Party leaders call for Brown TV debates
Gordon Brown is just weeks away from Number 10
Saturday, 19, May 2007 07:01
The leaders of the two main opposition parties in the UK have called on Gordon Brown to take part in TV debates.
Writing on his internet blog WebCameron, Conservative leader David Cameron said he hoped Mr Brown would take part in some TV debates which could bring politics alive.
Mr Cameron wrote: "I'm looking forward to debating [with] Gordon Brown. In the Conservative leadership election, we had a series of TV debates and they showed that they work, they can address serious policy issues and that they're genuinely informative.
"I said at the time that we should have these debates between the main party leaders before a general election.
"I hope in the next few days Gordon Brown will make clear that once he's actually the Labour leader and prime minister, he'll take part in proper TV debates that could really help bring politics to life."
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, whose party objects to Mr Brown's 'coronation' as Labour leader, also called for the prime minister in waiting to take part in a televised debate.
Mr Brown has already made it clear that he expects to tour the country in the weeks prior to taking over at Number 10 in a series of hustings, outlining his policy initiatives and revealing more of his future agenda.
The chancellor secured 313 of 353 party nominations in the leadership contest after a challenge from the left of the party, which both John McDonnell and Michael Meacher had hoped to provide, failed to materialise.