Filling all the chairs in the election debates

The Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour leaders take part in the third and final televised leaders' debate before the 2010 general election. But which parties will feature this year? Photograph: Getty Images

John Crace’s sketch (Welcome to the house of love, 15 January) suggests that Ofcom will decide the line-up of leaders’ debates before the election. This is not the case. Ofcom has no role in determining the structure, format and style of any broadcast general election debates that might take place. This is up to broadcasters. Ofcom’s role is to set rules governing the minimum allocation of party election broadcasts, a duty placed on Ofcom by parliament. The broadcasters are able to allocate additional party election broadcasts, to major parties and others, and have a duty to ensure all coverage is fair, impartial and gives due weight to a range of voices.
Tony Close
Director of content standards, Ofcom

• Sorting out who should appear in election debates is not rocket science (Report, 15 January). Four nations make up the representation at Westminster. There should be one debate in England featuring all the leaders of the English parties that have representation at Westminster. As these parties also campaign in the other UK nations, with the possible exception of Labour and the Lib Dems in Northern Ireland, the debates in these areas should feature “national” parties too – again, with qualification resting on having representation at Westminster. That would mean the Tory, Ukip and Green leaders would probably appear in four debates while Messrs Miliband and Clegg would appear in three.
Cllr John Marriott
Lincoln

• Roger Mosey (The BBC must enforce the empty chair, 15 January) doesn’t get it. Despite the best efforts of Thatcher and Blair, our system remains a parliamentary, not a presidential, one. Would Attlee have triumphed over Churchill, or Major over Kinnock, if the elections of 1945 and 1992 had been trials by television? Such individuals working as leaders of a team surely have more to contribute than the winners of a beauty contest in which the glib Salmonds of this world are likely to win over the thoughtful Darlings. It is about the “greys” at least as much as the Greens.
Martin Brayne
High Peak, Derbyshire

• Roy Hattersley pulled out of Have I Got News For You and was replaced by a tub of lard. Perhaps replace David Cameron with a condom.
Tony Rimmer
Fylde, Lancashire