Is Cameron Trying To Rescue The Election Campaign For All Concerned?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-30810957
Standard predictable labelling from the hard of thinking of course but read Nick Robinson's analysis and it may reveal a deeper message from the PM, for example: "None of this will surprise the prime minister. He decided long ago - I first wrote about it in my book, which was published three years ago - that the debates at the last election had sucked the life out of the campaign and given a boost to his opponents. " - I have always thought these debates have no value especially for the main party leaders so why should the PM play along in this exercise in following the US? The whole green party ultimatum was a bit silly though, he should just not join in, end of.

[BlackadderV]

Until fairly recently, as a Tory voter, I considered Ted Heath to be the worst Tory leader ever. I am now in the process of reconsidering.

[jim360]

As in, Ted Heath is the worst leader of any political party ever...?

[ichkeria]

Mikey the Green Party thing is a hopeless excuse.
I agree that it may be a mistake though.
If there are sensible people involved in organising these things they will call Cameron's bluff. I predict that at that point the Tories will claim that OFCOM's ruling should stand. That will turn logic on its head, of course :-)

[mikey4444]

Blackadder....I was never a huge fan of Heath, as you might imagine, but if you thought he was the worse Tory leader, where would John MMMMMMajor occur in your list ?

[BlackadderV]

Way above Heath and Cameron. Major had a bad press, he was the victim of circumstances he couldn't control. He won the 92 election against all the odds.

[ichkeria]

Yes (not being a Tory) I'd agree there about Major. Edwina Currie was always a fan too :-)

[New Judge]

I think the best idea would be to have these debates in the format of “Strictly Come Dancing” or “Get me out of the Jungle” (or whatever other bilge they broadcast on a Saturday night). Hold them on Saturday evenings over a few weeks (scheduling them to allow time for the pizzas to be delivered). They could have a few “knock out” rounds with the also rans being eliminated and ejected via the back door of the studio under arc lights and filmed for all to see. The final could be on the Saturday before polling day. Voting could be done by internet, a mobile phone “App” or by old-fashioned text (texts to cost £1.50 plus your normal network charges with at least 35p of the profits going to a charity of the ultimate victor’s choice).

No need to mess about closing the schools on May 7th; no need to pay thousands of Town Hall wallahs loads of wonga to count up slips of paper; no messing about with a Hung Parliament (the also rans having been eliminated before the final).

This idea is about as sensible as the ridiculous TV debates. Anybody who needs such a spectacle to help them decide how to cast their vote (or who might be swayed by such a farce) deserves to be taken as seriously as those who vote for candidates in the X-Factor.

[mikey4444]

Sorry Blackadder....I thought that MMMMajor lost the 1997 election, to the worse degree in living memory. Even worse than 1945, another famous Tory disaster.

I must have been mistaken !

[BlackadderV]

You are correct, he did, partly for the reason I have stated. By the way, why the "MMMMajor "? Is this an attempt to mock the afflicted?

[mikey4444]

I have referred to JM as MMMMajor for some time now Blackadder. It is my perhaps, feeble, attempt to mock his bumbling indecision, rather in the way that Spitting Image did a few years ago. He was an awful choice for Leader after you-know-who was stabbed in the back, by her own Party, as indeed he was stabbed in a similar fashion a few years later. He first started to lose the 1997 Election, shortly after he became Leader.

But I quite like the man. He would have made a super Chair of your local PTA, and would probably have been an ideal Scout Leader. If he was your next door neighbour, you could have relied on him 100% to look after your pets and garden while you went on holiday. I fancy he would also have made a good Parish Priest, as long as Edwina was on the other side of the globe !

All in all, a Good Egg, but as a Leader of the Tory Party, and a Prime Minister, he was way above his pay grade. The only thing he had going for him in November 1990 was that he wasn't Michael Heseltine, the only thing that seemed to be important to the Tory Party at the time.

[BlackadderV]

"The only thing he had going for him in November 1990 was that he wasn't Michael Heseltine". I would not agree that it was the only thing going for him but he did preserve us from the nightmare of Heseltine, who is loathed by the Tory faithful to this day. If Heseltine had won I would have held my nose and voted Kinnock. At least he was transparent, not like that slimy snake Heseltine.

[Gromit]

John Major wasn't too bad. He was left with a vastly diminished majority and his party hopelessly split. Just holding that together was an achievement in its self.

[BlackadderV]

I agree with Gromit. The alternatives were slimeball Heseltine and the patrician Hurd, neither of whom would have resonated with the electorate.

[ToraToraTora]

Major did ok, ask Kinnichio! Anyway I think the PM is doing the right thing here, ignore the acusations he'll be better off out of it. If he holds out they won't bother. I reckon ED v Dave is the only debate worth having. Having all the no hopers just makes a charade of the whole thing.

[jim360]

"Having all the no-hopers..." That is an accurate description but also shows up British politics as not at all a democracy. The British public in reality only ever has two realistic choices. This can't go on.

[New Judge]

But it will, Jim, because we keep on voting for them !!!

[tonyav]

Cameron didn't seem to mind doing tv debates in 2010 !.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/apr/16/television-debate-brown-cameron-clegg

[Farriercm]

Cameron, is not just running scared he is sh----g himself, Farage would ,
demolish him in a TV debate and well Cameron knows it, He is just a Con Coward, even the LABOUR PARTY, have got Balls, although his name is Ed,

[ToraToraTora]

ah the brains trust awakes, welcome to grown up talk farrier, been waiting for you!

[Farriercm]

Cluck cluck cluck, Cameron the Conservative Chicken, even thatcher would have said he was FRIT , She would have taken part in a TV debate,
God Forbid.