- guardian.co.uk, Thursday January 4 2001 02.09 GMT
Powerful Labour figures are telling Tony Blair not to agree to a TV debate with rival leaders at the coming election. In the past the BBC and ITV have come up with differing formulas, giving the parties an excuse to weasel out and try to blame the broadcasters. This time they have agreed on a format. But these confrontations are always more popular with parties behind in the polls than those in the lead. And some of Mr Blair's advisers are saying: why give these people a platform, making them seem your equivalent? Drop it.
But elections do not belong to politicians. They belong to the people. TV confrontations should be there as the voter's right. If Labour gets cold feet the broadcasters should tell it: too bad. You are invited: if you choose not to come, the show will go on without you. Labour might go to court to get it stopped under the Representation of the People Act. But in doing so, the party would demonstrate who had denied the voters their full democratic access. With luck, it might then pay a price for that at the polls.
