TV audience could be given the chance to question May
THERESA MAY is likely to take part in a question and answer session in front of a television audience before the General Election after she was heavily criticised by her opponents for refusing to debate with them.
The Prime Minister formally ruled out taking part in televised head-to-head debates before the June 8 election in a BBC interview yesterday.
She said: “We won’t be doing television debates. I believe in campaigns where politicians actually get out and about and meet with voters.
“That’s what I have always believed in, it’s what I still believe and I still do it – as Prime Minister, as a constituency MP, I still go out and knock on doors in my con- stituency. That’s what I believe in doing, that’s what I’m going to be doing around this campaign.”
However, Mrs May’s aides made clear that she was not against taking part in a “long-form television programme” when she answers questions in front of a live studio audience.
Her predecessor David Cameron agreed to be questioned in front of a BBC Question Time- style audience for live television programmes during the 2015 general election.
The change of tack followed Mrs May coming under fire from the other party leaders at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told her: “She says it’s about leadership, yet is refusing to defend her
record in television debates and it’s not hard to see why.”
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron accused Mrs May of “bottling” and said broadcasters had a “moral duty” to go ahead with the showdowns even if she fails to take part.
Mr Farron added: “The British people deserve to hear party leaders set out their plans and debate them publicly.
“The Prime Minister and 1992, debated publicly, forcibly and amicably when we were both candidates together.
“Indeed, the Prime Minister called out the then incumbent who did not show up for some of those debates.
“Why will she not publicly debate these issues now – what is she scared of?”
Nigel Evans, a senior Conservative, told MPs: “I hope that the Prime Minister will go head to head with the leaders of other parties, and the reason is quite simple: she would floor them all.”
Downing Street offered the olive branch on a television appearance after both the BBC and ITV said they were willing to go ahead with televised election debates without the Prime Minister.
Jonathan Munro, the BBC’s head of news gathering, told The Daily Telegraph that he did “not want to get in a position where any party leader stops us doing a programme that we think is in the public interest”.
Mr Munro added: “There is a proven track record over two elections and two referendums that debates reach huge audiences, including a lot of young people who don’t watch con- ventional political coverage in great numbers.
“We think it is very much in their interest that peak-time debates go ahead. In 2010 and 2015 the number of young and first-time voters going to the polls was up on previous elections.
“We believe there was a relationship between that and the audience the debates pulled in. It helps engagement with hard-to-reach audiences.”
ITV is also expected to host a debate News chaired by Julie Etchingham, the At Ten presenter.
In 2015, Ms Etchingham hosted a debate involving seven leaders including David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg in a two-hour showdown.
A spokesman for ITV said: “ITV will hold a leaders’ debate as we did in 2010 and 2015. We will announce more details in due course.”
Sky News sources said the broadcaster was considering its approach on the debates.
‘Debates reach … a lot of young people who don’t watch conventional political coverage in great numbers’