[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

I don't remember this song-and-dance when Blair refused point blank do take part in a debate.

That is true and there wasn't any debates nor when John Major refused to too in his time as PM.

However since then we have had in 2010, David Cameron clamouring for the debates, in the 'election campaign' time too whe he was opposition leader and really taunting Gordon Brown the then PM to stop delaying and agree to get on with the debates.

The big difference is that since 2010, we have now had the then opposition Leader,Cameron wanting the debates, the then incumbent Prime Minister,Gordon Brown agreeing to same debates in full as laid out by the broadcasters at the time.
So unlike the Major and Blair times, it has happened now and it is a bit rich for the man who championed those debates in 2010 to be being such a turncoat now.

The difference now being both opposition leaders and also a Prime Minister have already agreed since 2010 to such debates and taken part in same.

Had David Cameron not made such a fuss as to Gordon Brown taking a good amount of time to agree to the 2010 debates,then criticism of David Cameron as to the issue would be invalid.

I also stress, were this Ed Miliband who was dragging his heels as to the debates, I would be saying exactly the same about him that I am about David Cameron as to the issue.
The precedent was set in 2010,a format that David Cameron expected both Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg to take part in and accept.
They both did and that is why, from me at any rate, he is getting a right dressing down as to his what I see as his pathetic stance now.