Post by Teddy Bear on Mar 7, 2015 20:17:56 GMT
The Tories may well have a point about the BBC behaviour over these proposed debates, but frankly - they deserve it.
BBC anti-Tory bias has been going on for years, and even acknowledged by many within the corporation, but what have the Tories done about it?
Nothing!
Spineless Morons!
BBC anti-Tory bias has been going on for years, and even acknowledged by many within the corporation, but what have the Tories done about it?
Nothing!
Spineless Morons!
TV election debates: Tories go to war over BBC's 'institutional arrogance'
Senior Tories are furious with the BBC for attempting to 'dictate' the terms of the TV debates ahead of the General Election
By Steven Swinford
The BBC is facing accusations of "institutional arrogance" after threatening to press ahead with televised election debates without the Prime Minister.
David Cameron has rejected the idea of a head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband and said he will only take part in a single seven-way debate with the other party leaders.
However the corporation and other broadcasters insisted that the debates "will go ahead" and host two election debates with seven party leaders and one head to head.
The broadcaster's decision raises the prospect that the Prime Minister could be "empty chaired" in the head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband.
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky have also rejected calls by Mr Cameron for the debates to be held before the final run in to the General Election.
They are instead proposing a series of debates in April, culminating in the head-to-head debate just eight days before the election.
Senior Conservatives are particularly furious with the BBC, which they believe has shown "institutional arrogance" by trying to dictate the terms of the debates.
Sue Inglish, the BBC's head of political programmes who is paid more than £150,000 a year, has chaired the broadcasters' panel during the negotiations.
Tory MPs last night questioned whether it would be legal to push aheadw with the debates without the Prime Minister under strict broadcasting regulations.
Philip Davies, a Conservative member of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, said: "The TV broadcasters are gleefully showing their political bias. There is no doubt in my mind that if Ed Miliband didn't want to take part in these debates they wouldn't be taking place.
"The BBC is a public service broadcaster and they need to be very careful about how they use their privileged position. It is getting out of hand. They are trying to dictate terms to the Prime Minister of this country."
John Whittingdale, the Conservative chairman of the committee, said that the broadcasters' demands are "wholly unacceptable".
He said: "I think the broadcasters have handled it incredibly badly. For them to believe they have the right to demand leaders just turn up on a given day seems to me wholly unacceptable. It's arrogant.
"They present the political parties with a fait accompli and then just expect he party leaders to arrive. It's far beyond their competence and responsibility."
Mr Whittingdale added highlighted the Broadcasting Code set by Ofcom, the regulator, which states that "due weight must be given to broadcast coverage of the major parties during the election period".
To comply with the regulations broadcasters could be forced to have a commentator representing the Conservative's views during the campaign instead of Mr Cameron.
Mr Whittingdale said: "It's a question of the legality. We are talking about an election period in which there are very strict rules about balance and equal coverage.
"To say we will make up with it with a programme on David Cameron of equal length. It is not clear to me that this is something that is legally viable. That's something that might have to be tested in court."
In a letter to Downing Street, the broadcasters urged the Prime Minister to reconsider his decision not to take part in two of their proposed debates.
The letter said: “The debates were enormously well received by 22 million viewers in 2010 and our research has shown that there is a public desire and a public expectation for debates in 2015.
“The debates will go ahead and we anticipate millions of viewers will find them valuable as they did in 2010.”
Craig Oliver, Downing Street's director of Communications, replied: "I made the Prime Minister’s final position clear in my last letter – he is willing to do a seven-way debate in the week beginning March 23rd. Clearly it is disappointing that you are not prepared to take him up on that offer."
Mr Clegg today called on the prime minister to join the debates in a message on Twitter: “Come on, David Cameron, you haven’t got your own way so accept it and take part.”
Mr Miliband, who has been urging the broadcasters to push ahead with the debates without Mr Cameron, said: "It is now make your mind up time for David Cameron."
They broadcasters added: “The broadcasters will continue to work closely with all parties invited to take part in the televised debates to bring them to their millions of viewers across the UK. The heads of news of all four broadcasters would welcome the opportunity to meet Mr Cameron, or his representatives, to discuss the debates.”
Earlier this week Mr Cameron has now made a "final offer" to broadcasters that he is only prepared to take part in a 90 minute debate between seven party leaders before March 30, the start of the "short campaign" leading up to the voteon May 7.
He insisted that he is "unblocking the logjam" rather than being a "hurdle". He said: "I want us to have a debate and so what I have done is unblock the logjam that I think I’m afraid the broadcasters helped to create, and said right let’s get on, let’s have the debate that I think matter the most."
A BBC spokesman declined to comment.
