Title page
Contents
Summary 5
1. Background 7
2. 2010 General Election 11
2.1. Initial proposals 11
2.2. 2010 agreement 12
2.3. The 2010 debates 14
3. 2015 General Election 18
3.1. The initial proposals 18
3.2. Revised proposals 21
3.3. House of Commons debate on 11 March 2015 23
3.4. Ofcom's consultation on party election broadcasts for 'major parties' 25
3.5. The 2015 debates 26
4. 2017 General Election 29
4.1. The debates 29
5. 2019 General Election 33
5.1. Negotiations 34
5.2. The debates 36
6. Do TV debates help voters decide? 40
6.1. Surveys of voters 40
6.2. Do TV debates change voters' minds? 41
7. Should there be a requirement that debates are held? 43
7.1. Calls for a TV debates commission 44
Appendix A - Key principles - 2010 debates 50
Appendix B - Programme format - 2010 debates 51