http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31742155

On the one hand I think the broadcasters would be well within their rights to do all three debates as they proposed and just substitute Call Me Dave with a tub of lard or something equally appropriate. Thing is, I'm not totally convinced Milliband could win an argument against a tub of lard.

If this happened within 60 days of the election, it would probably break some rules about impartiality.

While I know that's almost certainly true I do wonder. You could make the argument that it's more of a question time type thing - the leader is being grilled by the audience rather than just doing a party election broadcast. Plus Cameron can't claim he wasn't invited to attend.

If it’s a QuestionTime type thing, then I’m not surprised. These party leaders, especially those of the Big Parties, are pretty much actors. They will have learned their lines, their key phrases to use, and some numbers, but unlike a well policed party event, they’ve got to improvise and deal with the off topic subject. This can cause faltering and awkwardness.

While I am not an UKIP supporter, I have to say that Farage is actually very good at this. He knows enough of what to say to appear to be answering a question, but he’s also very good at handling random audience members. He’s very good at “being on the telly”; one of the few party leaders that will appear on QuestionTime and engage in an open discussion. It’s a skill that the others may not have outside of the public school debating society meetings. You don’t get to deal with “the rabble” there.

The problem with Farage (leaving his politics to one side) is that while he is indeed very good on telly he seems to have a habbit of changing party policy on the fly to sound appealing and then the rest of UKIP is left scrabbling around trying to catch up which leaves the party contradiciting its leader or vice versa (see recent thing about immigration cap).

From what they were saying on the news, the debate is supposed to happen outside of the campaign time frame. Anyone who thinks that this isn’t part of the election campaign is deluding themselves.

The problem with Farage is that he represents a constituency of morons and is thus not constrained by any need to talk sense. The main parties all know that other factors intervene, making ideas that sound great if you either don't or can't think about them, actually rather bad.

It remains to be seen whether, given the handcuffs of some actual power, Farage would have the decency to betray his supporters as all good politicians must.

Other parties have to say weak things about immigration 'reform', because many voters want something done about this unproblem, but being nastier to immigrants than we already are would be devastating. Now there is talk of undoing the Barnett formula, which could only appeal to those who have no idea what it's for. But people who learn about these things from a Daily Mail info-graphic are entitled to vote.

Should go-ahead with the 3-debates as planned and leave an empty chair for Cameron.

It comes across as he is scared of the other parties.

I want a strong PM not one who scared to debate in public without having scripted question/answers.

As someone noted on Twitter - if you want the job, you do the interviews.

No point in them anyway, it will be the usual steaming pile of BS and drivel.

Well yes, but at least there will be a greater varriety of drivel this time and it will be interesting to see how much of a bun fight the 7 way debate(s) descend into once everyone starts yelling over each other for attention.

If I thought I could provoke it I would happily provide the custard and foam pies.

I quite like my brothers idea of 7 enter but only 1 leaves (and is taken out by a sniper just to be on the safe side).