interest in hearing views from the likes of green, UKIP and (possibly) BNP. Besides, if someone brings up UKIP's growing popularity on the debate and Farage isn't there to "defend his party", then it's a massively unfair advantage for the other 3 main parties.

[Mark]

I think Conservative, Green, Liberal Democrats, BNP, Labour and UKIP should all be allowed on. Although it might seem a little crowd, there's no denying the popularity of previously "minority" political groups is growing and the public clearly has a widened interest in hearing views from the likes of green, UKIP and (possibly) BNP. Besides, if someone brings up UKIP's growing popularity on the debate and Farage isn't there to "defend his party", then it's a massively unfair advantage for the other 3 main parties.

Why would we want to inform people of the Green's and BNP's policies when there is no way in hell they'll ever receive more than a few seats?
Personally I feel that UKIP should be allowed to take part in the televised debates, can't see it happening considering the other parties are scared at the outcome.

[MKR&*42]

Why would we want to inform people of the Green's and BNP's policies when there is no way in hell they'll ever receive more than a few seats?
Personally I feel that UKIP should be allowed to take part in the televised debates, can't see it happening considering the other parties are scared at the outcome.

Because of their growing popularity amongst minority parties (or major in UKIPs case). I'm sure quite a few who still believe all that global warning stuff (which is essentially everyone who goes through education and doesn't look at the case against it) would be very interested in the green party's views.

[dbgtz]

Why would we want to inform people of the Green's and BNP's policies when there is no way in hell they'll ever receive more than a few seats?
Personally I feel that UKIP should be allowed to take part in the televised debates, can't see it happening considering the other parties are scared at the outcome.

It gives people the chance to actually hear the views of the party rather than read the opinionated view of some newspaper editor.

[Kardan]

As someone that isn't too fond of UKIP, they should definitely be allowed to take part in the debates. The main parties are simply scared...

[AgnesIO]

I hate UKIP, but I can definitely see why they should be allowed in the debates. However, I would like to remind this forum that they get more coverage on here than they do on most news websites... :L

I don't really want Farage with his face on my tv screen, as I'd want to continually punch it, which might break my tv. Furthermore, knowing him he'd do the debate with a pint in his hand :L

[Ardemax]

Let Nigel on, Dave, pretty pleaseeeeeee

[Mark]

It gives people the chance to actually hear the views of the party rather than read the opinionated view of some newspaper editor.

Could you imagine the debate, it'd be horrific...

[GommeInc]

It's not the choice of the rival party leaders to say who should and should not appear in the debates. It's like the Tesco and ASDA not wanting Morrison's to air their views on a space for a new supermarket in a town. UKIP are popular, they should be at the debates - more so than the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg who would be nothing more than hot air and a waste of space on the stage.