MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti) - Leading British news channels, including Sky News, BBC, ITV and Channel 4, have announced on Monday that they are planning to broadcast debates between the country's party leaders prior to the 2015 General Election.
While Sky News and Channel 4 will bring against each other only two opponents, the leader of the Conservatives David Cameron and the leader of the Labors Ed Miliband, BBC will hold a debate with the participation of three party leaders - Conservative, Labor and Liberal Democrat.
The debate on ITV is expected to be the most heated since it will also give air time to Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, along with the Conservative, Labor and Liberal Democrat leaders.
Citing an opinion by YouGov, a British research center, Sky News stated on Monday that Cameron might be advised against taking part in an open debate with the UKIP leader.
"David Cameron has the most to lose and Nigel Farage has the most to gain," a pollster told Sky News.
According to a recent survey conducted by YouGov, the ratings of the UKIP leader have reached their highest point yet. However, the research organization notes that just because Nigel Farage's ratings stand at their highest, it does not necessarily mean people will cast their votes for him.
"This is better than it could have been. At last, there is a recognition of UKIP but if the political situation changed, we will expect to be included in the second debate," Sky News quoted Farage as saying.
The debates are expected to be held on April 2, April 16 and April 30 and have been described as an important step in increasing the participation of the public in political processes.
Criticism, however, did not bypass the debates. The UK's Green Party, which was excluded from the open debates, issued a statement on Monday in which it lashed out at the TV channels.
"With these proposals the broadcasters are demonstrating just how out of touch they are with the public mood, and how ridiculously they cling to the idea that the future of politics looks like the past," the statement published on the Green Party's website said.
The Plaid Cymru, a political party in Wales, and The Scottish National Party (SNP), also voiced criticism for not having been invited to speak in the upcoming debates.
The debates will be delivered to the public via social media, too, in a bid to invite as many people and questions to the discussions as possible.
The 2015 UK General Election will take place in the spring of the next year before the 56th Parliament of the United Kingdom is convened. The latest election preceding the upcoming elections took place in 2010, with The Conservative Party, headed by the incumbent prime minister of the UK David Cameron, winning the majority of the legislative seats.
