See this story for details about the 2015 British election debates. There will be two debates in which the leaders of each of seven political parties are included. Then there will be one debate between the leaders of the Conservative and Labour Parties.
The first two debates will be on April 2 and April 16. The two-party debate will be April 30. The election is May 7. The seven party leaders who will participate in the first two debates are: Natalie Bennett, Green; David Cameron, Conservative; Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat; Nigel Farage, UKIP; Ed Miliband, Labour; Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish National Party; and Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru.
And what if one of the five other parties does well in the first two debates and people want them included in the third? In a world of fair polling that included all candidates, I’d like to see a progressively increasing poll requirement for the debates. In the first debate, all candidates on the ballot are included. (or, in the case of President, all candidates who are on the ballot in enough states to get elected.) In the second debate, you need 7 percent, keeping in mind that exposure from the first debate would help you get that number. In the third and all subsequent debates, you need 15 percent, again keeping in mind that exposure from the first few debates would help. This would help separate the joke candidates (Raving Mad Loony Party in the UK, Rent is 2 Damn High Party in New York, etc.) from the serious minor party candidates and make sure the latter are included in all the debates while the former don’t get to steal the show.
And of course, this depends on fair polling which consistently includes all candidates. Without that, and we certainly don’t have that now, I would oppose any polling requirement.
How many seconds will each gang leader [i.e. wannabee TYRANT Prime Minister] have to be totally outrageous ???
NO written constitution in the 1066 DARK AGE regime of monarchs and oligarchs (in the gerrymander House of Commons and the older hacks in the now mostly appointed House of Lords) — one totally ANTI-Democracy system.
The gang[s] which will get CONTROL in the May 2015 gerrymander election will be de facto be elected by PERHAPS at most 20 percent of the total voters.
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P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
So why include the Scottish and Welsh regional parties, but not the Northern Ireland parties?
Because the parties that been invited into the debates don’t run candidates in Northern Ireland. Whereas the Scottish National Party is running against the Labour, Conservative, etc. parties within Scotland, the Northern Ireland Parties just ran against each other, almost entirely. There should be separate debates just for all the Northern Ireland parties.
The Conservative Party is organized in Northern Ireland and has had MP candidates in the past. UKIP is organized in Northern Ireland and running candidates for the Parliament of UKOGBANI. The Green Party runs candidates in Northern Ireland.
The SNP and PC don’t run candidates in Northern Ireland, but they don’t run candidates in England either.
Not only don’t they let the parties debate, they deny the voters the opportunity to listen or to view the debate among those who would seek to lead their nation.
http://ukipni.com/2015/01/24/mcnarry-supports-dup-inclusion-in-national-leaders-tv-debates/
DUP is the fourth largest party in Parliament.