I understand that Nick Clegg is to challenge Nigel Farage to a debate on Britain’s EU membership ahead of the European Elections this May. The Liberal Democrat leader will issue this challenge imminently.
Clegg’s decision to challenge Farage to a debate is all part of his party’s effort to try and turn the European Elections into a contest between the Liberal Democrats, championing In, and Ukip, who are for out. Those close to Clegg hope that a head to head debate between these two will highlight this contrast. They alos expect that it will put pressure on the Tories and Labour to be clearer about where they stand on the European Question.
Nigel Farage has little choice but to accept Clegg’s challenge. Ukip has long argued that the political establishment is running scared of it. But if Farage refused to debate the deputy Prime Minister, it would like he was running scared of Nick Clegg.
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