Should Britain have American style debates?

During Prime Ministers Questions on 27 February 2008, David Cameron suggested having televised debates, like they have in the United States. Personally, I think PMQs are a much better test of character and intelligence. I can't imagine Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama or John McCain being able to compete in the House of Commons.

Hansard:
Mr. Cameron: If the Prime Minister is so confident of his position, given that all of his Members of Parliament agreed the manifesto, he should give them a free vote.

I want to put to the Prime Minister one other point that could help to restore some invigoration in our politics. It is this: there is no doubt that one of the reasons why the American elections have caught people's imagination is that night after night the contenders debate in live television debates. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the time for such live television debates at general election times has now come? Will he agree to hold television debates with the leaders of the main political parties so that people can see us discuss the issues, the policies and the challenges for the future of this country?

The Prime Minister: In America they do not have Question Time every week, where we can examine what the different policies of the different parties are.

I come back to the question of the European referendum. The right hon. Gentleman says that he is demanding a European referendum; there are members of his party who say that now that the constitutional concept has been abandoned, there should be no referendum. He has not got unity in his party on this issue. He should face up to the vital fact that there is a disagreement about this issue, but the constitutional concept in Europe has now been abandoned.

Mr. Cameron: I have to say to the Prime Minister that if he really thinks that these exchanges once a week are a substitute for a proper television debate, then he is even more out of touch than I thought. We have to be honest with ourselves: not many people watch these exchanges, and not all those who do are hugely impressed with them. There are parliamentary systems that do have television debates; we have seen them in Italy, Australia and Poland. The Prime Minister has no objection in principle: when he was shadow Chancellor, he did a television debate against the then Chancellor of the Exchequer—so I have to ask him: what on earth is he frightened of?

The Prime Minister: This is the man who makes speeches about the primacy of Parliament. This is the man who says that we should keep our promises, and also said that there would be an end to Punch and Judy politics—and what did he then do?

On the European referendum— [ Interruption. ] The right hon. Gentleman raised the issue of the European referendum, so perhaps he will now answer the question: if we ratify the treaty, is he still committed to a referendum and still committed to renegotiating the treaty? The country will need to know the answers from him as well.

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[PrObamaAntiTeaParty]

No, I think the US should have British style debates.

[pmhoard]

I love watching British Parlement. It's like American congress with a two drink minimum.

[Rucifel17]

i know that americans today are made up of different ethnicities, im just saying that the thirteen colonies were british colonies

[Chthon128]

@Rucifel17 WHAT?!?!?!

What about the Polish, the Irish, the Italians, the Germans, the Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Russians, Slovaks, etc?

Seriously--do you really believe what you wrote? Better pay better attention in history class!

[Rucifel17]

@Chthon128 amercians came from british lol

[Chthon128]

What an unbelievable lack of civility and decorum.

No wonder their ancestors used to draw and quarter criminals and innocents alike.

[Blackfriday420]

@TheGreaterGood80 No it shouldn't. We're a republic, the UK, Canadians, and Australians are a democracy. A Republic has more even representation and a Democracy is majority rule.

[1234nypd1]

they insult each other on TV LOL:)

[cookiemonster9052]

lol

[squall8040]

how stupid are you? Irresponsible! (Mind Control.)