Cameron doesn’t do extended interviews (except Marr), he doesn’t do monthly news conferences, now blowing cold on debates – accountable?

— Adam Boulton (@adamboultonSKY) December 11, 2012

Cameron’s reluctance might not be good politics

The Tweet this morning from Sky TV’s political editor, Adam Boulton, should worry Downing Street.

For Boulton has broadened Dave’s desire not to repeat the 2010 TV debates experience into a general attack on the PM’s accountability as PM in a manner that could run and run for the next 29 months.

Whatever Dave’s reasons it can be portrayed as though he’s bottling it – something that’s a gift to Ed Miliband.

I hadn’t realised until reading Boulton’s Tweet just how much Cameron has cut back on the general accountability processes and this could start to become part of the narrative.

Dave, as we’ve seen, can be very stubborn when he sets his mind to it and the last thing he’ll do now is appear to give in – a position that was entirely avoidable.

Grant Shapps shouldn’t have raised the debates a week or so ago. Instead the blue team should have publicly been totally supportive and argued about the detail in private. Whatever they should not have been seen as the side putting the kybosh on the events.

Dumb politics I’m afraid.

Mike Smithson

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