By Brad James
David the Goliath: Standing Up for the Little Guy?
Rough winds will shake the darling buds of May, we know this. The political landscape has altered and the swing-o-meter hasn’t got the foggiest notion of where it’s going to land. When such a prospect was inevitable in 2010, the media threw each party leader to us in gladiatorial magnificence for us to hear from the horse’s mouth and bray like an ass at their platitudes. Televised political debates are not a new phenomenon of current affairs broadcasting, yet candidates debating and drilling their rhetoric at us from a podium to win our endorsement has been common across the Atlantic for decades. Our thirst for them seems to be not easily quenched either, the initial debate – one of three – between the main party leaders (which ironically proved the catalyst behind Nick Clegg’s rise to prominence) has spawned further debates. Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage have indulged in political thrust and parry over immigration, as have Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling, musing upon the fate of Scotland.
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Nick Clegg’s unexpected surge from the yellow corner is what essentially the nation has to thank for the Coalition, for better or worse, the Lib Dems bolstered the Conservatives and formed a government where there would otherwise have not been one. Fast forward half a decade and fringe elements could potentially feather the green leather seats of the House of Commons at a time when many bums are going to shift their positions on them. Such a portent towards difference will demand alterations to our consumption of pleas from those who wish to lead us – and in the face of the new, the freshness of live TV debate seems apt.
Nigel Farage has already secured his place in the live debates leading up to the General Election. A self-styled mouthpiece for the disenfranchised, this has been echoed by many of his contemporaries and the media too, aiding his cause more than he could have hoped to achieve himself. Yet the measure of the leaders is being assessed more by OFCOM than Westminster, who are walking a tightrope of major/minor to consider in the upcoming debates, a fact that the Prime Minister has seized with both hands. In a recent interview, David Cameron made an avowal for the inclusion of more minor parties if UKIP were invited to participate: “I don’t think the current proposals work. You can’t have one minor party without having another minor party and I think that’s only fair.”
OFCOM however, begs to differ with the Prime Minister – who also advocates placing the debates before the election, should he even deign to become involved, that is. The recent success in the polls for UKIP designates them as a “Major” party and therefore bestows them a purple napkin at the debating banquet table:
“UKIP demonstrated a significant level of support in England and Wales in the European parliament elections in 2014 (29.2% England, 27.6% Wales) while its share of the vote was lower in Scotland (10.5%). UKIP also demonstrated significant levels of support in the English local elections (15.7% in 2014 and 19.9% in 2013).
Opinion poll data indicates that UKIP currently has significant levels of support in England and Wales and has the third highest rating in those polls after the Conservative and Labour parties. Opinion poll data in Scotland shows lower levels of current support.” – OFCOM Statement.
While the body emphasised that the decision ultimately lies with the broadcaster vis-à-vis participants, their provisional ruling holds and encourages the channels to observe the decision and for this status quo to remain, not permitting a dash of green anywhere. David Cameron has conveniently used the notable absence of the Green Party, a party that has also been increasing in popularity over the last decade, even operating on Norwich and Brighton councils – to duck out of debates he was hungry for in 2010. His words have doubtlessly been met with the standard level of derision that’s to be expected from all naysayers of the Prime Minister in the manner of a hackneyed script that has it’s details lightly glossed over with Tip-Ex each time. Ed Milliband chimed in, accusing Cameron of running scared. His decision even came under the scrutiny of some Lib Dem grandees, such as Lord Ashdown, former party leader and campaign manager: “Not since the photos of Cameron driving huskies have green issues been so cynically harnessed to Tory interest.” Nigel Farage meanwhile, was as strident as ever in his derision of the Prime Minister, branding Cameron: “a chicken running scared.” Natalie Bennett, leader of the Greens, has voiced her disappointment with OFCOM’s summing up of her party, suspecting David Cameron of an agenda like many of his peers, yet advocating his views at the same time.
“The Green party has not demonstrated significant past electoral support in general elections. The Green party has performed better in some other forms of election, such as the 2014 European parliamentary elections, obtaining 8.0% and 8.1% of the vote in England and Scotland.
In terms of evidence of current support, the party’s opinion poll rating in Great Britain-wide polls has increased in recent months to 5.9% in December 2014 (4.0% on average during 2014).” – OFCOM Statement.
A good allegory for the political mire 5 years down the road of Cameron’s administration is all of the above. He is glancing at himself in the mirror and his reflection is changed, having experienced the full brunt of the fickle temperament of Westminster. It is only a mere decade, let’s not forget, since the PM was a minor politician himself – who had heard of David Cameron before he stood for leadership against David Davis? Transport him to the highest office in the land and the shifting tides of opinion are all too clear. Having not came off as the strongest the last time around in the 2010 debates, and now much maligned and scarred in comparison to his younger, less lined self, his position has gone from having nothing to lose, to everything. Many layers can be gained from suddenly being seen as a paragon of the democratic process and yes, the Greens are seen by many as a party that offer real alternatives and sound, reliable explanations on the problems we face as a nation and planet. The course of true democracy would also lead to other popular “minor” parties being given their slice of the podium pie, Plaid Cymru and the SNP for example – the latter of which are far from minor in Scotland.
So now, the ball firmly appears to be OFCOM’s court. The adjudicators in a bizarre game where a strange dichotomy is being contested. Either David Cameron is exploiting the restrictions set by the broadcasting watchdog to further his own agenda, because in a General Election where a Hung Parliament is seemingly imminent and nothing new can be said by the Cabinet, he is staving off an egg on face scenario. Or as the elected Head of Government, does he see it as a duty to ensure the breadth of the political spectrum is represented (to view as potential pickings for new allies), to preserve the democratic process. It all essentially boils down to one Thursday in May… YOU DECIDE!
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