Face Off: Will they or won’t they?

So we kick off party conference season and once again our “best and brightest” politicians descend on our nations seaside towns like some sort of bespoke-suited plague. The party conference strikes me as an unmistakably British political affair, maybe it is the humble alliterated locations (Blackpool, Bournemouth or Brighton) or the fact everyone in the audience looks like they bought their entire outfit from Marks and Spencer in 1979.  However, this party conference season is the precursor to one of the most important elections in modern times and after months of public claims that politicians have lost touch with the “common man”, there are now suggestions of new platforms for our party leaders to convey their policies.

Recently, Sky News has invited all party leaders to take part in a live televised debate. On the first of September the broadcaster issued letters to David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Gordon Brown saying they will hold a debate involving whichever party leaders choose to attend. Cameron immediately stated his intent to take part, after all, the Tory leader has challenged both Gordon Brown and previously Tony Blair to a live debate on policy ever since he was appointed as Conservative leader. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has also stated he has accepted the invitation, after all despite considerable gains in recent local elections, the Lib Dems still need something which will give the party more of a nationwide profile. Also, Clegg is obviously eager to use the opportunity to try and justify himself as a man of considerable political influence and to give the majority of a public an idea of who he actually is!

This leads us to  Gordon Brown who has so far sent mixed messages to such a debate. The fact both Clegg and Cameron seem to have accepted their invitations puts the Prime Minister in a rather awkward position as if he does not attend, he will be replaced by an ’empty chair’. Gordon does not have the oratory skills or media  swagger of his predecessor, Tony Blair and often looks humbled and awkward when speaking in front of large audiences. Whereas declining when both his opponents have accepted will make Brown appear even weaker and give Clegg and Cameron the opportunity to denounce him as a party leader who does not have the time to remain in touch with his public.

That said however, back in July, Lord Mandleson said that Mr Brown “would not have a problem with a televised debate” when questioned about the prospect, and further stated that “whilst Cameron is good with words he is weak on policies”

“Such an opportunity would let the public see that Gordon is really the man with substance”.

The idea of such a debate is obviously coined from the grand American ‘Presidential debate’ which famously began in the run up to the 1960 elections where John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon faced each other as Democratic and Republican candidates live on television for the very first time. Ever since these debates and have become a staple of the US election campaign trail and it is often said a candidates performance at such a debate will be a decisive factor in making, or breaking their campaign. In reference to the previous example, it was Kennedy’s youthful looks, suave oratory skills and beaming smile which saw him conquer Nixon who looked tired, shabby and flatly refused to wear any make up for the cameras.

However, I am still uncertain if such a debate is actually suited to our own election system. Whilst in America, the focus is very much on ‘Presidential Politics’ where the focus is primarily towards two candidates, the British pride in their ‘multi-party-system’ and localisation where we can elect our own MPS and vote for the party, not the man who would be Prime Minister. That said, similar debates are now commonplace in Australia or Canada who’s political systems are based on our own.

One thing is for sure, if all candidates do attend it will provide compelling viewing. Whereas political suicide may be the outcome for any leader who does not.

~ by nicksmiffy on September 27, 2009.