indi Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 TV firms propose election debates The BBC, ITV and BSkyB have put forward a joint proposal to stage three live election debates between the leaders of the three main political parties. Under the plan, the three broadcasters would stage one debate each in peak time with the footage later being made available to other broadcasters. Sky has challenged the party leaders to take part in a debate. David Cameron and Nick Clegg have agreed to do so, while Gordon Brown has yet to make his position clear. The prime minister said on Tuesday that he had made up his mind whether to participate or not in a live broadcast but now was not the right time to discuss the matter. Mr Cameron has accused him of "dithering" over the issue. Several of Mr Brown's closest allies, including Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, have backed the idea of the debates in principle. Past attempts to stage head-to-head meetings between the party leaders have foundered over their format and who would chair them. The broadcasters have now written to the three party leaders setting out the details of their proposal. Their plan would see each produce and broadcast their own debate, selecting the chair themselves. Think it's a shame that Channel 4 aren't involved in this, Channel 4 News is by far and away the best TV news programme out there and it would have been good to see John Snow chairing a debate between the three of them. I can tell you now that the ITV version will be rubbish, just like everything else they do they're bound to fuck this up in spectacular style. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 BBC one should be cracking with Sir David Frost chairing, in fact, who the hell are ITV going to get..Sir Trevor McDonald??! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indi Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 BBC one should be cracking with Sir David Frost chairing, in fact, who the hell are ITV going to get..Sir Trevor McDonald??! Is it going to be Frost then? Yeah, ITV will probably go with Trev and no doubt have him ask stupid questions, not pay any attention to what's happening in front of his face, and end up getting even the most simple and obvious things wrong. That's pretty much what they do with anything isn't it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haz Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 This has been a long time coming. Politics is all presentation and no substance (when they are canvassing) Poor Gordon is going to look like Nixon was haplessly struggling against Kennedy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 aye, I'm pretty sure that I read somwhere (probably bbc or the times) that Frost had been asked to do it and he was up for it. When I first read that ITV were involved I had the horible feeling that Jeremy Kyle would be lined up for the gig it actually wouldn't surprise me... Entertainment wise, it'd be either car-crash telly or sheer genius. Politically though...not a lot would come out of it. Not surprised that Cameron & Clegg are most vocal in their support, they're both media-friendly and give decent soundbites, Brown doesn't do public speaking all that well (he also stammers and slurs his words to push through the blocks), he doesn't seem to be all that sharp with retorts (Cameron has had his number throughout PMQs). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicago_shearer Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I'm surprised Brown is against this. He is 7-10 points back in the polls and will probably lose next summer (or whenever he calls the election). His best hope is a no overall majority, possibly a thin plurality at best, and probable coalition with the Lib Dems. Forget a Labour majority, just won't happen unless Cameron gets a major scandal. Now 14 of the top 20 Lib Dem target seats at the next general election are Tory seats. So why the fear that Clegg and Cameron will gang up on Brown in a 3 man debate? Clegg has very little to gain from attacking Labour. If anything, they should both be attacking Cameron who is the odds on favorite to form the next government. If you are given the opportunity, Brown should bite their hand off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thespence Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 SkyNews got the ball rolling for this because word is there ratings are not as strong as they once were & they hope this will galvanise viewers to checking them out more. Brown should just sign up for the BBC & ITV debates & say "I am only doing mainstream TV.........now fuck off". Why should he help a part of News Corporation after they have savaged him this week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicago_shearer Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 SkyNews got the ball rolling for this because word is there ratings are not as strong as they once were & they hope this will galvanise viewers to checking them out more. Brown should just sign up for the BBC & ITV debates & say "I am only doing mainstream TV.........now f*** off". Why should he help a part of News Corporation after they have savaged him this week. That's a good point. It would be a good way for Brown to stick it to Murdoch f he accepts a BBC/ITV deal and refuses Sky. Over here during the Presidential debates, the ratings for the third debate always drop off anyway. It gets boring. Two is enough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 doesn't matter. no matter what brown says,even if he kicks camerons arse, he'll be seen as getting beat.it's already been decided in the nations psyche. