2015 leaders' debates confirmed

VM

VMPhil 23 February 2015 11:35am

Quote:

As a result of drawing of lots by the broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4) the order of the party leaders' televised General Election debates is:

2 April: ITV - Debate between the party leaders of the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, UKIP, the SNP, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru.

16 April: BBC - Debate between the party leaders of the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, UKIP, the SNP, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru.

30 April: Sky and Channel 4 - Head-to-head debate between the Leader of the Conservative Party and the Leader of the Labour Party.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/election-debates-order

Still skeptical that you can have a watchable debate with seven leaders, but look forward to seeing how they're done.

Last edited by VMPhil on 17 March 2015 4:52pm - 3 times in total

MF

MatthewFirth 23 February 2015 11:39am

I doubt this is gonna happen anyway. In the end the party leaders may just end up giving separate interviews.

BA

bilky asko 23 February 2015 12:48pm

MatthewFirth posted:

I doubt this is gonna happen anyway. In the end the party leaders may just end up giving separate interviews.

Eh? It's not going to do anyone any favours if a leader pulls out at this point.

IN

Interceptor 23 February 2015 1:53pm

MatthewFirth posted:

I doubt this is gonna happen anyway. In the end the party leaders may just end up giving separate interviews.

All the leaders except Cameron have confirmed they wish to take part. The broadcasters have in turn promised that debates will go ahead leaving an "empty chair" for any leaders who do not wish to take part.

CA

Cando 23 February 2015 4:14pm

Quite a few Sunday papers reporting that privately Labour don't want to do them now either due to the inclusion of the SNP and Greens.
Cameron is very unlikely do them imho he said he wouldn't do them that close to election and once he goes Miliband will follow i think.

CA

Cando 23 February 2015 4:17pm

Interceptor posted:

MatthewFirth posted:

I doubt this is gonna happen anyway. In the end the party leaders may just end up giving separate interviews.

All the leaders except Cameron have confirmed they wish to take part. The broadcasters have in turn promised that debates will go ahead leaving an "empty chair" for any leaders who do not wish to take part.

Don't think either Miliband or Clegg have signed on the bottom line. Labour won't agree to a debate with Paxman due to him coming out as a 'one nation' Tory after leaving Newsnight. He was also approached to be the Conservatives London Mayoral candidate.

If I was a betting man I would say they're unlikely to go ahead.

VM

VMPhil 23 February 2015 4:55pm

Cando posted:

Quite a few Sunday papers reporting that privately Labour don't want to do them now either due to the inclusion of the SNP and Greens.
Cameron is very unlikely do them imho he said he wouldn't do them that close to election and once he goes Miliband will follow i think.

Douglas Alexander has already written to Grant Shapps that it's certain Miliband will appear for the head-to-head debate (although nothing about the other debates).

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2015/02/labour-demands-david-cameron-commit-to-debating-ed-miliband/

I've updated the thread title, just in case!

SW

Steve Williams 23 February 2015 4:56pm

Cando posted:

Don't think either Miliband or Clegg have signed on the bottom line. Labour won't agree to a debate with Paxman due to him coming out as a 'one nation' Tory after leaving Newsnight. He was also approached to be the Conservatives London Mayoral candidate.

There are many other examples of this - Robin Day stood as a Liberal candidate and Alastair Burnet was certainly well known as a Conservative and a particular fan of Edward Heath, and of course Nick Robinson was in the Young Conservatives. This didn't stop them being able to interview impartially, and you could hardly suggest that Paxman's previous interviews have illustrated a bias towards the Tories.

Do Labour refuse to be interviewed by Nick Robinson? No, so why would they take issue with debating with someone who has admitted Conservative leanings (though is not a member of the Conservative party)?

:-(

A former member 23 February 2015 5:12pm

STV getting on in the act!

Quote:

The Scottish broadcaster STV is understood to want to hold its own leaders’ debate on 7 April. STV, the channel 3 licence holder in Scotland, intends to hold a four-way debate including Scottish National party leader Nicola Sturgeon and the leaders of the three main political parties in Westminster, it is believed.

IN

Interceptor 23 February 2015 5:22pm

Steve Williams posted:

Cando posted:

Don't think either Miliband or Clegg have signed on the bottom line. Labour won't agree to a debate with Paxman due to him coming out as a 'one nation' Tory after leaving Newsnight. He was also approached to be the Conservatives London Mayoral candidate.

There are many other examples of this - Robin Day stood as a Liberal candidate and Alastair Burnet was certainly well known as a Conservative and a particular fan of Edward Heath, and of course Nick Robinson was in the Young Conservatives. This didn't stop them being able to interview impartially, and you could hardly suggest that Paxman's previous interviews have illustrated a bias towards the Tories.

Do Labour refuse to be interviewed by Nick Robinson? No, so why would they take issue with debating with someone who has admitted Conservative leanings (though is not a member of the Conservative party)?

Michael Crick was offered a Labour safe seat I believe; which he refused choosing instead to become a journalist. Again, doesn't mean he gives Labour an easy ride.

CA

Cando 23 February 2015 5:45pm

Steve Williams posted:

Cando posted:

Don't think either Miliband or Clegg have signed on the bottom line. Labour won't agree to a debate with Paxman due to him coming out as a 'one nation' Tory after leaving Newsnight. He was also approached to be the Conservatives London Mayoral candidate.

There are many other examples of this - Robin Day stood as a Liberal candidate and Alastair Burnet was certainly well known as a Conservative and a particular fan of Edward Heath, and of course Nick Robinson was in the Young Conservatives. This didn't stop them being able to interview impartially, and you could hardly suggest that Paxman's previous interviews have illustrated a bias towards the Tories.

Do Labour refuse to be interviewed by Nick Robinson? No, so why would they take issue with debating with someone who has admitted Conservative leanings (though is not a member of the Conservative party)?

Well Nick Robinson's involvement was 25 years ago not 6 months.
Pretty sure Paxman also made numerous digs about Labour at the same time.

Here is the Telegraph from yesterday on how they are very unlikely to go ahead.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11428204/TV-debates-likely-to-be-called-off-because-of-cack-handed-broadcasters.html

Last edited by Cando on 23 February 2015 5:53pm

CA

Cando 23 February 2015 5:47pm

VMPhil posted:

Cando posted:

Quite a few Sunday papers reporting that privately Labour don't want to do them now either due to the inclusion of the SNP and Greens.
Cameron is very unlikely do them imho he said he wouldn't do them that close to election and once he goes Miliband will follow i think.

Douglas Alexander has already written to Grant Shapps that it's certain Miliband will appear for the head-to-head debate (although nothing about the other debates ).

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2015/02/labour-demands-david-cameron-commit-to-debating-ed-miliband/

I've updated the thread title, just in case!

That's pretty much Cameron's get out of jail card so.

2015 leaders' debates confirmed

(February 2015)