Major ready for televised British election debates

March 16, 1997
Web posted at: 3:00 p.m. EST (2000 GMT)

LONDON (CNN) -- British Prime Minister John Major, trailing badly in the polls with only weeks to go until Britain's general election, will accept a challenge from Labor leader Tony Blair to a series of televised debates, his political allies said Sunday.

Labor welcomed the move, but smaller parties, including the third-placed Liberal Democrats, said they would fight in the courts any plan to pit the leaders of the two main parties against each other while shutting out the rest. Britain has tight rules which broadcasters must follower to ensure political balance during the campaign.

Televised head-to-head debates between leading candidates are common in U.S. presidential elections but have not been tried previously in Britain, where parties run their campaigns mainly through public rallies and party political broadcasts.

Some British newspapers are predicting Major will announce Monday that the elections will be held May 1.

Reuters contributed to this report.

 

Related story:

• British ruling party loses parliamentary majority - December 7, 1996

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