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 doesn't matter. no matter what brown says,even if he kicks camerons arse, he'll be seen as getting beat.it's already been decided in the nations psyche. He really has nothing to lose though Mads,big opportunity for the LibDems to join Labour in attack on Cameron to maybe get a role in coalition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stifler Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I would of thought the guy who does question time would of fronted it for the BBC. Anyway, it's going to be good seeing Brown bubmble infront of the TV screens after tough rounds with both the Cons and Lib Dems. Who thinks the Lib Dems could overtake Labour? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlufPurdi Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 doesn't matter. no matter what brown says,even if he kicks camerons arse, he'll be seen as getting beat.it's already been decided in the nations psyche. He really has nothing to lose though Mads,big opportunity for the LibDems to join Labour in attack on Cameron to maybe get a role in coalition. It's a good chance, but they're both too pig-headed to go ahead with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlufPurdi Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I would of thought the guy who does question time would of fronted it for the BBC. Anyway, it's going to be good seeing Brown bubmble infront of the TV screens after tough rounds with both the Cons and Lib Dems. Who thinks the Lib Dems could overtake Labour? Not a chance, really. I'd wager just as many people dislike Clegg, as they do Brown. He's just a wishy-washy, spectacularly watered down version of Blair/Cameron. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indi Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 SNP signals debate legal threat The SNP may take legal action if Alex Salmond is not allowed to take part in a UK party leader TV debate ahead of the next General Election. The BBC, ITV and BSkyB jointly proposed three live debates between the Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat leaders. SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney said going to court was not being ruled out, but said it was more preferable to come to an agreement with the broadcasters. Opposition parties accused the SNP of bullying tactics. Tory leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg have welcomed a TV debate, while Gordon Brown has now said he was willing "in principle" to take part. 'Depriving voters' But the SNP has threatened to seek to block the screening in Scotland of any debate which did not include Scottish First Minister Mr Salmond. Mr Swinney told BBC Scotland's Politics show the SNP was the party of government at Holyrood, adding that the UK debates would discuss issues of importance to Scotland, such as the future of nuclear submarines on the Clyde. Mr Swinney said the SNP was prepared to be flexible, saying of the current arrangements: "It deprives the voters in Scotland of hearing the breadth of political choice that quite clearly exists here in Scotland about the input of Scotland into the UK General Election." On the issue of legal action, he added: "That might be a possibility, but, long before we get to that judgement, we have to have full and open discussions with the broadcasters about the arrangements that can be put in place." Also speaking on the programme, shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said it was not appropriate for Mr Salmond to take part in a debate about who should be the prime minister of Britain. Labour described the SNP's option of going to court as a "sinister threat", and claimed, along with the Liberal Democrats, the Nationalists were attempting to bully broadcasters. The broadcasters have said they would each seek "to make suitable arrangements for ensuring due impartiality across the UK", but have not yet explained how that would be achieved. Erm, has anyone told Alex that he's not even standing in that election? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indi Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I see the Tories are now trying to have their cake and eat it over the Lisbon treaty: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8289535.stm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlufPurdi Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Erm, has anyone told Alex that he's not even standing in that election? He's not? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indi Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Erm, has anyone told Alex that he's not even standing in that election? He's not? He's an MSP isn't he? Hence he's not standing in the Westminster elections. Is that how it works? I have to admit I'm not sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlufPurdi Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 He's an MSP and MP. MP before he even bothered his arse with Scotland, I'm sure. Although his claim to have a right in being in this debate is utter bollocks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indi Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 He's an MSP and MP. MP before he even bothered his arse with Scotland, I'm sure. Although his claim to have a right in being in this debate is utter bollocks. So he is, didn't realise you could do both. There's no way he should be involved in this though, you're right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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