Labour Plans 'Legal Framework' For TV Debates

A future Labour government would take legal steps to ensure televised leaders' debates become permanent features in general election campaigns, the party has said.

Labour leader Ed Miliband wants to put "fair and impartial leaders' debates" on a statutory footing in an effort to avoid them becoming subject to political wrangling, according to The Observer.

Mr Miliband has previously accused David Cameron of "chickening out" , saying the Prime Minister is "running scared" by only agreeing to appear in one of three debates.

Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman told Sky News' Murnaghan Programme there should be a legal framework underpinning the TV debates similar to that for pre-election broadcasts and election spending.

She said: "I think the debates are an important part of our democracy, in which case let's not have the prime minister of the day ducking and weaving because he is afraid of actually justifying his record.

"Let's have a legal framework set out and then we won't have this all over again next time round.

"I think if somebody is saying I want to be prime minister, I want to be in Number 10 Downing Street, but by the way I'm not going to go out there and debate it, it's not acceptable."

According to The Observer, the proposed new system would work on similar lines to the current rules for planning the number, length and timing of party political broadcasts.

It would mean parties are consulted but not given the right to veto the debates taking place.

A Labour government would set a deadline of 2017 for changes to be put in place, giving more than enough time to plan the debates for a 2020 election.

The four broadcasters - the BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 - have said they will stick to their previously-announced plans for three debates during the campaign ahead of the General Election on May 7 this year.

On Saturday, Ed Miliband pledged to take part in all three proposed leaders debates.

Mr Cameron's chief spin doctor Craig Oliver has stated the Prime Minister's "final position" is for a single debate to take place in the week starting 23 March.

Liberal Democrat minister Lynne Featherstone restated Nick Clegg's offer to take part in the debates.

She told the Murnaghan Programme: "If Cameron's not willing to do it, then Nick is up for it."

Conservative Education Secretary Nicky Morgan used her slot on the programme to accuse the broadcasters of making a "real hash" of trying to organise the debates.

She told Sky News: "The prime minister has made a very clear offer. The prime minister has made a very clear offer - get seven parties in the same place, have a 90-minute debate before the campaign starts.

"Otherwise, all we are doing all the way through the campaign itself is talking about the debates.

"I think actually we ought to be ... getting out of Westminster, getting out of the TV studios ... talking to people on the campaign trail."

Broadcasters are planning a seven-way debate involving Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband, Mr Clegg and the leaders of the Greens, UKIP, Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru on ITV on 2 April, followed by a second show on BBC featuring the same line-up on 16 April.

A final one-on-one clash between the Tory and Labour leaders would be broadcast on Sky News and Channel 4 on 30 April - exactly a week before the 7 May election.