Sky’s Adam Boulton is going flat out with a campaign for a televised debate during the general election.  Sky have a petition site, as well as giving their campaign plenty of airtime and column inches in The Times.

Usually the incumbent or the front runner in Britain finds an excuse to avoid a TV Debate which conventional thinking says could give rivals an opportunity to catch up in what can be an electorally decisive TV drama.  Although Cameron is enjoying a double digit poll lead he has told Sky he is up for it.  Clegg is of course keen for that crucial airtime.

Mandelson recently said Gordon would be keen, Downing Street immediately clarified it with a negative “no change”.  If Brown does bottle it, why not as Boulton hints, leave an empty podium?  Guido wonders if Labour could be cunning enough to offer in his place Mandelson, the real power in government, in the PM’s place.  Now that would be box office…