The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Televised debates are a definite turn-off for PM
May accused of ‘bottling’ as opponents urge broadcasters to go ahead without her participation
Theresa May will snub televised leaders’ debates ahead of the general election, according to Downing Street sources.
The Prime Minister has been challenged by her opponents to take part in the live TV clashes in the run-up to the June 8 ballot.
Nicola Sturgeon said the debates should go ahead without Mrs May if the Conservative leader does not take part.
Earlier, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn threw down the gauntlet to the PM, with a direct challenge on Twitter saying yesterday: “If this general election is about leadership, as Theresa May said this morning, she should not be dodging head-to-head TV debates.”
However, a Downing Street source indicated the Prime Minister would flatly reject any proposal for a TV showdown, telling the Press Association: “Our answer is no.”
Ms Sturgeon said: “If the PM doesn’t have the confidence to debate her plans on TV with other leaders, broadcasters should empty chair her and go ahead anyway.”
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron accused Mrs May of “bottling” the debates and repeated the plea for stations to go ahead with the debates regardless.
“The Prime Minister’s attempt to dodge scrutiny shows how she holds the public in contempt,” said Mr Farron.
“The British people deserve to see their potential leaders talking about the future of our country.”
Broadcasters have a “moral duty” to stage debates, said the Lib Dem leader, adding: “I expect the broadcasters to do the right thing, don’t let the Conservatives call the shots.”
A BBC spokesman said it was too early to say whether the broadcaster would put in a bid to stage a debate.
Live TV debates took place for the first time in a UK general election in 2010 and the experiment was repeated in 2015.
Meanwhile, prosecutors are set to announce in the days ahead of the June 8 general election whether a string of Conservative MPs and officials will face charges in relation to allegations of breaching spending limits in the 2015 poll.
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said the announcement of the snap election would have no impact on the timing of decisions on whether to press charges.
Some 14 police forces have sent files to the CPS and decisions on charges are due in late May and early June.
The precise deadlines for decisions vary from area to area, depending on the date last year on which the local force secured an extension to its investigations into alleged breaches of election finance laws.
Allegations highlighted by Channel 4 News and the Daily Mirror relate to busloads of Conservative activists sent to key seats, whose expenses were reported as part of national campaign spend rather than falling within the lower constituency limits.
Ukip leader Paul Nuttall suggested Mrs May’s election announcement may have been motivated in part to avoid “the prospect of a slew of Tory-held by-elections caused by the seeming systematic breach of electoral law at the last election, predominantly in places where Ukip were pressing the Conservatives hard”.
The Prime Minister’s attempt to dodge scrutiny shows how she holds the public in contempt