Shame on those who are calling for an empty chair to take the place of your Prime Minister

I mean I would not be happy to see my prime minister blackmailed by tv stations who have not stood for any elections.

I would not be happy if he was my prime minister whether I voted for him or not.


Right first time - no need for a correction.

It's his own fault, his crew have been backsliding in the negotiations right from the get go.

He doesn't have to join the debates but if he doesn't he must expect the public to draw their

own conclusions. He keeps on that Miliband is weak and useless - ok - whats he frightened of then ?

Get in there and make mincemeat of him.

Instead of a chair, they should have a pile of sh!te to represent the dreadful count.

People have a right to criticise him for thinking he is trying to evade these debates but the tv channels don't run the country and no prime minister deserves to be blackmailed this way with a threat of an empty chair and everything it would symbolise to the voters. Its just not on in my opinion.

Take way the fact its Cameron and any political bias. I would say the same no matter who was Prime Minister.

I dont see what the problem is - he's going to get an invite. If he chooses not to go thats up to him.

That's fine. I am sure lots of politicians get invites to question time and don't turn up. I have yet to see an empty chair around the table in their place. That's the only issue I have.

Padd, the UK  has a long history of general election debates stretching back to 2010.

Who can forget the famous Thatcher V Foot election debate, or when Tony Blair insisted that he had the chance to go head to head against William Hague.

This proud long tradition of election debates must not come to an end.

You owe me a new sarcasm meter

Phukk me - if Miliband had cried off you two khunnts would have been wetting your knickers with excitement

Cameron even   wanted  it BEFOR  the tory  manifesto 

I bet he did

Just stick any old pouffe on the stage we wont be able to tell the difference.

The simple fact of the matter is that the dam burst in 2010 and any future Prime Minister who refuses to engage will be seen as frit and this is especially the case with Cameron who was desperate to get it on in 2010. He's a coward as far as I'm concerned but then I've been saying it for a while now.

And the only suitable response to him sticking two fingers up to the electorate is for the broadcasters to stick two fingers up to him. He should have a single white feather placed on that empty chair with COWARD scrawled across the back. A Prime Minister earns respect and whether he likes it or not post 2010 one of the ways their mettle will be tested is in these debates. Man up Cameron you pu55y.

Cameron's position on this is totally untenable, Crosby who is presumably behind this strategy has clearly made a big miscalculation and it's difficult to see how Cameron can come out of this looking anything but a coward.

I would like to see a Cameron v milliband debate,however I doubt Cameron's stance regarding running scared will make much difference.

Most of the electorate will be bored senseless by a 3 month campaign. How many people will actually change ther vote from Tory to a different party because of Cameron not taking part in a TV debate.

The people making the most noise have already cast their vote.

cameron won't be the prime minister in a few weeks time. he'll be just another party leader asking the public for their vote. he's got no right to act superior to the other party leaders

think tory hq have totally misjudged this. if you think milliband is terrible public performer which he is surely it was less risky facing him down than running a mile. could make a big difference in what is a desperately tight election

But on a matter of principle how can you justify the inclusion of the welsh and scots national parties and not include the n.ireland parties and if you include the dup how can you not include the alliance party and if you include the alliance party in n.ireland how can you not include the sdlp and eventhough sinn fein are an abstentionist party in not taking their Westminster seats in the house of parliament how can you exclude them from a debate.

I could accept the reasoning behind only inviting parties which stand in all parts of Britain but once you have invited the scots and the welsh to the party how can you leave out the n.irish and call it fair.

So what is the problem paddle. Is it principle or logistics?

It's a complete own goal. 2010 was a game changer as far as this is concerned. He can't win whatever he does now. If he sticks to his guns they will be throwing chickens at him everywhere he goes. If he he belatedly sees the folly of his position he now looks a ditherer. Total PR disaster. Serves him right.

Just asking a question on what basis anyone could think it fair that n.irish parties are being excluded from these debates.

Now, the Dup don't really want in the debates anyway but that's not the point.

Broadcasters are playing chicken in a game where they can't win. Nobody is really interested in seeing Ed and the minor parties debate.

Not sure the PM will back down on this, so it'll be a broadcaster loss. If Cameron goes to the debates now he'll look like he's weak and has to follow craven interests of the broadcasters. If they empty chair him, he wins.

Now I get the argument about logistics and numbers and also the reasoning that some folk think it should therefore be limited to parties who stand in all parts of Britain ( eng, scot, wales and n.ireland ) but once you include the scots and the welsh you throw that line of reasoning out of the window. Its no ones fault that there are several extra parties in n.ireland but there is clear discrimination here at leats not to invite the parties in n.ireland.

Agreed paddle. Full national parties only in my view. I'd say five at a push.

How does he win with an empty chair CJ? The other people who are debating will have one thing uniting them all and they will be falling over each other to dig that yellow coward out.

I personally don't think you could have a debate with a dozen or more parties at once but I don't see how any of the n.ireland parties could not win a legal challenge if they brought one now that the scots and welsh are going to be there.

By the way I could be wrong but I don't think the lib dems and labour stand in all 4 countries in the union. They have sister parties in n.ireland but don't stand as their own party. Obviously you could not exclude labour or the lib dems.  Just making a trivial point.

Mar 6, 2015 -- 6:22PM, Eeternaloptimist wrote:

How does he win with an empty chair CJ? The other people who are debating will have one thing uniting them all and they will be falling over each other to dig that yellow coward out.

