It is still not a done deal but Plaid Cymru, the Greens and the SNP are likely to see Ukip and the three main UK parties in the BBC and ITV debates ahead of the election under new proposals put forward by the broadcasters.
David Cameron insisted he would not appear if Ukip leader Nigel Farage was on the panel but Green leader Natalie Bennett was excluded – sparking claims from opponents that he was “running scared”.
Though he will probably claim that he has won a victory for Democracy
The latest proposals would see BBC and ITV hold identical debates featuring representatives of all seven parties.
This would be followed by a head-to-head debate between Mr Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband organised by Channel 4 and Sky News.
So that will suit Labour and the Conservatives as both will l claim they are the only Parties that can win.and although it is likely they will get a smaller audience it will be more presidential and get more news coverage.
Which is why I object to the debates as we are not electing a president and not even a Prime Minister . We are electing MP and the Prime Minister will be the one who can form a government. and as have said before that could be someone who didn't even take part in the debates especially in a hung parliament
The biggest looser will be Nick Clegg who last time was seems as the Star of the debated and saw (although brief) a spectacular rise in the polls.
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This time he will have to defend his record in coalition and will have tree more Party leaders who can offer something different to the Con-Lab consensus.
Under original plans, the BBC debate would have only involved the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders, with Nigel Farage joining them for the ITV event.
So there a major change .and Plaid's Leanne Wood could be the major winner here raising her profile not so much in GE2015 but in next years Assembly Elections .
The Northern Ireland parties are already aggrieved that they are not invited but the argument would be that the main UK parties do not tend to stand there.
But with 7 leaders in the first debates what's the betting that one of the Tabloids will lead on the following day with
This time he will have to defend his record in coalition and will have tree more Party leaders who can offer something different to the Con-Lab consensus.
Under original plans, the BBC debate would have only involved the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders, with Nigel Farage joining them for the ITV event.
So there a major change .and Plaid's Leanne Wood could be the major winner here raising her profile not so much in GE2015 but in next years Assembly Elections .
The Northern Ireland parties are already aggrieved that they are not invited but the argument would be that the main UK parties do not tend to stand there.
But with 7 leaders in the first debates what's the betting that one of the Tabloids will lead on the following day with
Where's Snow White?
3 comments:
The six counties can have their own as they have no MPs from any of the parties on the mainland.
In tha last couple of days on EBC Wales (in the car) I've heard Rhun, Whigley and Simon Thomas speak and all three have not only spoken well but also spoken confidently. No stuttering or umms and arrs you tend to here from some of the Plaid people.
It was also good to here Thomas getting in the Englandandwales point about the greens when pressed on them being a UK party which we all know they aren't.
All in all I think it's very good for us to have these people in and it is guaranteed to piss off the little Englanders which will hopefully in turn piss people off here in Wales and Scotland. If they want us as part of their precious UK then you have to have our politics too.
Plaid have had a good few weeks, lets hope it continues and even if Leanne doesn't end up taking part in the debates, Plaidis getting plenty of free UK wide publicity from the ongoing negotiations which helps Wales's cause by reminding voters there is an alternative to UKIP.
Talking of Simon Thomas, a petition was set up by Alex Johanes after Simon's questioning of Welsh Government's flag flying at half in 'honour' of Saudi Arabia dead dictator on Twitter, sign it and pass it on
https://www.change.org/p/welsh-government-apologise-for-flying-flag-half-mast-to-honour-saudi-dictator
What is striking is that Plaid Cymru being on the TV debates will do more for them as a party than any strategy they could have chosen. The debates will dominate the media war.
Plaid may have just saved their 3 seats, through a process they had very little control over.
This is not a criticism of Y Blaid. If they had not got on the debates, they would have struggled in the election. And post-election criticism would have ignored the impact of the debates totally, and probably blamed Leanne Wood or the candidates.
As it stands they have had their bacon saved, and I can't disagree that this will be a positive for them. The exposure will be huge, and in a field of 7 Leanne Wood just has to put in a good shift and keep the party's name in the minds of the public.
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