The first debates were held in 2010
David Cameron was accused by Labour of making “pathetic excuses” to dodge the proposed general election debates on television.
The Prime Minister said the Greens must be involved in the sessions if the UK Independence Party is, and also suggested the Liberal Democrats should have their role downgraded because they are only a “minor” party.
But in heated clashes in parliament on Wednesday, the Labour leader Ed Miliband used Margaret Thatcher’s famous barb by calling Mr Cameron “frit”.
Mr Miliband said Mr Cameron had in 2010 condemned “feeble” reasons for backing out of debates, and said “no-one believed” his protests were genuine now.
He said: “It is frankly a pathetic excuse. It is not for him, it is not for me, it is not for any party leader to decide who is in the debate. It is up to the broadcasters, that is the country we live in,”
“Is he really telling the people of Britain that he is going to seek to deny them the TV debate if he doesn’t get to choose who is in them?”
Mr Cameron hit back that Mr Miliband was “chicken” for being unwilling to face off against Green Party leader Natalie Bennett as well as Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and Ukip’s Nigel Farage.
“I’m all for these debates but you cannot have two minor parties without the third minor party. Why is he frightened of debating the Green Party?”
The Tory leader indicated that he believed there should be two debates, rather than the three currently floated by the broadcasters.
“There are two credible sets of debates. You can either have a debate with all the national parties who appear in this House,” he said.
“Or you can have a debate … between the two people who would become Prime Minister. Those are the credible debates.”
But analysts have said the Prime Minister did not think the last TV debates were particularly useful and was willing to be criticised in the short term if it meant he could avoid having to share a stage with Nigel Farage, whose UKIP could split the right wing vote.
