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UK's Brown agrees to US-style TV election debates

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-10-04 10:49

LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown agreed in principle on Saturday to go head-to-head with main opposition leaders in US-style television debates in the run up to next year's general election.

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown listens to speeches during the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, southern England, October 1, 2009. [Agencies]

Potential prime ministers have never debated each other on television before but Brown, who is expected to call an election next May, agreed to a series of such presidential showdowns.

David Cameron, leader of the main Conservative opposition party, and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg had already declared their readiness to take part in television debates, but Brown had yet to commit himself.

Last week Cameron, whose party is well ahead in the polls, challenged Brown to "get off the fence".

Brown said on his party's website that broadcast debates were crucial in the "first election of the global age".

He said it was up to others to thrash out format details but that he "relished" the chance to make his case to the people.

"So I believe it is right that the parties debate the issues not just in Parliament but in every arena where the public will join in the discussion," Brown said.

"It is right that there will be a strong focus on the leaders' debates and it is right that in a cabinet system of government that ministers and opposition ministers also debate the issues in a series of debates on television and radio too."

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Justin Fisher, professor of political science at Brunel University, said Brown was running out of options.

"Anything the government does doesn't seem to have any effect on their ratings. So this really is an attempt, a last throw of the dice if you like, to try and regain some initiative," he told Sky News television.

A ComRes poll for the Independent on Sunday, published late on Saturday, put the Conservatives on 40 percent and Labour on 28 percent.

Fisher said the television debates would institutionalise a trend towards greater presidentialism and the focus on a leader, rather than the cabinet collective.

"Informally it's been happening for a while, but once you start to have these debates they will happen at every election from now on."

On Friday, three of Britain's main broadcasters -- the BBC, ITV and BSkyB -- jointly proposed to stage one live election debate each between the leaders of the three main parties.