Nick Clegg says that will take the place of David Cameron in a television debate that would see him go head to head with Labour leader Ed Miliband.
Nick Clegg
The TV debate schedule has been thrown into chaos in recent weeks with Cameron appearing to be dragging his heels over being involved. Cameron, Miliband, Clegg and Nigel Farage were expected to be involved, but Cameron said he would only take to the debate stage if the Green Party was invited to take part.
Cameron has been accused of running scared by the other major party leaders as TV channels have scrambled to try to make the new plan proposed by the Prime Minister fit. Cameron and Miliband were set to face off in a two-way debate, but a letter from Cameron's office says he will only take part in one debate. The letter goes on to say that there should just one ninety minute debate that includes seven different party leaders.
The letter from Downing Street reads: "In order to cut through this chaotic situation I am willing to make the following proposal: There should be one 90-minute debate between seven party leaders before the short campaign. As well as the Prime Minister, the leaders of the Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, SNP and Ukip should be invited.
"This is our final offer, and to be clear, given the fact this has been a deeply unsatisfactory process and we are within a month of the short campaign, the Prime Minister will not be participating in more than one debate."
Cameron may not prepared to face Miliband in a live head to head debate, but Nick Clegg says that he is ready to take the place of the Conservatives. Speaking to LBC radio, Mr Clegg said: "Having been in government for five years, I also have this old-fashioned view that I want to defend the record of this Government. If David Cameron is too busy or too important to defend the record of this Government with Ed Miliband, then I offer myself. I'll do it instead."
"I just can't get over the lofty pomposity of the Conservatives that they should now deign to tell us that they're too busy, too important, to lower themselves to the level of everybody else and actually have a debate with everybody else.
"It's as if they think they are ordering a drink in the drawing room of Downton Abbey and telling everybody else what they should do. It's not for one party to grandly tell everybody else what's going to happen."
The U.S. style debates were introduced here in the UK for the first time during the 2010 general election, and saw three debates featuring Cameron, Clegg, and then Labour leader Gordon Brown. A whopping 22 million people watched some or all of the debates that were aired on television.
It is easy to see why Cameron is not prepared to go head to head with Miliband as the Prime Minister has more to lose. The Conservatives and Labour are neck and neck in the polls, but Miliband could significantly improve is own personal rating should be perform well; Miliband's personal rating is much lower than that of Cameron at the moment.
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