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Northern Ireland leaders to do battle in final televised debate

By David Gordon
Tuesday, 4 May 2010

Exclusive Poll: DUP and Sinn Fein are neck and neck in the race for votes

Northern Ireland’s party leaders will make a final pitch for votes through the TV screens tonight, with a televised debate on BBC1.

The programme, which airs from 9pm, will feature Peter Robinson (DUP), Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein), Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) and Sir Reg Empey (Conservatives and Unionists).

They will face questions from an invited audience less than 36 hours before polls open.

Controversially, the TUV, Alliance and Green parties will not be involved, but will take part in a follow-up BBC Newsline show at 10.30pm on BBC1.

Mark Carruthers, presenter of the NI Leaders' Debate, said: “Tonight's debate is shaping up to be a great piece of television — and an important part of the election campaign locally. It's clear from the public response to the television debates across the water that there's a huge appetite for this kind of set-piece television.

“We certainly want to make sure the party leaders really do debate with each other and engage with the members of our studio audience and give voters a clear understanding of the key election issues.

“And, of course, the fact that our Leaders' Debate is happening just 36 hours before the polls open means that the stakes are really high for the politicians. It will have a real sense of an event and it should be a fascinating watch.”

The debate will also be broadcast simultaneously on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC NI News Online, on the BBC News Channel at 11.30pm and next day on the BBC iPlayer.

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22 Comments

Spelling problems aside...The DUP will rue the day they sold their tainted souls to the devil (SF/)!
I have no time for political parties who abandon their ideals to cling on to their lavish lifestyles. There will be a political earthquake on Friday when Mr Allister is declared the winner in North Antrim!
TUV FTW!

Posted by TUV Voter | 05.05.10, 12:14 GMT

Gerry Adams is accused of being leader of the IRA and a traitor. His father is slandered as paedophiles. Next he will be accused of being a devote Christian. Is there no end to these British smears?

Posted by sam | 04.05.10, 21:04 GMT

A pointless exercise, none of them have any social responsibility or care for the general public. Anyone who really wants a better future for this country will Not vote on Thursday.
How bad does it have to get before people have to want change. By the way does anyone know if were getting our education service back or to normality, if thats what it was.

Posted by Robert | 04.05.10, 20:51 GMT

I will not vote again until religion has been removed from politics. Hopefully that will happen in my lifetime.

Posted by Jasper Ghost | 04.05.10, 20:16 GMT

TUV voter - you are too committed to the union when you cant even spell it - "Independent Uninists"???????

Posted by Mark | 04.05.10, 17:18 GMT

Unionism is split so many ways and there is also widespread Unionist voter apathy. Unionist parties will all do poorly, DUP included.
SDLP are as weak as water.
Ms Lo and Ms Long will poll well because they are good grass roots workers. Other Alliance runners don't really feature.
Sinn Fein is on course to sweep the boards.

Posted by T J McClean | 04.05.10, 16:59 GMT

TUV Voter either you are hugely deluded or you need to go for typing classes.

The TUV will get nothing from this election, their policy of giving Sinn Fein carte blanch to turn the west of the province into their own little republic has seen to that.

Posted by Darrell Monteith | 04.05.10, 16:59 GMT

Darrell, did you leave out ' moral character ' deliberately.

Posted by john | 04.05.10, 16:21 GMT

the poll suggests the two pied pipers are leading idiots to vote for them again, well when you get what you voted for, maybe you will wake up.

Posted by w.gould2 | 04.05.10, 16:10 GMT

To TUV Voter - The only people the TUV representatives show up on TV are themselves!! I quite literally love to see when Jim Allister is on the panel just to get a good laugh at how deluded he and his small number of followers really are.

I'll be tuning into the "minor" debate after the main one tonight where the "minor" parties i.e. TUV, Alliance etc. will give us all a good laugh!!! Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!!!

Posted by Will | 04.05.10, 15:26 GMT

The DUP leader stands head and shoulders in strength of character, political wit and presentational skills above the rest. Adams would have got nowhere if it had not been for the IRA, Empey has about as much charisma as a soggy chip and Ritchie the presentation of an angry schoolteacher.

The DUP is most likely to hold all its seat and maybe take South Belfast if the unionist people vote tactically and Sinn Fein will lose the fermanagh south Tyrone seat to the united unionist

Posted by Darrell Monteith | 04.05.10, 14:15 GMT

Damn, I'm watching some paint dry tonight. At least it will be more stimulating.

Posted by Gwrinkle | 04.05.10, 12:41 GMT

Pointless exercise this really. It will be no different than the dreary one on UTV. The 4 pro-agreement leaders will have an easy ride without the TUV present to show them up! My predictions for the election!

TUV 1 Seat
UCUNF 1 Seat
Independent Uninists 2 Seats
SF/IRA 5 Seats
SDLP 3 Seats
DUP 6 Seats

TUV FTW

Posted by TUV Voter | 04.05.10, 12:24 GMT

I will be watching and making my mind up. So long now I have voted the same way based on nothing more than habit. I want to hear the policies each have to offer and will make a decision based on what I hear tonight. That being said, the Conservative Unionists are the only ones who have posted a flyer through my door....where are the rest? Or are the relying on habitual voters like I have been until now?

Posted by Just a Girl | 04.05.10, 12:17 GMT

it would be nice to see an election result non sectarian, but to many people are led by the nose.

Posted by w.gould2 | 04.05.10, 11:30 GMT

will we be subjected to another evening of attempted points scoring over the tired old issues of expenses and scandal rather than true political requirements. Sir Reg should be reminded that the original mother of expenses scandals involved a UUP member of Nth Down Borough council. (Belfast Telegraph 24/05/09) no calls to stand down or resign there. What utter hypocricy

Posted by William | 04.05.10, 11:26 GMT

no matter who gets elected at the end of the day its all about feathering ones nest (bar the shinners) the recent exposures within the DUP regarding North Antrim and Castlereagh property tycoons and little slivers of land worth £5, and the mighty righteous with abominable views on peoples "curable" sexuality who induldged in an adulterous affair and got £50,000 in "loans" for the toyboy in question, you couldnt make this up, but alas its true, the electorate are being treated as eejits by these so called defenders of the union, im alright jack!!

Posted by DeveloperInMyPocket | 04.05.10, 11:23 GMT

I will give my predicition for the outcome of the election:

DUP: 8 Seats
Sinn Fein: 4 Seats
SDLP: 4 Seats
UCUNF: 0 Seats
Alliance: 0 Seats
TUV: 0 Seats
Independents: 2 Seats

Posted by Election predictor | 04.05.10, 10:27 GMT

It will be the same old same old and we will learn absolutely nothing from it.

The fact that the TUV are not on it is no big deal as we know that all they would have done is disagree with every other guest and spurt the usual dated nonsense we have come to associate them with.

Posted by Will | 04.05.10, 10:18 GMT