"If ED has any sense he'll withdraw too. If we must do this then Dave and ED should arrange their own debate with an independent political interviewer in a chat show style setting rather than a stuffy lectern littered series of monologues with Dimbley taking the ***, they can invite the TV mob film it. They should not let ITV/BBC dictate terms. "
I agree, as it happens. I am not a big fan of these debates, but I think they did have some worth last time.
And Dave and Ed are further apart on many issues than either of the main parties have been for some time. Dave's been dragged rightwards in spite of himself, while Ed is the nasty, red-blooded commie we all know him to be :-) That in itself should make it more interesting.
Another rule I would have is somehow to stop the ridiculous "exit polls" after the final whistle, when we try to gauge who has "won"