SIR – David Cameron has just decided to limit himself to only one appearance in the live TV debates leading up to the May 7 General Election.
He has said that he will appear when all the other party leaders are present, but crucially not during a 1:1 with opposition Labour leader, Ed Miliband. These debates were first conducted during the 2010 election campaign, when sitting PM Gordon Brown took part with David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
While such broadcasts never occurred prior to 2010 most agreed afterwards that, now ‘the genie was out of the bottle’ so to speak, these TV confrontations would become an expected fixture during future a general election campaign.
However, Mr Cameron seemed, from the start, wary of getting involved this time. He first used the excuse of refusing to debate if the Greens were excluded. Now that they are to appear in one of the live debates, he has ruled himself out of two other possible appearances.
Many will wonder why, when he was perfectly happy to appear in the debates of 2010 when he was leader of the Opposition, he is less amenable now as the accountable Prime Minister!
Surely, after a full five years, he has a duty to face the viewing public and explain himself alongside Ed Miliband, the man who seeks to replace him?
David Hornsby, West Avenue, Wrose
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