No applause for UK party leaders

London: Televised election debates between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg will take place in near silence after the broadcasters were forced to agree to a ban on clapping.

The ruling is part of a 76-clause landmark deal signed Tuesday which will allow the historic debates to go ahead for the first time in Britain.

The ban on applause is supposedly to allow time for more questions. But it is understood that the parties were nervous that studio audience reaction could influence TV viewers.

The debates are likely to become the centrepiece of the election campaign. But the rigid format will fuel fears that they could be so dull they could alienate voters.

All three party leaders on Monday night welcomed the agreement, which is the result of months of behind-the-scenes negotiations.

It covers every aspect of the three 90-minute debates which will be screened by the BBC, ITV and Sky in the weeks running up to the General Election.

Members of the studio audience, handpicked for political fairness, will be allowed to ask questions, but only after they have been cleared for ‘balance'.

Personal questions have effectively been banned by a clause that each question must apply equally to all three leaders. But viewers will be allowed to email questions in.

The first debate, to be held in the North West of England, will be chaired by ITV newsreader Alastair Stewart and will focus on domestic issues such as health, education, crime and immigration.

The second, a week later, will be held in the South West and chaired by Sky's political editor Adam Boulton. It will focus on international affairs, such as Afghanistan.

The final debate, to be held in the Midlands, will be chaired by BBC presenter David Dimbleby and focus on the economy.

After the parties drew lots, Clegg will open the first debate, Brown the second, and Cameron the third. The three leaders will each get one minute to answer each question. Their time will tick away on a large clock on the wall.

In a surprise move the leaders have also agreed to debate each question with each other for four-and-a-half minutes. They have also agreed to shake hands at the end. No dates have been announced for the debates.

Debate rules

The debates will each last 90 minutes.

The audience will be 29.5 per cent Labour voters, 29.5 per cent Tory voters, 21 per cent Liberal Democrat voters and 20 per cent undecided.

The broadcasters believe the debates could each attract 10 million viewers.

The audience can applaud only at the beginning and the end of the show.

Questions will be vetted by a panel of experts to ensure ‘fairness'.

Personal questions will be banned.

Each leader will have one minute to answer each question, followed by a longer section when they debate the question head to head.

The first debate will be held in the North West and focus on domestic issues.

The second debate will be held in the South West and focus on foreign affairs.

The final debate will be held in the Midlands and focus on the economy.