Torys Running Scared

[retrocop]

Just watched the ITV News and the Prime Minister,apparently, refuses to join a TV debate unless the Green Party are included. I personally believe the Green Party will never be a viable party fit to run this country on the world stage.
I and my family have always voted Tory. Never again will I vote for the Tory party whilst it is led by a gutless chinless wonder. Millipede and Farage have both said that Cameron is running scared to enter into a TV debate. How can I not agree and defend the Prime Minister's capitulation.He bottled out of a previous TV debate. Even Clegg,who I consider a wet had the moral fibre and backbone to stand up to Farage who ran rings round him.At least he had the guts to stand up and state his case.
Rant over.Never felt so badly let down by the Tory Party in my life.

[ludwig]

They should either do what he says and include Greens or just go ahead without him. I don't see what the fuss is about.

[mikey4444]

I agree with Gromit...let the Greens in ! After all, until very recently, they had an MP, where UKIP didn't. Even now, UKIP have only one more MP than them. What do we lose if we allow the Greens to participate ?

[buildersmate]

Actually Cameron is one of better tactical politicians. This is nothing to do with weak backbone or any of the other things suggested above.

The broadcasting regulator has determined the Greens can't take part, but the real issue is that Cameron doesn't want or see the need to bring the SNP into the debate forum also. They have also apparently been denied a place in National debating forum. Quite right too, in my view (living in England), though I have no problem with there being a debate on Scottish TV.
So it is actually about preventing a regional party getting a national forum for peddling their policies.

If the regulator now back a down and let's everyone in, the value of any debate between say seven or eight parties will decrease or even make it unworkable.
As was discovered last time when Clegg did initially so well, if you are a small operator you have nothing to lose and might come out on top. But if you are one of the big two parties, you have nothing to gain and could lose a lot.
Getting others to find a way out of this is a Cameron masterstroke.

[factor-fiction]

I think Cameron and Milliband know that they have more to lose than gain from a debate like this so both would prefer it not to go ahead in the suggested format- although I think both would welcome a one-to-one with the other

[factor-fiction]

Sorry, I know it's Miliband not Milliband

[buildersmate]

I wonder whether Miliband will say he also prefers no Greens. I doubt it - let others do the dirty work.

[Farriercm]

Where are all the CONs, ? -the party faithfulls should be rushing to defend ,
their party leader, on this post where is tora the tory?

[ToraToraTora]

retro, please look at this logically, the PM has nothing to gain from this US style charade, niether has ED really. The error was ever doing it at all. The whole thing is farcical anyway. I agree the PM is silly with his "we must include the greens" but he's trying to get out the whole thing because he has nothing to gain and everything to lose. if they are going to have it they should do the 2 main parties only, all the others are pointless. UKIP/greens/SNP/MRL/LD are irrelevant.

[mikey4444]

The Greens are neither here nor there...what possible harm could it do to let them in on the debates ?

Its not as if they are going to change the world is it !

[buildersmate]

Mikey, as I first suggested 45 minutes ago, this is not directly to do with the Greens. It is to do two things:
preventing the smaller regional parties muscling in on a national level
Finding a way out of a forum where the biggest have nothing to gain and everything to lose.

I see this morning that this morning Milibland doesn't have the backbone to agree.

[ToraToraTora]

"The Greens are neither here nor there...what possible harm could it do to let them in on the debates ? " - They and the other irrelevancies just bog down the whole thing, they'll have to be given a chance to answer each point and we'll have to listen to their reply, that means less points. Personally I'd not bother at all but if we must then lets have the 2 guys that could feasably be the PM after the election shall we. If the other lot want to have their own bun fight on BBC9 then let them.

[Svejk]

Cameron likes these debates(or he did)
http://labourlist.org/2015/01/10-times-david-cameron-praised-tv-debates/

[Svejk]

I wonder what (or who) changed his mind, lol.

[jno]

the 2 main parties only, all the others are pointless

Oh I don't know, the country may be ruled by a coalition some day.

[Old_Geezer]

One doesn't invite all minor insignificant parties to a debate. It's just an excuse, maybe one he hopes will give him an illusion of environmental care credentials.

Not that I think politicians need feel they have to jump to media's demands. They aren't the elected voice of the people.

[retrocop]

I personally believe he has shot himself in the foot and done his party no favours.
If you read what saintpeter posted at 0144 then it would seem that he has done a massive U turn.
He has promised a referendum on Europe should his party be re elected albeit subject to negotiation of terms first.
Why can his followers believe that another U turn is not in the offing as well?

[ichkeria]

If we are going to have these debates then clear rules are needed: the problem is that the whole thing has sort of followed its nose, as first one party has said "yes", then another, and now not surprisingly others want in on the act.
It needs either to be Lab, Con and LibDem only or else all the national parties with seats in parliament. Or some sort of rule that it's the top four or five or something. Until we get that then this sort of nonsense is going to keep happening.
I don't blame Cameron for hesitating to go on with Farage but not Lucas, say. Why one if not the other? With no rules this is the sort of chaos you get.
I don't agree that Beluga McCaviar, or whoever the latest SNP leader is at the moment, should be on with the others as they are not a national party. Otherwise you need to bring in the DUP, Sinn Fein etc (can you imagine the fuss that would cause)

[Quizmonster]

Granted the SNP is not a 'national' party in UK terms, but they garnered almost double the number of votes the Greens did in 2010 and gained six times as many seats at Westminster! Nor only that but - post May 7th next - it looks as if they may well have more seats than the Lib Dems there, if polling in Scotland is at all accurate. Even now, as regards membership, they are the third party in the UK.
They should certainly have a voice in debates if UKIP and/or the Greens do.

[Svejk]

Ichi, why should it be the liblabcon when twice as many people support UKIP as the Liberals?

[ichkeria]

"They should certainly have a voice in debates if UKIP and/or the Greens do. "

I agree, but not in a national debate. Trouble is, it starts to get a bit crowded after a while ...
I am not trying to make up the rules (except that one!) but I am saying there should BE rules