Quote:
Originally Posted by 1andrew1
Pointless except for viewing figures, which I guess is why the have such farces on. Describe a complicated policy in 20 seconds whilst being interrupted by an opponent with a non-fact-checked allegation. Washed down with a question that sidelines Scotland in the Euros for good measure.
Better an in-depth grilling of the leaders individually with strong follow-up questions.
|
Pretty much the argument for not doing these TV debates at all, that held sway for many years. They face off weekly at PMQs. Facing off in a TV studio doesn’t add anything, especially when you encourage interruptions by leaving the politicians standing, miked up, at their podiums when it’s not their turn to speak (which doesn’t happen in the Commons, they have to sit down and the broadcasters are not allowed to whack the gain up to catch any of the barracking they might do).
Next week will be worse because it is the left of UK politics that’s most fractured, so in a 7-way debate the voices are overwhelmingly stacked to one side. You don’t have to be a fan of Sunak or this present Tory government to appreciate that’s just a recipe for a pile-on, not a fair or illuminating debate.
An intense one-on-one at the hands of Andrew Neil or similar is what we need.