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General Election 2015: Tories to send spin doctors to television debate despite David Cameron's absence

The event should have been another seven-way debate including David Cameron and Nick Clegg

Wednesday 15 April 2015 20:43 BST

David Dimbleby on the set of the BBC Election Debate 2015 (BBC)

Conservative strategists will be given privileged access to “spin” the result of the second televised election debate – even though David Cameron has refused to take part in the event, The Independent has learnt.

The BBC has agreed to allow Tory representatives to attend the debate at Methodist Central Hall in London and provide them with access to journalists who will be covering it. The spin doctors will also be interviewed in a live debate “reaction” programme after the main event finishes.

Labour, which said it only found out about the arrangement on Wednesday, said they were “incredulous” that the BBC had made the concession, which has also been extended to the Lib Dems.

Under original plans put forward by the broadcasters the event should have been another seven-way debate including Mr Cameron and Nick Clegg. But it was scrapped after Mr Cameron refused to take part in more than one debate, and replaced with a “challenger’s debate” between the leaders of Labour, the SNP, Ukip, the Greens and Plaid Cymru.

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Show all 10

1/10In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Andrew Hawkins (ComRes)

“Events last week have reinforced my prediction that the Tories will be the largest party. Ukip’s slow puncture may help the Tories most, and Nicola Sturgeon may well fulfil her wish to keep David Cameron in No 10 by reducing Labour’s Scottish MPs to numbers that could fit in a stretch limo.”

Andrew Hawkins

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Joe Twyman (YouGov)

“The national picture remains largely unchanged, but YouGov’s Scotland polling shows the SNP at an all-time high. Only 44 per cent of Labour supporters felt Jim Murphy performed best in the first Scottish leaders’ debate.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Ben Page (Ipsos MORI)

“I need to see a more decisive shift in the polls to think that Labour have definitely moved ahead of the Conservatives. There has been more good news for Labour than the Conservatives, with Ed Miliband’s personal ratings improving. Still, a hung parliament remains the most likely option.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Rick Nye (Populus)

“No change.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Nick Moon (GfK)

“I haven’t changed my broad view that the Tories will be the largest party, but Labour is likely to form a minority government. Last week’s projection (Con 280, Lab 273) looks pretty likely to me. The risk for Labour was that, as decision time looms, voters might take ahold of nurse, but that may be mitigated by Miliband’s showing in the debates.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Damian Lyons Lowe (Survation)

“Unchanged, except for an SNP uptick at Labour’s expense. The SNP’s surge in Survation’s polling continues unabated. Nicola Sturgeon scored well in our debate polling.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Michelle Harrison (TNS)

“Despite all the sound, fury and bluster, there has been no game-changer. If anything, it’s become even tougher for the major parties, with signs of a softening in Conservative support and continued evidence that the SNP will inflict major damage on Labour.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

James Endersby (Opinium Research)

“Our latest polling figures, published today, show movement back towards the Conservatives (a two-point Tory lead). My prediction last week of a shaky sway back in favour of the Tories on election day holds fast; and with a hung parliament, who on earth knows who’ll be able to form a government?”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Martin Boon (ICM)

“At the equivalent point before the 2010 election, our poll suggested 37 per cent for the Tories and 31 per cent for Labour, which more or less nailed the actual result. I think that campaigns mostly reinforce perceptions rather than change minds.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 11/04/15

Lord Ashcroft (Lord Ashcroft Polls)

He refuses to make predictions. “My polls are snapshots, not predictions.”

Rex

The Lib Dems wanted Nick Clegg to take part but were told it would been seen as effectively “empty-chairing” Mr Cameron. As a concession he will have his own section in a separate, three-way Question Time-style broadcast a week before polling day.

A senior Labour source said the party was outraged that the Conservatives should be given the opportunity to send spin doctors to an event their own leader had boycotted.

“David Cameron should be represented by an empty chair. Instead, he is will be represented by spin doctors,” they said. “We know he doesn’t want a head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband but it now appears that the Conservatives have concluded their spin doctors will do a better job than the Prime Minister.”

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But a Tory source said they should be able to put their side of the argument. “This is a desperate tactic to distract from the fact that the pressure is on Miliband,” they said. “It is entirely right and proper that we should be there. We might just send Michael Fallon.”

Leanne Wood and Nicola Sturgeon will meet to discuss tactics before the debate (Getty) (Getty Images)

The BBC said it had invited the Tories and Lib Dems so they could take part in the debate analysis. They added that the corporation needed to ensure that it fulfilled impartiality rules and this was the best way of achieving that.

“We have said from the beginning that we would endeavour to give fair representation to political parties not involved in the debate,” said a BBC source.

Mr Miliband is expected to come under a co-ordinated attack from the SNP, Greens and Plaid Cymru who will criticise the Labour leader for being a purveyor of “austerity-lite” who represents the “same old” Westminster politics.

The Independent understands that the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru will meet in advance of the debate to discuss tactics. They will call on Mr Miliband to ditch his commitment to continue with public sector cuts and call on him to join a “progressive alliance” to bring an end to austerity.

Mr Miliband must shore up Labour support at the debate against a challenge from the left. Aides said he was determined not to enter a head-to-head with Ms Sturgeon but instead to use it to portray himself as the only viable candidate to unseat the Conservatives.

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