Ancram's attack

jimmy

"Undermine the primacy of Parliament". I'm surprised you put it that way James. Given that it's the British electors who elect members of Parliament not the other way around, I'd venture that a properly conducted televised debate would treat seriously the primacy of the British electors when educating themselves about how to cast their votes. Cart before horse etc.

Richard

A televised debate between party leaders during a general election is nothing to do with Parliament, which will not be sitting, having been dissolved - hence the election. Cameron's letter to Brown is right on the point. A televised debate is the modern hustings, which the electorate has a right to expect, but, as with the EU referendum, Gordon "I listen" Brown is arrogant enough to deny it to us. Or scared enough. Comparing the Kennedy/Nixon debates, no prizes for guessing which of Gordon and Dave would finish up as Nixon.

James Campbell

If Parliament were broadcast in primetime in anything other than ten second grabs then debates might undermine it, but it isn't. And anyway Parliament isn't sitting during an election campaign. Given the dramatic crash in turnout over the last 15 years - six million fewer people voted in 2005 than in 1992 - it's worth trying. On the other hand seeing them up close for an hour might turn more people off.

Cogito Ergosum

The televised debates between D. Cameron and D. Davis seemed to work well. What a pity there was no similar debate involving G. Brown. (P) Let us have Cameron and Brown in debate.

Og

The "primacy of Parliament" is all very well, but the rules of engagement at PMQs do not allow debate as we would wish to see it. Have a debate, and hold it in Westminster Hall. That should keep traditionalists half happy.

carol 42

Apart from his own constituency Gordon Brown has not been elected by anyone, not even his own Party. He has never been tested in a contest and I think a debate would let us see what he is really made of without patsy questions in PMQ and sheafs of notes. I think it would be great but given his cowardice, afraid to run against Blair, then scared to force Blair out until he was seriously weakened and then using 'friends', I have no faith in this happenening. To compare a real debate with PMQ is an insult, how many people watch it and it is rigged in favour of the Government anyway with a partisan speaker.

Perry

Words, Words, Words! And the spectacle of Leader of the Limpid Opposition trying to cross words with Bully Brown? Spare us!

Nick

How about we compromise and have the televised debate in the house of commons. We can have a nice telegenic audience instead of those horrible backbenchers and viewers can get a proper look at the commons. On a more serious note if you established the precedent of televised debates you would cement permanently the primacy of the PM over cabinet and to a lesser extent the commons. Maybe that's a good thing, strong leaders and all that, but we shouldn't allow televised debates until we're sure we want that to happen. (and no I'm not exactly sure who we is in this case)

Alex

I've no doubt that Cameron woul do well in a televised debate. What concerns me is the massive anti-Conservative bias in the media ... if the partisan BBC conducted the debate, with partisan speaker and partisan analysis in the press the following day - Cameron may as well not bother.