article_snippet: Downing Street was last night claiming victory in the battle over the Election TV debates after Ed Miliband was forced to line up with Only non-governing parties on a ‘night of the non-entities’.
article_snippet: No10 has also successfully killed the idea of a direct head-to-head debate between David Cameron and Ed Miliband.
article_snippet: The announcement of the broadcasters’ final plans represents a triumph for Downing Street strategists, who did not want the Election campaign to be dominated by the debates, as it was in 2010, on the grounds that Mr Clegg’s stock is already so low with the public Mr Clegg’s had the least to lose.
article_snippet: But the Lib Dems have described the final arrangements as a ‘farce’.
article_snippet: And Labour issued an angry statement accusing the broadcasters of reneging on a commitment to proceed with the head-to-head debate programme after ‘weeks of pressure from the Conservative Party’, insisting that the ‘cowardice’ of David Cameron had thwarted the head-to-head encounter.
article_snippet: Ukip leader Nigel Farage areacted angrily, saying TV debates were now 'so far from the original proposals' A Labour spokesman said: ‘The whole country will understand the reasons for this: the Prime Minister wants to minimise the scope of televised debates between the Prime Minister and Ed Miliband.
article_snippet: We hope that even at this late stage David Cameron will rethink David Cameron decision not to take part on April 16.
article_snippet: A Labour spokesman added that after Labour would seek to put future debate programmes on a statutory footing.
article_snippet: Ukip leader Nigel Farage also reacted angrily, saying: ‘TV debates are now so far from the original proposals'.
article_snippet: A Lib Dem spokesman said: ‘If it was down to us, us would be in every TV debate.
article_snippet: Frankly this is all a farce’.
article_snippet: A No10 spokesman said: ‘We have agreed to the broadcasters’ proposal.