Senior Tories are furious with the BBC for attempting to 'dictate' the terms of the TV debates ahead of the General Election
By Steven Swinford
The BBC is facing accusations of "institutional arrogance" after threatening to press ahead with televised election debates without the Prime Minister.
David Cameron has rejected the idea of a head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband and said he will only take part in a single seven-way debate with the other party leaders.
However the corporation and other broadcasters insisted that the debates "will go ahead" and host two election debates with seven party leaders and one head to head.
The broadcaster's decision raises the prospect that the Prime Minister could be "empty chaired" in the head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband.
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky have also rejected calls by Mr Cameron for the debates to be held before the final run in to the General Election.
They are instead proposing a series of debates in April, culminating in the head-to-head debate just eight days before the election.
Senior Conservatives are particularly furious with the BBC, which they believe has shown "institutional arrogance" by trying to dictate the terms of the debates.
Sue Inglish, the BBC's head of political programmes who is paid more than £150,000 a year, has chaired the broadcasters' panel during the negotiations.
Tory MPs last night questioned whether it would be legal to push aheadw with the debates without the Prime Minister under strict broadcasting regulations.
Philip Davies, a Conservative member of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, said: "The TV broadcasters are gleefully showing their political bias. There is no doubt in my mind that if Ed Miliband didn't want to take part in these debates they wouldn't be taking place.
"The BBC is a public service broadcaster and they need to be very careful about how they use their privileged position. It is getting out of hand. They are trying to dictate terms to the Prime Minister of this country."
Planned debate schedule
April 2: Seven-way debate featuring David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon, Natalie Bennett and Leanne Wood (ITV broadcast)
April 16: Seven-way debate featuring David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon, Natalie Bennett and Leanne Wood (BBC broadcast)
April 30: Head-to-head debate featuring David Cameron and Ed Miliband (Channel and Sky News broadcast)
April 2: Seven-way debate featuring David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon, Natalie Bennett and Leanne Wood (ITV broadcast)
April 16: Seven-way debate featuring David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon, Natalie Bennett and Leanne Wood (BBC broadcast)
April 30: Head-to-head debate featuring David Cameron and Ed Miliband (Channel and Sky News broadcast)
John Whittingdale, the Conservative chairman of the committee, said that the broadcasters' demands are "wholly unacceptable".
He said: "I think the broadcasters have handled it incredibly badly. For them to believe they have the right to demand leaders just turn up on a given day seems to me wholly unacceptable. It's arrogant.
"They present the political parties with a fait accompli and then just expect he party leaders to arrive. It's far beyond their competence and responsibility."
Mr Whittingdale added highlighted the Broadcasting Code set by Ofcom, the regulator, which states that "due weight must be given to broadcast coverage of the major parties during the election period".
To comply with the regulations broadcasters could be forced to have a commentator representing the Conservative's views during the campaign instead of Mr Cameron.
Mr Whittingdale said: "It's a question of the legality. We are talking about an election period in which there are very strict rules about balance and equal coverage.
"To say we will make up with it with a programme on David Cameron of equal length. It is not clear to me that this is something that is legally viable. That's something that might have to be tested in court."
In a letter to Downing Street, the broadcasters urged the Prime Minister to reconsider his decision not to take part in two of their proposed debates.
The letter said: “The debates were enormously well received by 22 million viewers in 2010 and our research has shown that there is a public desire and a public expectation for debates in 2015.
“The debates will go ahead and we anticipate millions of viewers will find them valuable as they did in 2010.”
Craig Oliver, Downing Street's director of Communications, replied: "I made the Prime Minister’s final position clear in my last letter – he is willing to do a seven-way debate in the week beginning March 23rd. Clearly it is disappointing that you are not prepared to take him up on that offer."
Mr Clegg today called on the prime minister to join the debates in a message on Twitter: “Come on, David Cameron, you haven’t got your own way so accept it and take part.”
Mr Miliband, who has been urging the broadcasters to push ahead with the debates without Mr Cameron, said: "It is now make your mind up time for David Cameron."
They broadcasters added: “The broadcasters will continue to work closely with all parties invited to take part in the televised debates to bring them to their millions of viewers across the UK. The heads of news of all four broadcasters would welcome the opportunity to meet Mr Cameron, or his representatives, to discuss the debates.”
Earlier this week Mr Cameron has now made a "final offer" to broadcasters that he is only prepared to take part in a 90 minute debate between seven party leaders before March 30, the start of the "short campaign" leading up to the voteon May 7.
He insisted that he is "unblocking the logjam" rather than being a "hurdle". He said: "I want us to have a debate and so what I have done is unblock the logjam that I think I’m afraid the broadcasters helped to create, and said right let’s get on, let’s have the debate that I think matter the most."
A BBC spokesman declined to comment.