And the winner is…Simon?

(c) wiki edit jonny

With 19 million people watching the final of X Factor on Sunday, Simon Cowell thinks he can spice up the General Election by having pre-election shows.

Interviewed on Newsnight by Kirsty Wark, Mr Cowell suggested he had in mind five or six prime time shows discussing Afghanistan or the criminal justice system. “I don’t think you get much out of a debate here like you do in America,” he said. “What I’m interested in is what the public think on certain issues. There could be some kind of referendum type TV show where you can speak on both sides and then open it up to the public to get an instant poll.” He denied he would be the anchor, but he envisaged having a “red telephone in the middle” so that somebody from Number Ten could phone in and have their say.

This year, there have been proposals to have a televised debate at the next general election between the three party leaders. It has been discussed several times beforehand to no avail. It’s unfortunate that Cowell came up with this idea just after Switzerland demonstrated the dangers of referendums in simplifying and distorting complex issues. Furthermore, the problems that the BBC has had with phone-ins pose a risk of the votes being distorted on important issues.

It is also difficult to see how the show could have novelty appeal when Question Time pulls in viewers (especially about Nick Griffin) and there’s Any Questions, Any Answers, The Moral Maze, Hecklers and Iconoclasts for radio. The 2005 election saw Jeremy Paxman question each of the party leaders in one in one interviews.

It’s understandable that Cowell wants to engage young people with his form of televised direct democracy but it would be better if Britain adopted the televised debate that he talked about. That can serve to educate and engage the public more than a “bear pit” ever could.