Theresa May is sending Amber Rudd to the TV debates

[cannotbelievethistoday]

Ha ha ha ha ha.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/28/amber-rudd-to-stand-in-for-theresa-may-in-televised-leaders-debate

The PM is not capable of turning up on TV and debating policy, but I thought she was so very strong and so very stable??

Seriously?? So she is sending Amber Rudd???

This is madness. JC is looking more Prime Ministerial by the day.

Hopefuly they will put up either Abbott ,or even better the idiot Rebecca Long -Bailey and guarntee a Tory landslide.

Or even guarantee a tory landslide.

You do realise that Sturgeon isn't going to be on nor Corbyn either?
Yes but we won't mention that because this is just another sad excuse to bash Theresa May. Pathetic really. Still, if they honestly think that having a lying terrorist sympathiser for PM backed up by a couple of equally dubious (Abbott's terrorist views are as bad) and incredibly dim (how much were those police officers going to cost?) ministers is a good idea then what do you expect?
What's more important to you - inheriting every penny of your parent's house or having a country with economic stability and a chance of beating the terrorists? Voting Labour is short-sighted and selfish.

Hang on, there is going to be a party leaders debate, but none of the leaders will be there?

I hope to Christ that they don't send Diane Abbot! Anyone but her.

I highly doubt May can't attend due to her diabetes. Steve Redgrave has type 1 diabetes but that didn't stop him winning like a billion Olympic medals, in a fairly stressful environment!

It's an election debate not a leaders debate.

It's an election debate not a leaders debate.

But given that the leader of whichever party wins the election will become the leader of our country, surely it should be leaders in the debate. If you can't stand up to good debate against other parties, then I'm not sure you're the right candidate for pm are you?

Where has it been confirmed that Corbyn won't be attending? I can only find an article saying Amber Rudd will be there.

Apologies,I should rtft

Sorry, that article is a month old. Has he definitely confirmed he won't be there?

May and the conservatives seem to be pursuing a zero risk strategy with this election - absolutely nothing is being left to chance.

Two years ago it was a leaders debate. Why should we expect less now than we got then?

Polkadots they do have Welsh/Scottish debates which I believed happened in the last couple of weeks.

The only thing I don't quite understand about Theresa May herself not turning up is the effect this will have on their presidential style election campaign - there's going to be a lot of confusion for those voting for "Theresa May's team" when they're confronted with the fact that she comes with the rest of the tories

Theresa May for Britain, except when she's chicken.

Two years ago it was a leaders debate. Why should we expect less now than we got then?
Seriously? You can't handle things being tried differently? The leaders all did / are doing individual interviews & that gives the voters a chance to see them being grilled personally. Having a separate debate with different party representatives gives us an opportunity to see whether a party has anyone decent behind the leader & gives a different spin on the message (or its presentation). Personally I don't see the point in the debates but I guess if Abbott is doing it it'll make entertaining viewing & I couldn't sit through Nicola Sturgeon.

I felt that Corbyn threw down a gauntlet to May when he said that he would do the live debates if she did.

She didn't respond, and that makes her look as though she is chickening out.

Maybe he knew she would do that. Maybe he wanted her to. Maybe he is just as worried about them as she is.

I agree with noble. We should expect the same from them as we got last time. No reason why they couldn't do the individual interviews as well.

You can't handle things being tried differently?

The debates were very popular. The reason that TM doesn't want to do it is because she thinks she will look bad. It's not about trying a different approach, it's to protect the prime minister. I don't think that's a good enough reason to bin them, and I certainly don't respect her for bottling it when her predecessor didn't.

She gets a look, sometimes, when challenged, that is not cool

Indeed. Just watch PMQs to see the look she gets.

I think May has a carefully cultivated image of someone who is firm, competent, strong-minded and capable. It tends to fall apart as soon as she's interviewed, because she never answers the question. I mean, literally, never. I know politicians are notorious for not giving direct answers, but I've never seen anyone as bad as her - even the most innocuous questions are batted away. If you ask: "What's your favourite colour, Prime Minister?" she'll answer, "I think what this country needs is strong and stable leadership."

So I'm not surprised she's staying away from the leader debates. They will expose her complete inability to engage with the issue at hand. I think Corbyn is making a mistake in not attending but I can see why he's doing it.

She doesn't answer questions does she. It fascinates me.

Where's Paxman when you need him.

Paxman is interviewing both of them separately tonight on Channel 4 at 8:30pm.

PMQs

This is her on education. Standard misleading answer. Standard deflection.

If May refuses to debate, I don't see why any of the others should bother given that the Tory spin machine will use it against them

Absolutely!

More on education

there is so much media against corbyn teresa may doesnt have a worry about winning.

Placemarking