Tory leadership candidates swing behind TV debates idea
They could be open to Tory members in charge of picking Britain's next prime minister and the general public alike.
Tuesday 28 May 2019 18:46, UK
Tory leadership hopefuls could battle it out in a live TV debate, after many candidates swung behind the idea.
MPs would "test each other's plans on Brexit" and other issues under the proposals from Dominic Raab and Matt Hancock.
They could be open to Tory members in charge of picking Britain's next prime minister and the general public alike.
Health Secretary Mr Hancock wrote to broadcasters on Tuesday to ask them to support the idea to "see how well the candidates stand up to the scrutiny of live, televised debates".
Rather than an "internal-facing party conversation", he wants the public to be able to "ask tough questions of the candidates and hear about their ideas for the future".
Outsider candidates such as Rory Stewart and Kit Malthouse have backed the call, which would boost their publicity and give them the chance to break through in the contest.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Environment Secretary Michael Gove, former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom and ex-pensions secretary Esther McVey also favour the idea.
A source close to Boris Johnson said "we're happy to discuss details of a debate with the different candidates".
Election TV debates first kicked off in 2010, when Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg appeared in the run up to that year's general election.
Since then political leaders have struggled to agree with broadcasters the terms of holding future ones at national elections.
In 2016, Sky News hosted a head-to-head debate between Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith as the pair battled for the Labour Party leadership.