Who's watching? Apart from die hard politicos? A debate without the PM doesn't work. Broadcasters won't do it because it's stupid, so we are left with each side at a stand off hoping the other will break and agree to demands.

Broadcasters want to go ahead with the same format so we get Ed Miliband v an empty chair. There's only one winner in that one and it comes from Viking.

Mar 6, 2015 -- 6:27PM, paddletoe wrote:

By the way I could be wrong but I don't think the lib dems and labour stand in all 4 countries in the union. They have sister parties in n.ireland but don't stand as their own party. Obviously you could not exclude labour or the lib dems.

Sakes. Quotes

You are correct. UKIP out of all the major parties were the only ones to stand in all ares of the UK last election. Due to the collapse of the UUP/Con pact I suspect the Conservatives will also stand this time.

Yes, read the kippers candidate in west Belfast is optimistic but realises he faces an uphill task. If he wins this seat I will donate both my kidneys to anyone who needs them.

UKIP have the same amount of elected representatives in the NI Assembly as the Greens do in Westminster.

Who's watching? Apart from die hard politicos?

A peak audience of over 10 million for the first debate and well over 8 million for the last debate last time around.

Mar 6, 2015 -- 6:46PM, Eeternaloptimist wrote:

Who's watching? Apart from die hard politicos?A peak audience of over 10 million for the first debate and well over 8 million for the last debate last time around.

Indeed, of course the PM was in that debate. If you want to have a wager that a monologue with Ed Miliband will get 8 million I'm all ears ;)

I think you'll find that the intellectual and moral titan that is Nick Clegg has offered to step into the void. I'll bet your lip is wobbling now.

Mar 6, 2015 -- 6:53PM, Eeternaloptimist wrote:

I think you'll find that the intellectual and moral titan that is Nick Clegg has offered to step into the void. I'll bet your lip is wobbling now.

I take it all back it could get 8 million!

On the broadcasters own terms they could only empty chair Cameron and not bring Clegg in. Although in other news, Big Phil Davies has said he'd step in and do the debates instead of Cameron, so that's sorted.

this is a fight between the broadcasters and the politicians.

On one hand the broadcasters can argue:

1. They are not going to "empty chair" Cameron, he is planning to do this himself
2. Pre election dabates have been established now and the public and thier customers expect the debates to take place
3. Thety are affording Cameron and all the party leaders the opportunity to have a debate; its entirely up to each leader to decide whether to turn up or not, as with any political TV programme
4. the UK media is apparently mainly "free" and supposed to be outside direct political influence so its not for any politician (even or especially the prime minister) to try to bully in ordee to affect the content of programmes

On the other hand:

1. for the broadcasters to ALL in a united front rareley seen, to say the debates will continue whetever the Prime Minister (loathsome and greedy though he certainly is) says, does suggest a major attempt from the tail to wag the dog.

2. If the prime minister or any party leader shuns the debate therefreo there is no debate and the show must be cancelled.

3. who runs the country - the BBC/Channel4/Rupert Murdoch/ITV or the prime minister?
4. Before when Blair refised a debate he was not "empty chaired"

I am on the side of the arrogant broadcasters this time. Apparently the smaller parties (up to 7 in one show) are expecting to turn up. If the Greens or the SNP or even the Lib Dems decisded not to agree to be in the debate, would the broadcatser be accused of "empty chairing" them? Would Cameron be expecting the debate to be cancelled if the DUP decided that the dabte was on their leaders Bingo night and so he couldn't turn up?
If it was Ed Milliband not wanting tom turn up, I am quite certain that the mock anguish from the right wing nutters moaning about "empty chair" would take an entirely different view.
Cameron may be prime minister but he certainly is not the man Scotland chose to represent him. He commands a  minority of public support UK - wide and is a public servant, and well paid for it. He should have some respect for the people who pay his wages (us)and turn to to debate with the others to help people decide which of the greedy scheming swine to vote for imo.

Is it not ironic that Cameron seems the only person sticking up for minority groups.

The problem with inviting the n.ireland parties to the national debates and putting them on a par within the union with Scotland and wales is that there are several extra n.ireland political parties.

That is not the problem Cameron or the n.ireland parties should have to deal with. That's the sole problem and making of the broadcasters once the invited the scots and welsh.

There is pure discrimination at play here by the broadcasters.

There is no line of argument I can see which would stand up in court that its not discriminatory to include the scots and welsh but exclude the n.ireland parties.

"There is no line of argument I can see which would stand up in court that its not discriminatory to include the scots and welsh but exclude the n.ireland parties."

I agree with this and to get really picky it could be argued that the Scottish Socialist Party and the Scottish Green Party should be invited too.  Both have stood in national elections and have or have had elected representation at Holyrood.

Chick chick chick chick chicken lay a little egg for me

To only include LibLabCon Green UKIP would be discrimatory to SNP and Plaid Cymru as those parties site in Scots and Welsh seats and appear on their tv channels, especially as SNP are likely to be the biggest party by far in Scotland, Tories, UKIP and Greens are likely to get 0 seats. Whereas there are 2 debates shown in N Ireland between the 5 main Irish parties, the British debates doesn't affect them as none of those 7 parties put out candidates in Ireland, the attempt to add 5 Irish parties to the already 7 is another Tory attempt to water down the debates.