DAVID Cameron is coming under mounting pressure to agree to a live TV General Election leaders' debate with Ed Miliband after broadcasters offered a date of the politicians' choosing and the Labour leader stressed he was ready to do one "any time, any place, anywhere".
The Prime Minister is also facing pressure from within the Tory leadership after one senior party figure made clear he thought his colleague should agree given, following the debates before the 2010 General Election, voters now "expect them to happen". He suggested that in any head to head Mr Cameron would win hands down.
During a rowdy Commons question-time, Mr Miliband repeatedly challenged the PM to agree to take part in a live TV debate.
"The broadcasters have proposed a live head to head debate between the Prime Minister and me on April 30, a week before polling day. I will be at that debate; will you be at that debate?" he asked Mr Cameron.
The Conservative leader replied that they were "having a debate now" and accused Mr Miliband of failing to talk about the economy, jobs, growth or living standards, adding: "I say let's have these debates, let's get on with them before the election."
In response to a later question from Labour backbencher Barbara Keeley over whether he would attend the April 30 event, the PM suggested the debates should happen "before the election campaign", which formally begins on March 30 when the UK Parliament is due to be dissolved.
Following PMQs, Labour sources accused the Tories of doing everything they could behind the scenes to "scupper the negotiations and sink the debates".
One revealed that since Mr Cameron backed the idea of a head to head debate five weeks ago, there had been no cross-party talks on the issue.
Meantime in a joint statement, the broadcasters said: "Sky News and Channel 4 are continuing to prepare for a head to head debate between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on April 30.
"However, in response to media inquiries following today's PMQs, we would obviously be willing to host a debate on a different day the two main party leaders could agree on."
In response, Mr Miliband said: "David Cameron said today he would do the live TV debate with me as long as it happened earlier than planned. That is fine by me. I will do it any time, any place, anywhere.
"I want these debate to happen. The British public deserve it. David Cameron should now name the date," he added.
Asked about the Sky and Channel 4 offer, the PM's spokesman said: "We have heard lots of different things from different broadcasters for quite some time now. It is one for the political parties but my understanding is that discussions are continuing."
A Tory spokesman said: "We are still in discussion about the 7-7-2 proposals. It appears Labour have ditched the idea of the 7-7-2, focusing on the head to head."
Initially, the broadcasters proposed a 4-3-2 format, where the three main party leaders would take part together with Ukip's Nigel Farage, a second debate would involve Messrs Cameron, Clegg and Miliband while the third would be between the PM and the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Cameron complained that if Ukip were to be involved, then so too should the Greens. But then the SNP and Plaid Cymru objected.
Subsequently, the broadcasters came up with a 7-7-2 format, involving two debates with the leaders of the Tories, Labour, the Lib Dems, Ukip, the Greens, the SNP and Plaid Cymru - scheduled for April 2 and 16 - plus a final head to head between Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband on April 30.
But Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionists and Respect's George Galloway then complained they were being excluded.
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