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David Cameron 'accepts single multi-party TV debate offer' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
David Cameron says he has accepted an offer to take part in one seven-way TV debate at the beginning of April. | |
The prime minister previously said he would not participate in a debate after the start of the campaign on 30 March. | The prime minister previously said he would not participate in a debate after the start of the campaign on 30 March. |
But he said the broadcasters had come back with a "formal offer" for a new format of TV election programmes, including one multi-party debate, which he said had signed up to. | |
Labour has said it still backs the original plan for three debates. | |
Mr Cameron said the other parties must accept the new deal or "bear the responsibility" of the debates not going ahead. | |
'Stop running away' | |
With the Lib Dems welcoming Mr Cameron's statement, the BBC's political correspondent Alex Forsyth said there appeared to be some "movement" to break the apparent stand-off between the parties. | |
Weeks of wrangling between the political parties and the BBC, Sky News, ITV and Channel 4 has cast doubt on whether the leaders debates first held in 2010 will be repeated before the 7 May poll. | Weeks of wrangling between the political parties and the BBC, Sky News, ITV and Channel 4 has cast doubt on whether the leaders debates first held in 2010 will be repeated before the 7 May poll. |
Earlier this month Mr Cameron rejected taking part in a head-to-head with Labour's Ed Miliband and said his "final offer" was to participate in a seven-way debate with the leaders of Labour, the Lib Dems, UKIP, the Green Party, the SNP and Plaid Cymru before the end of March. | |
But on Tuesday he said he had accepted a deal put forward by the broadcasters to take part in a single debate involving the leaders of seven UK parties, including the Conservatives, at the start of April. | |
"There was a formal offer of a set of television programmes including a televised debate, put together by the broadcasters led by the BBC. As prime minister, I accepted that deal in full," he said. | |
The PM added: "The other parties have now got to stop running away from this and agree to the debate that the broadcasters have now suggested." | |
'Election specials' | 'Election specials' |
A Labour source told the BBC there had been no formal proposal for a new TV election format and they had accepted the three debates proposal made last month. | |
"Based on the broadcasters' proposals we have accepted and plan to attend all three debates on April 2nd, 16th and the 30th," a spokesman said. | "Based on the broadcasters' proposals we have accepted and plan to attend all three debates on April 2nd, 16th and the 30th," a spokesman said. |
"If the Tories have confirmed they are to attend one of these debates then that is progress. It is one down, two to go. But no-one should be fooled. David Cameron is still running scared of a head-to-head televised debate with Ed Miliband." | "If the Tories have confirmed they are to attend one of these debates then that is progress. It is one down, two to go. But no-one should be fooled. David Cameron is still running scared of a head-to-head televised debate with Ed Miliband." |
The Liberal Democrats said it was "welcome news" that the Conservatives had "finally agreed" to take part in "at least" one debate. | The Liberal Democrats said it was "welcome news" that the Conservatives had "finally agreed" to take part in "at least" one debate. |
"As we've always said, we will be there and are pleased that they are joining us. We look forward to hearing proposals from the broadcasters about how we move forward from here," a spokesman said. | "As we've always said, we will be there and are pleased that they are joining us. We look forward to hearing proposals from the broadcasters about how we move forward from here," a spokesman said. |
UKIP said it was unaware of the revised offer. | |
"The only proposal that we are aware of from the broadcasters was for three debates - two of which UKIP were invited to. We intend to turn up for those two debates," a spokesman told the BBC. | |
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said that, in agreeing to debate during the campaign proper, Mr Cameron had staged an "inevitable climbdown". | |
The Spectator's political editor James Forsyth said that as well as one debate, a series of "election specials" involving the party leaders has been proposed during the campaign. | The Spectator's political editor James Forsyth said that as well as one debate, a series of "election specials" involving the party leaders has been proposed during the campaign. |
This would see David Cameron and Ed Miliband interviewed by Jeremy Paxman and then questioned by a studio audience in a Sky/Channel 4 special on 26 March, an event in which the two men would not share the stage. | This would see David Cameron and Ed Miliband interviewed by Jeremy Paxman and then questioned by a studio audience in a Sky/Channel 4 special on 26 March, an event in which the two men would not share the stage. |
On 16 April there would be a "challengers" special involving the SNP, UKIP, Plaid and the Greens and finally, on 30 April, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg would each have separate half hours in a Question Time-style BBC event with David Dimbleby. | On 16 April there would be a "challengers" special involving the SNP, UKIP, Plaid and the Greens and finally, on 30 April, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg would each have separate half hours in a Question Time-style BBC event with David Dimbleby. |