Downing Street has issued a “final offer” to broadcasters over the election television debates, declaring in a pointed letter that David Cameron will take part in just one debate featuring seven party leaders before the formal campaign begins next month.
Hours after Ed Miliband challenged David Cameron to meet him “any time, any place, anywhere”, Downing Street ruled out a head-to-head encounter with the Labour leader after accusing the broadcasters of allowing the negotiations to descend into “chaos”.
In a letter to the chair of the broadcasters’ leaders debate committee, Sue Inglish, the prime minister’s director of communications said he was making a “final offer” which would see Cameron take part in one 90-minute debate between the seven party leaders. The debate would have to take place before the dissolution of parliament in the week beginning 23 March.
The letter from Craig Oliver, No 10’s director of communications, shows that the prime minister is determined to achieve one of two goals – kill the debates altogether or ensure that they turn into what one senior Tory has described as a “democratic bore-athon” which would dilute the impact of Nigel Farage. Oliver said the debate should include Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nicola Sturgeon, the Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood, and the Green leader, Natalie Bennett. Nigel Dodds, the DUP leader, should be allowed to make the case for why he should attend.
Oliver wrote: “This is our final offer, and to be clear, given the fact this has been a deeply unsatisfactory process and we are within a month of the short campaign, the prime minister will not be participating in more than one debate.”
Downing Street intervened after Miliband issued his challenge following the prime minister’s refusal to give a commitment in the House of Commons that he would turn up to their planned head-to-head encounter on 30 April. This prompted the broadcasters to signal that they were prepared to move the debate.
Oliver expressed anger with the way in which the broadcasters did not consult the parties before announcing their initial plan in October: one debate between the Tory, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Ukip leaders, one between Cameron, Miliband and Clegg and one between Cameron and Clegg. Then, three months later, the broadcasters proposed two debates involved the seven party leaders, after Cameron had objected to the absence of the Greens, and a single head to head between the prime minister and Miliband.
Oliver wrote: “I have had serious concerns about the way in which this has been handled from the start.”
Clegg responded on Wednesday night to the Downing Street letter:
.@David_Cameron The British public want the debates so let's get on with it. Stop holding them to ransom by trying to dictate the terms.
— Nick Clegg (@nick_clegg) March 4, 2015
The letter was published hours after Miliband issued his challenge to Cameron. Speaking on Sky News, which along with Channel 4 is due to host the only encounter between just Miliband and Cameron, the Labour leader said: “David Cameron said today he would do the live TV debate with me as long as it happened earlier than planned. That is fine by me. I will do it any time, any place, anywhere. I want these debates to happen. The British public deserve it. David Cameron should now name the date.”
Miliband had insisted that the three planned television debates should take place next month after parliament had been dissolved on 30 March, to ensure that Labour has been able to publish its general election manifesto first. ITV and the BBC are due to host debates between seven party leaders on 2 and 16 April respectively, followed by the Miliband/Cameron encounter on Sky News and Channel 4 on 30 April.
The Labour leader abandoned his demand on timing amid fears that the prime minister’s refusal to confirm whether he would attend the debate on 30 April – coupled with a renewed emphasis on the need for the debates to take place before parliament is dissolved – poses a grave threat to the debates.
Labour sources pointed out that the Conservative negotiating team did not attend one of the recent meetings with the broadcasters and missed an event where lots were drawn by the broadcasters to decide which channel would air which debate.
Miliband criticised the prime minister for tabling a series of demands. Cameron responded to the broadcasters’ initial proposal – one debate between the Tory, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Ukip leaders, one between Cameron, Miliband and Nick Clegg and one between Cameron and Clegg – by demanding the inclusion of the Greens. When the broadcasters relented and included the Greens, the prime minister suggested that the Democratic Unionist Party should be included.
The Labour leader told Sky News: “Frankly, David Cameron has first of all made the excuses about the Greens and then the Greens are invited. Then he talked about Northern Ireland. Now he is saying he doesn’t like the timing of the debates. I am saying to David Cameron: it is time to stand up and be counted because the British public deserves these debates to happen, I want them to happen. Frankly he should stop making excuses and wriggling.”
Full text of Craig Oliver’s letter to Sue Inglish
Dear Sue,
I am writing to you in your capacity as chair of the broadcasters’ “leaders’ debates” committee.
As you know, I have had serious concerns about the way in which this has been handled from the start.
Despite the prime minister having been clear about his concern around holding debates in the short campaign, you did not consult us before issuing a press release last October outlining your plans for three debates during that period.
Had you consulted us, we could have also told you that we also did not think it was appropriate to exclude the Green party from the process.
Despite all of this, we then entered into negotiations in good faith, during which I made the case for a more representative debates structure, including the Greens. It is fair to say that the desire to exclude the Greens was clear from all other parties present.
Three months later – and again without consultation – you surprised us again by proposing a new seven-party structure, this time not only inviting the Greens, but Plaid Cymru and the SNP as well. Again, this was a flawed proposal – that has resulted in the DUP initiating what appears to be legitimate legal action.
Since this proposal has been suggested, there has been chaos. In recent weeks, you have avoided letting the parties sit in a room to hammer out proposals, making progress impossible.
In order to cut through this chaotic situation I am willing to make the following proposal:
There should be one 90-minute debate between seven party leaders before the short campaign. As well as the prime minister, the leaders of the Green party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, SNP and Ukip should invited. The leader of the DUP should be allowed to make his case for why he should be involved. If the broadcasters cannot agree amongst themselves who hosts the debate, lots should be drawn, though the debate should be freely available to whoever wants to broadcast it. In order for it to be organised in time, the debate should take place during the week beginning the 23rd March. I will make myself available to negotiate the details. Having been the editor of numerous broadcast news and current affairs programmes, I know this is ample time to organise a programme.
This is our final offer, and to be clear, given the fact this has been a deeply unsatisfactory process and we are within a month of the short campaign, the prime minister will not be participating in more than one debate.
Yours sincerely,
Craig Oliver
Prime minister’s director of communications
