David Cameron will refuse TV debates if Greens excluded

i heard this news yesterday and wasn't sure if this was an honourable move by Cameron or dishonerable act showing a lack of courage.

Mr Cameron told BBC North West Tonight it was a question of fairness. He said he did not see how "some minor parties like the Liberal Democrats and UKIP" could take part in the leaders' debates, but not the Greens. Labour leader Ed Miliband has said the PM "owes it to the people" to take part. The current proposals for the TV election debates only include the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP. The suggested schedule is for debates on 2 April, 16 April and 30 April, ahead of the election on 7 May.

I agree with him on this premise, but also aware it's up to the broadcasters who they want on the debates and of course Nigel Farage is a bigger draw than a Green candidates and there's not room for every small party on the stage, farage has called Cameron a Chicken for not wanting to appear. Is cameron playing into U kips hands and running scared or being fair to everyone.
www.bbc.co.uk...

The prime minister was responding to a draft ruling by Ofcom, the broadcast regulator, that the Green party does not have sufficient support to qualify for “major party status” in the general election, but Ukip may have. Ofcom’s initial decision makes the Greens’ argument to be included in the TV leader election debates much harder to press successfully, although the party has until early February to make its case before a final decision in early March.

www.theguardian.com...

The green party would have no place to be there, they are far too small. Cameron is just running scared!

a reply to: woodwardjnr

Ha Ha! less time focused on our useless toffee nosed cameron - any more he wants to hide behind - in the noble idea of fair play for all - I suspect he would kill anyone he thought would get his chair mind you.

a reply to: woodwardjnr

farage has called Cameron a Chicken for not wanting to appear

That's one thing I agree with Farage on then , Flashman is running scared because he knows he has nothing to gain but everything to lose from the debates so he's putting obstacles in the way in the hope he can avoid what was considered a mistake in 2010.

I don't think he should be allowed to dictate the terms and the debates should include Ukip , if Flashman refuses to attend they should make it clear that the debates would go ahead without him ... I'm sure he would not want that.

a reply to: woodwardjnr

If the green party is there, they'll take votes away from the other and guarantee his party another win Does that meAn you shouldn't support it? Of course not. Encourage it, you'll never get a politician to do the right thing for the right reAsons, but even if he's doing it for the wrong reasons at least it's the right Thing

Green voters normally are labour voters so he wants the greens there to take away votes from labour.
Just like UKIP will take votes from his party.

Cameron has had no problems with this type of debate in the past.

The end is nigh.. I think I just agreed with Cameron about something.. I don't know how to feel about this..

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: woodwardjnr

farage has called Cameron a Chicken for not wanting to appear

That's one thing I agree with Farage on then , Flashman is running scared because he knows he has nothing to gain but everything to lose from the debates so he's putting obstacles in the way in the hope he can avoid what was considered a mistake in 2010.

I don't think he should be allowed to dictate the terms and the debates should include Ukip , if Flashman refuses to attend they should make it clear that the debates would go ahead without him ... I'm sure he would not want that.

Not sure i agree with you, to be honest. In terms of Parliamentary seats, the Greens are a bigger party than UKIP so if no Greens, then why bother? It promotes an unfair platform for UKIP.

And why can he not dictate the terms? He is the serving PM and we are in the UK, not America - we vote for the party rather than the Presidential candidate (you know what i mean!). I personally believe these debates are just dumbed down slanging matches and actually do nothing to serve the political debate. I suspect many politicians also agree (hear how they discuss them when asked in interviews - it is nearly always polite media savvy response rather than passionate response)

a reply to: HippyAIDS

First an apology to the OP, sorry for going off topic.........

To HippyAIDS.....thanks a bunch, got "Carlton dancing" all over the brain now......guess thats work out the window for the afternoon!

a reply to: Flavian

Not sure i agree with you, to be honest. In terms of Parliamentary seats, the Greens are a bigger party than UKIP

Ukip holds 2 seats whereas the Greens hold 1 so I'd say not.
www.parliament.uk...

It is known that Cameron doesn't like the TV debates and regrets agreeing to them in 2010 , in my opinion he's trying to find a way out by calling for the Greens to be involved because he knows that then the SNP will also have to be included.

And why can he not dictate the terms?

Why should he , I don't see being the current PM as a valid reason , it should be a level playing field with the terms and conditions not set by the politicians.

Personally I wouldn't allow Ukip in either , it should be a debate between the main parties , perhaps a second round of debates for the top minority parties would be a better idea.

a reply to: gortex

I do take your point but the debates themselves are worthless - that is the point i was unsuccessfully trying to make! They serve absolutely no purpose except to possibly give the networks better figures in the politics arena.

Given they serve no purpose, why bother attending?

a reply to: Flavian

I do take your point but the debates themselves are worthless - that is the point i was unsuccessfully trying to make!

I totally agree , it's another example of they do it in the States so we should do it here when it really isn't suited to our Parliamentary style.

originally posted by: woodwardjnr
i heard this news yesterday and wasn't sure if this was an honourable move by Cameron or dishonerable act showing a lack of courage.

You weren't sure? REALLY??

It's David Cameron...

originally posted by: boymonkey74
Green voters normally are labour voters so he wants the greens there to take away votes from labour.
Just like UKIP will take votes from his party.

Eell I hope it backfires and labour voters see sense by all voting green and all lib dems too. Maybe another hung parkiament but this time the greens in majority with a labour or conservative coalition. Lol that would be the day. Labour has no real credibility in the left anymore anyway, I don't know what ed balls, the shadow chancellor, miliband the wannabe working peoples prime minister, and Hariett Harman the pedophiles apologist shadow home secretary think they're trying by appealing to traditional left wing voters, the soul of that party died with New Labour. People may argue it was already dead, and New labour was simply the nail in the coffin. Theyre probably right. Blair has apparently been calling milliband out on his attempt to revive traditional labour policies and setiments, saying he should stick to the middle ground where labour wins votes. The right have left firmly in their pocket and are determined to keep it there. Thanks to thatcher the centre ground was shifted to the right in the 80s and it has stayed there ever since. I think the two main parties have had their day and need to get out. Give the greens the platform they rightly deserve and bring on the general election.