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| Cameron rejects Salmond's call for TV debate on Scottish independence | Cameron rejects Salmond's call for TV debate on Scottish independence |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| David Cameron has ruled out staging a televised debate on Scottish independence with Alex Salmond, accusing the first minister of trying to deflect attention from his weak proposals for leaving the UK. | David Cameron has ruled out staging a televised debate on Scottish independence with Alex Salmond, accusing the first minister of trying to deflect attention from his weak proposals for leaving the UK. |
| Cameron said Salmond was seeking to portray the referendum debate as a contest between the SNP and the Conservative party. | Cameron said Salmond was seeking to portray the referendum debate as a contest between the SNP and the Conservative party. |
| In a letter to Salmond, Cameron wrote: "I understand why you might wish to pursue a diversionary tactic. It is a convenient means of deflecting attention away from the real issues – the lack of credibility of your plans for a currency union, funding pensions and managing volatile oil revenues." | In a letter to Salmond, Cameron wrote: "I understand why you might wish to pursue a diversionary tactic. It is a convenient means of deflecting attention away from the real issues – the lack of credibility of your plans for a currency union, funding pensions and managing volatile oil revenues." |
| Salmond stepped up his demands for the prime minister to face him in a live TV debate after the two men were made joint winners of a Political Studies Association award for negotiating the Edinburgh agreement to set up next year's referendum. | Salmond stepped up his demands for the prime minister to face him in a live TV debate after the two men were made joint winners of a Political Studies Association award for negotiating the Edinburgh agreement to set up next year's referendum. |
| Two weeks ago, Salmond issued a fresh challenge to Cameron, asking for a live debate on St Andrew's Day this November, fuelling suspicions that it would be timed to coincide with publication of the Scottish government's white paper on independence. | Two weeks ago, Salmond issued a fresh challenge to Cameron, asking for a live debate on St Andrew's Day this November, fuelling suspicions that it would be timed to coincide with publication of the Scottish government's white paper on independence. |
| He accused the PM of running scared, asking: "If the prime minister is so confident about his case against independence, what has he got be afraid of?" | He accused the PM of running scared, asking: "If the prime minister is so confident about his case against independence, what has he got be afraid of?" |
| Cameron has now formally rejected that offer in a blunt letter to Salmond, released on the eve of the Conservatives' annual conference in Manchester, and said the first minister should instead face Alistair Darling, the leader of the pro-UK Better Together campaign. | Cameron has now formally rejected that offer in a blunt letter to Salmond, released on the eve of the Conservatives' annual conference in Manchester, and said the first minister should instead face Alistair Darling, the leader of the pro-UK Better Together campaign. |
| The PM said Darling had been chosen by all three pro-UK parties – Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems – to be "captain" of their anti-independence team. They would decide who spoke for the campaign, not the first minister. | The PM said Darling had been chosen by all three pro-UK parties – Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems – to be "captain" of their anti-independence team. They would decide who spoke for the campaign, not the first minister. |
| "It is entirely right for you to place yourself at the head of the yes campaign, but not to decide who should lead for the no campaign too," Cameron said. "It is a well-understood and reasonable principle that you get to pick your own team's captain, but not your opponent's as well. | "It is entirely right for you to place yourself at the head of the yes campaign, but not to decide who should lead for the no campaign too," Cameron said. "It is a well-understood and reasonable principle that you get to pick your own team's captain, but not your opponent's as well. |
| "You want the independence debate to be an argument between you and me; the Scottish government and UK government; the SNP and Conservative party – in fact anything rather than what it really is about. Nor is your argument with the rest of the United Kingdom, it is with the people in Scotland." | "You want the independence debate to be an argument between you and me; the Scottish government and UK government; the SNP and Conservative party – in fact anything rather than what it really is about. Nor is your argument with the rest of the United Kingdom, it is with the people in Scotland." |
| Salmond has retaliated, accusing Cameron of being "feart", or afraid, of having a face-to-face debate. The UK government was central to the debate on independence, the first minister added, since its decisions on the bedroom tax and privatising Royal Mail directly affected Scotland even though the Tories only had one MP in Scotland. | |
| The first minister added: "The highly political nature of the prime minister's letter rather makes my point for me. He is in the impossible position of continuing to enter the debate on Scottish independence without actually being willing to have a head-to-head debate. | |
| "I would like the opportunity to counter the various spurious and unfounded claims about an independent Scotland he has made in his letter, and the best way to do that is by way of a live televised debate." | |
| No 10 officials believe Salmond is guilty of double standards by repeatedly insisting that independence is solely for Scotland to decide and is a matter of Scottish sovereignty. But Salmond insists that Cameron has made himself central to the independence debate. He was cosignatory to the Edinburgh agreement. | No 10 officials believe Salmond is guilty of double standards by repeatedly insisting that independence is solely for Scotland to decide and is a matter of Scottish sovereignty. But Salmond insists that Cameron has made himself central to the independence debate. He was cosignatory to the Edinburgh agreement. |
| "We can hardly accept a joint award for political engagement if we are not prepared to follow it through and conduct a debate in democratic terms as the two signatories of this agreement," Salmond said earlier this month. "According to the serious academics [who gave the award] this is the best thing since sliced bread." | "We can hardly accept a joint award for political engagement if we are not prepared to follow it through and conduct a debate in democratic terms as the two signatories of this agreement," Salmond said earlier this month. "According to the serious academics [who gave the award] this is the best thing since sliced bread." |
| Scottish officials also point out that Whitehall civil servants and UK ministers are playing a very prominent, active role in fighting the UK government's case against independence. Scores of Whitehall officials are working on a series of official papers attacking Salmond's plans. | Scottish officials also point out that Whitehall civil servants and UK ministers are playing a very prominent, active role in fighting the UK government's case against independence. Scores of Whitehall officials are working on a series of official papers attacking Salmond's plans. |
| Pro-independence campaigners also argue that Salmond is not leader of the Yes Scotland campaign, which is the only group that is directly comparable to Better Together, but the head of the Scottish government. Yes Scotland's advisory board is chaired by the ex-Labour MP Dennis Canavan, who would be Darling's most obvious opponent in a TV debate. | Pro-independence campaigners also argue that Salmond is not leader of the Yes Scotland campaign, which is the only group that is directly comparable to Better Together, but the head of the Scottish government. Yes Scotland's advisory board is chaired by the ex-Labour MP Dennis Canavan, who would be Darling's most obvious opponent in a TV debate. |
| Blair Jenkins, the chief executive of Yes Scotland and a former BBC TV news executive, also believes Salmond would win a TV debate because of his formidable debating skills. He said broadcasters would be delighted if Salmond and Cameron agreed to a live duel. | Blair Jenkins, the chief executive of Yes Scotland and a former BBC TV news executive, also believes Salmond would win a TV debate because of his formidable debating skills. He said broadcasters would be delighted if Salmond and Cameron agreed to a live duel. |
| Jenkins told the Guardian: "Alex Salmond is an outstanding broadcasting performer; from where I'm sitting, that's a great advantage to us. As I look at the casting possibilities on the yes side, I think that they're far greater than for the other side." | Jenkins told the Guardian: "Alex Salmond is an outstanding broadcasting performer; from where I'm sitting, that's a great advantage to us. As I look at the casting possibilities on the yes side, I think that they're far greater than for the other side." |
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