Britain’s general election television debates should go ahead even if David Cameron refuses an invitation to take part, a former editorial director of BBC TV News has said.
As Ed Miliband said he would be prepared to take part in an “empty chair” debate without the prime minister, Roger Mosey said that one party should not be allowed to prevent the debates taking place.
Mosey told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4: “If one party declines and everyone else turns up then I think it would be wrong not to have a debate. In fact most of the BBC’s principles, its editorial guidelines, are based on the fact that one party doesn’t have the right to veto a whole discussion. So election guidelines 2014: ‘Candidates or parties declining to take part in reports or debates cannot, by doing so, effectively exercise a veto over such coverage.’ That is absolutely right and a principle worth fighting for.”
The former senior BBC executive added to the pressure on Cameron after the prime minister said last week that was minded not to take part in the three planned television debates unless the Green party is included. The chances of the Green party securing a place in at least one of the debates diminished on Thursday when Ofcom, the commercial television regulator, suggested in a consultation document that it is unlikely to qualify as a major party. The three main parties, plus Ukip, would qualify as major parties.
The broadcasters have drawn up plans for three debates: one between Cameron and Miliband, one between the leaders of the two main parties and Nick Clegg and one debate between the three main leaders plus Nigel Farage. Mosey acknowledged that it would be impossible to stage the Miliband – Cameron debate without the prime minister.
Lord Grade, the former chairman of the BBC, said that all the debates would be pointless without all the leaders. Grade told the Today programme: “It’s all rather pointless without the leading players. You’ve got to have them all, that’s the whole point of the debate. From an editorial stand point it completely nullifies the event.”
Miliband accused the prime minister on Sunday of behaving in a “pretty disreputable” and of running scared of the debates after Cameron suggested he would not take part unless the Greens are invited. Tory strategists have said in private they want to use the Greens as an excuse to avoid the debates taking place amid fears that they would boost the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage.
Miliband said the debates should still take place even without the prime minister whose absence could be marked by a chair in a process known by broadcasters as “empty chairing”. He said: “I want these debates to happen, I think they should happen with David Cameron or without David Cameron. In the end that is a matter for the broadcasters. But I don’t think any one political leader should be able to stop these debates happening, should be able to veto these debates, block these debates. I want them to happen.”
Asked whether he would still take part without Cameron, Miliband said: “Absolutely. If an empty chair represents David Cameron in these debates, so be it. These debates need to happen. They are owned by the British people, not owned by David Cameron or by anybody else. They should happen. Frankly the prime minister should stop ducking and weaving and trying to avoid these debates.”
