TV debates: broadcasters will 'empty chair' leaders who refuse to take part
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Version 0 of 1. The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky have said they will “empty chair” any party leaders who refuse to take part in their revised proposals for TV election debates. Although he is not identified by name, the threat will be seen as a test for David Cameron after the prime minister objected to the debates as they were originally proposed. The broadcasters made this clear on Friday as they confirmed revised plans for an expanded TV debates format including the Green party, Scottish National party and Plaid Cymru. Cameron’s stance led Labour leader Ed Miliband, his Liberal Democrat counterpart Nick Clegg and Ukip’s Nigel Farage to jointly call on the broadcasters to go ahead with the debates without the Tory leader if he refused to take part. As expected, the two planned debates on BBC1 and ITV will be extended to include the Green party, SNP and Plaid Cymru, along with the three main party leaders - Cameron, Miliband and Clegg - and Ukip leader Farage. Early reports of the new proposals on Thursday, following months of negotiations between the broadcasters and political parties, immediately led to objections from the Lib Dems and the Democratic Unionists. They were later joined in challenging the plans by Sinn Féin. The third debate, a head to head between Cameron and Miliband due to be broadcast jointly by Channel 4 and Sky News, would go ahead as originally envisaged. In a joint announcement published on Friday, the four broadcasters said: “The party leaders have been formally invited to take part in these debates. If any decide not to participate the debates would take place with those who accepted the invitation.” It said the new proposals followed three months of talks with all the political parties as well as taking “polling and broad public opinion” into account. The debates would take place during election campaign - with proposed dates of 2, 16 and 30 April ahead of the vote on 7 May. TV executives are understood to have met with representatives of the political parties on Friday morning to discuss the revamped proposals. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said the new proposals were welcome news, and that there was a “compelling case” to include her party. “With a larger membership than the Lib Dems and Ukip combined, and more elected MPs than U, the case for including the SNP in the televised debates was unanswerable,” said Scotland’s first minister. “The inclusion of the SNP, Plaid [Cymru] and the Greens will rightly show that politics beyond Westminster isn’t just an old boys’ club.” The broadcasters said: “Following meetings with the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP representatives, it has not been possible to come to an agreement on the original proposal put forward by the broadcasters in October 2014. “Since October the broadcasters have together and individually had a number of meetings and conversations with the parties invited to take part, the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and UKIP, and also discussions and correspondence with the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party. “All these discussions have been constructive and useful in informing our thinking about the debates. “Over the three months since the original proposal was put forward, the broadcasters have also continued to monitor the electoral landscape, as we promised to do, taking into account the polling evidence, and the expressions of public support for the debates to go ahead and for a wider range of parties to be included in the debates. “In view of these factors, the broadcasters are now inviting party leaders to take part in the following debates within the official election campaign and approximately two weeks apart. “Two debates between the leaders of the following parties: Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, UKIP, Green, SNP and Plaid Cymru. One of these debates to be produced by ITV, and one by the BBC. “One debate between the leaders of the Conservative party and the Labour party produced by Sky and Channel 4. “The proposed dates for the debates are 2, 16 and 30 April. The order of the debates is to be discussed with the parties. “The party leaders will be formally invited to take part in these debates. In the event that any of the invited party leaders decline to participate, debates will take place with the party leaders who accept the invitation.” It said the BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 “remain committed to holding election debates in the General Election campaign”. When reports of the new proposals emerged on Thursday, DUP leader Peter Robinson said he would be writing to the BBC and ITV to ask why his party was not included in the new offer. The other four parties in Northern Ireland, including Sinn Féin, also said they should be involved. A spokesman for Sinn Féin said the party would “challenge any attempt to discriminate against us. Sinn Féin will take every opportunity to present and promote its policies and positions.” Related: Leaders of five main UK parties invited to take part in general election debate The Lib Dems objected to the loss of a planned three way debate between Cameron, Miliband and Clegg which had been in the original offer but had been dropped, meaning Clegg would be submerged into a debate with smaller parties. The new proposals mean two thirds of the original plan has been torn up. The BBC debate was originally pitched as a three-way between Cameron, Miliband and Clegg, with ITV’s round table extended to include Farage. Leader debates hosted by the UK’s main broadcasters are not the only offer on the table. Guardian News & Media and Telegraph Media Group have proposed an internet debate with a female moderator to be streamed live online in a partnership with YouTube. |