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Ed Miliband wins coin toss before Jeremy Paxman election grilling Ed Miliband wins coin toss before Jeremy Paxman election grilling
(about 1 hour later)
Ed Miliband wins! The coin toss, that is, to decide whether he or David Cameron to decide will be the first to be grilled by Jeremy Paxman in the first of the pre-election TV set-pieces on Thursday. Ed Miliband wins! The coin toss, that is, to decide whether he or David Cameron will be the first to be grilled by Jeremy Paxman in the first of the pre-election TV set-pieces on Thursday.
But it remains to be seen if the Labour leader will choose to go first or second. Having won the all-important toss, Labour decided that Miliband would go second in the joint Channel 4/Sky News broadcast, beginning at 9pm.
Each party leader is expected to be interviewed by Paxman for between 15 and 20 minutes for the 90-minute live broadcast on Channel 4 and Sky News, beginning at 9pm. Each party leader will be interviewed by Paxman for between 15 and 20 minutes, before facing questions from a studio audience in a section of the programme to be moderated by Sky News anchor, Kay Burley.
They will then face questions from a studio audience in a section of the programme to be moderated by Sky News anchor, Kay Burley. “We will have the opportunity to respond to Cameron’s false claims,” said a Labour source after the winner of the coin toss was revealed.
With each leader due to be interviewed individually after Cameron rejected the proposal for a head-to-head with Miliband, it came to down to a coin toss to decide who would appear first. With each leader due to be interviewed individually after Cameron rejected the proposal for a head-to-head with Miliband, it is potentially an important advantage for whoever goes second because they will have had the opportunity to listen to their rivals’ answers.
Miliband’s people are understood to have won but it is not known if he will decide to go first or second. It is potentially an important advantage for whoever goes second because they will have had the opportunity to listen to their rivals’ answers.
The production team said there were no plans to prevent whoever goes second watching the first interview, with a Mr and Mrs-style soundproofed not an option.The production team said there were no plans to prevent whoever goes second watching the first interview, with a Mr and Mrs-style soundproofed not an option.
Related: Jeremy Paxman: broadcasters ‘pathetic’ in stance on leaders’ TV debatesRelated: Jeremy Paxman: broadcasters ‘pathetic’ in stance on leaders’ TV debates
Paxman has been rehearsing for the interviews since the beginning of this week, the first of the pre-election TV events ahead of ITV’s seven-strong party leader debate on 2 April, the only time when Cameron, Miliband and the other party leaders will all appear together.Paxman has been rehearsing for the interviews since the beginning of this week, the first of the pre-election TV events ahead of ITV’s seven-strong party leader debate on 2 April, the only time when Cameron, Miliband and the other party leaders will all appear together.
The former Newsnight anchor will have a bigger and more influential role to play by interviewing the pair separately than he would have done had it been a head to head debate, as originally envisaged by the broadcasters.The former Newsnight anchor will have a bigger and more influential role to play by interviewing the pair separately than he would have done had it been a head to head debate, as originally envisaged by the broadcasters.
The format of the 2010 debates were governed by a list of 76 rules, relating to everything from the design of the set to the make-up of the audience.The format of the 2010 debates were governed by a list of 76 rules, relating to everything from the design of the set to the make-up of the audience.
They also restricted the role of the moderator, which it said was “not to criticise or comment on the leaders’ answers”.They also restricted the role of the moderator, which it said was “not to criticise or comment on the leaders’ answers”.
Paxman and Burley’s role will inevitably be wider than that because of the format of the joint Channel 4/Sky News broadcast.Paxman and Burley’s role will inevitably be wider than that because of the format of the joint Channel 4/Sky News broadcast.
Each leader is expected to be interviewed for between 15 and 20 minutes, with a further 15 to 20 minutes of questions from the studio audience. Final details such as these are understood to be still to nailed down between the two broadcasters and the political parties.Each leader is expected to be interviewed for between 15 and 20 minutes, with a further 15 to 20 minutes of questions from the studio audience. Final details such as these are understood to be still to nailed down between the two broadcasters and the political parties.
In the broadcasters’ original proposals, Cameron and Miliband would have gone head to head but the prime minister resisted taking part in more than one seven-way debate.In the broadcasters’ original proposals, Cameron and Miliband would have gone head to head but the prime minister resisted taking part in more than one seven-way debate.
Labour branded Cameron a coward for avoiding the head to head and said Miliband had only agreed to the change of format “with great reluctance”.Labour branded Cameron a coward for avoiding the head to head and said Miliband had only agreed to the change of format “with great reluctance”.
It remains a coup for Channel 4 which did not have any of the leader debates in 2010, joining forces for a joint broadcast with Sky for the coming election.It remains a coup for Channel 4 which did not have any of the leader debates in 2010, joining forces for a joint broadcast with Sky for the coming election.