General election debates announced-Nigel Farage invited not Greens

The BBC wants to host a debate between the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders which would be presented by David Dimbleby.

I can't imagine a more powerful advert for UKIP than this.

Reply 2

Fullofsurprises

Original post by thesabbath

I can't imagine a more powerful advert for UKIP than this.

Farage is certainly not going to miss any opportunity to ham up his role as the anti-politics outsider if the main media hand it to him on a plate.

I am pretty disgusted that the Greens are being excluded, since right now they have exactly what UKIP has, namely one MP. Come to that, why isn't Respect allowed a look-in as well?

Reply 3

Commercial Paper

I think the format should be more like:

- Labour vs Conservative
- Labour, UKIP & Conservative
- Labour, UKIP, Conservative, Greens and Liberal Democrats

I think it's unfair the Greens are left out when they are nearly polling better than the Liberal Democrats.

UKIP are polling way ahead of the Liberal Democrats and should be considered the new third party.

Respect are very similar to the Greens and don't have enough support nationwide to warrant a debate but maybe they could have a mini debate with one of the parties or something lower key.

Was there a logic behind how they reached the current decision?

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Reply 4

Only really interested in the LibLabCon and CamMil debates, they are currently the governing parties.

Ukip getting 1 in 3 seems fair enough.

Greens should probably get one.

I don't want that vile Galloway anywhere near my TV, he's yet another blotch on Bradford.

Reply 5

Original post by will2348

The logic is simple, our electoral system being FPTP rather than proportional will ensure that the Lib Dems hold more seats than Ukip.

They also still have more than 4 times the number of Councillors.

Reply 6

Original post by Fullofsurprises

UKIP did win the EU election and are likely to have a second MP.

Reply 7

Original post by Fullofsurprises

How many seats are the Green Party and Respect contesting? UKIP are fielding candidates in all 650 constituencies which is pretty important given the 'leaders' nature of the debate.

Reply 8

A Mysterious Lord

Original post by Fullofsurprises

I am pretty disgusted that the Greens are being excluded, since right now they have exactly what UKIP has, namely one MP. Come to that, why isn't Respect allowed a look-in as well?

If we're going down that route why not include Sinn Fein?

Reply 9

Original post by Rakas21

I don't want that vile Galloway anywhere near my TV, he's yet another blotch on Bradford.

Yet he was sadly the most convincing and commited unionist campaigner at the referendum...

Reply 10

Original post by Rakas21

The Lib Dem vote is indeed very efficient, but then a poll at the weekend had UKIP on 25% nationwide which if sustained would lead to over 100 seats. So you cannot talk about sureties just yet.

Reply 11

Genocidal

Just because a number of parties both have a single MP means nothing. If we had an independent MP, would they need to come to the debate as well? Of course not. In the case of the Respect Party, they have no national appeal. The Green Party have no real appeal outside of Brighton. UKIP, on the other hand, may have only one MP, but they also have national popularity. They have pushed the large parties in practically every election in recent times. UKIP are far more relevant the Green Party.

Reply 12

Alternative format:

Given that Farage has already defeated Clegg in two debates, Clegg shouldn't really appear at all.

Miliband and Cameron should debate each other then Farage can go up against the winner.

Reply 13

Original post by thesabbath

The Lib Dem vote is indeed very efficient, but then a poll at the weekend had UKIP on 25% nationwide which if sustained would lead to over 100 seats. So you cannot talk about sureties just yet.

Which is odd as no poll has had them on more than 19% before...

Reply 14

Original post by Quady

Which is odd as no poll has had them on more than 19% before...

Not quite. Survation has had them at 22% and 23% in June, and there was an Opinium/Observer poll in August at 21%. I agree that they are likely outliers but the trend is clear.

Reply 15

Original post by thesabbath

Not quite. Survation has had them at 22% and 23% in June, and there was an Opinium/Observer poll in August at 21%. I agree that they are likely outliers but the trend is clear.

Ah true, I hadn't spotted the 21% and not scrolled back enough to June

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election

Reply 16

Original post by thesabbath

The Lib Dem vote is indeed very efficient, but then a poll at the weekend had UKIP on 25% nationwide which if sustained would lead to over 100 seats. So you cannot talk about sureties just yet.

The 100 seat story was based on them being on 37% in 1 south of England seat which if replicated would have produced 128 mp's on universal swing. The actual numbers suggested 5 MP's and a Labour minority (well done for not getting the EU referendum :tongue:

).

If you want to believe that Ukip will replace the Tories in the south then go ahead.. as for me, i'll wait for the ICM since that did very well at the general and european elections.

Reply 17

Original post by Rakas21

).

If you want to believe that Ukip will replace the Tories in the south then go ahead.. as for me, i'll wait for the ICM since that did very well at the general and european elections.

Is this an implicit admission that UKIP are the only opposition to Labour in the north? Vote Tory get Labour.

Reply 18

InnerTemple

Ridiculous that the Lib Dems are excluded from one of the debates.

I wonder when the Greens, SNP etc can expect their invite?

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Reply 19