How to improve televised political debates
After the debatable utility of the first Sunak vs. Starmer clash, is there a better way to test politicians’ suitability for the top job?
Last night as millions of people across the nation tuned into Channel 4, they were plunged into a heroic, gruelling contest. No, I’m not talking about the live TV debate between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer – I’m talking about the viewing public fighting the urge to pull out their hair.
If you didn’t tune in to the debate, don’t worry. You definitely spent your time much more wisely. Owing to lacklustre performances that were worsened by a dire format, the first televised debate of this election campaign left much to be desired.
It was set up as an hour-long whistle stop tour across the hot-button issues of British politics, from the economy, to defence, education, climate change, immigration and (surprise surprise) football. In most cases Starmer and Sunak were asked to provide answers to highly complex issues in just 45 seconds, and on some occasions they were limited to a yes/no answer.
These debates tend to be about showmanship, posturing and avoiding any catastrophic gaffes.
Make no mistake, I’m not trying to obscure the faults in both of their performances. Starmer was characteristically vague, cautious and unambitious, while an attacking Sunak vacillated between a smarmy teleshopping host and a petulant child. But their infuriating penchant for communicating in soundbites is encouraged by a format that makes reasoned and nuanced arguments impossible.
As a way to explore ideas, it was a failure. Ultimately, these debates tend to be about showmanship, posturing and avoiding any catastrophic gaffes.
So, I’ve devised some way we might better test candidates for PM that are foolproof tests of character, principles and decision-making.
1. Paintballing
Let’s take it back to the Middle Ages and test our leaders in the heat of battle. Will they charge forward brazenly, spraying their ammunition in all directions? Will they be calm and calculated, crafting and executing a devious strategy? Or will they cower at the back, camp it out and let others do the dirty work?
Apart from the obvious black comedy gold of seeing politicians getting shot by a paintball gun, it would also present a pertinent moral test: would they own up to getting hit and remove themselves from the game, or would they sneakily wipe away the paint splatter to remove all evidence and continue playing?
As well as being a fantastic gauge of character, this exercise would also give Sunak an insight into how his ingenious national service policy might look like in practice.
2. A week in Magaluf
Now this one is not for the faint hearted. A week in one of Europe’s premier holiday destinations will provide a true test of courage, endurance and decision-making under pressure.
Forget COBRA – a true test of crisis management will be found when they’re eight Jägerbombs deep in a seedy nightclub, attempting to retain any semblance of consciousness. (Come to think of it, Jägerbombs would be one way to liven up these debates.)
This would allow a great opportunity for politicians to engage and empathise with the British youth, and a chance to rub shoulders with working-class voters. Another big tick for Rishi.
3. Longer form debates
If you’re not taken by my previous two suggestions, maybe a more mainstream answer will be to your taste.
Obviously, complicated problems cannot be explained in 45 seconds. Instead politicians should be given the chance to explain their policies and principles in depth over an extended time period.
This would allow ideas to be fleshed out and properly critiqued, giving the public a better understanding of what their votes will actually mean. Not only that, but a longer form debate would allow the politician’s personality – if applicable – to shine through.
Politicians should be given the chance to explain their policies and principles in depth.
Look at The Joe Rogan Experience, the world’s most popular podcast. The success of the podcast is in part due to the fact that Rogan invites on prominent figures and has long-form conversations that allow them the space to express themselves (this is also true of the genre more generally).
And it connects. Rogans’s interviews with figures from both the left and the right have attracted tens of millions of viewers, dispelling the ignorant view that people lack the desire or intellect to engage with complex political ideas.
So, maybe the secret to a healthier democracy could be to get our politicians to sit down with an American standup and talk about elk meat and magic mushrooms. I wonder if they’d go full Elon Musk and indulge in narcotics on air? Thank God Michael Gove is retiring.