I have mixed feelings. I do agree that it's rather unsatisfactory to import a Presidential setup to a Parliamentary system - but Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland (among others) have done it before us, and they all have systems similar to ours. I don't think it was sustainable for the UK to continue to be the odd one out, so having no debate wasn't an option, and never will be again. As for 650 across the country... well, it sounds nice, but it's a return to the 1950s and town hall hustings - would it get TV coverage? Not a chance.
Moving on to who should appear... if you had the current three and (say) the SNP, Plaid Cymru, UKIP, the BNP, the Greens and let's say two NI parties, then you'd have 10 leaders in all. It's simply impossible to do it with that many - either the programme would be so long that nobody would watch it, or each leader would get about two soundbites in total. Question Time has five people on the panel, and that's about the practical maximum; occasionally they've had six and it really hasn't worked.
And you have absolutely zero chance of getting me to join in your boycott! =:P
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-04-29 03:54 pm (UTC)Moving on to who should appear... if you had the current three and (say) the SNP, Plaid Cymru, UKIP, the BNP, the Greens and let's say two NI parties, then you'd have 10 leaders in all. It's simply impossible to do it with that many - either the programme would be so long that nobody would watch it, or each leader would get about two soundbites in total. Question Time has five people on the panel, and that's about the practical maximum; occasionally they've had six and it really hasn't worked.
And you have absolutely zero chance of getting me to join in your boycott! =:P