Yesterday at Prime Ministers Questions Ed Miliband attempted to ‘pin down’ Cameron on a head-to-head debate between the two of them (starts @37:50) – that Cameron refused to answer was a surprise (not). No doubt the media will work itself into a frenzy on this issue – but then the media are renowned for dealing in tittle-tattle; and the Leaders Debates are just that: tittle-tattle.

In any event it would not be surprising were the Liberal Democrats to attempt to gain an injunction against such a head-to-head on the basis they were thus denied the opportunity to defend themselves against any accusations that either Cameron or Miliband made about them; coupled with the fact they are unable to question that which both Cameron and Miliband may say on ‘issues du jour’.

Let us take a step back: tittle-tattle is defined in the Concise Oxford Dictionary as petty gossip, chatter. From the same source we also learn that gossip is defined as idle talk or groundless rumour. A lie, from the same source, is defined as an intentionally false statement or a false belief.

Prime Ministers Questions and any Leaders Debate share one common factor: both encapsulate chatter, idle talk, groundless rumour, intentional false statements and/or statements based on a false belief. Both do nothing to inform the electorate, being more concerned with point scoring over their opponent – and, yet again, one has to ask whether democracy per se is best served by such tactics?

Everything we hear from our politicians is an opinion, not a fact; everything we hear from them is a perspective, not a fact. It is an accepted fact that learning is the process of keeping abreast of change and where politicians are concerned, coupled with the foregoing, one of their most pressing tasks is to keep people informed.

That they do not do this – especially where ‘matters EU’ are concerned – is something that cannot be allowed to continue. Whether politicians mislead unknowingly or deliberately, unless they impart truth; and truth contains just fact not opinion, then they are guilty of lying.

Of course it is not just politicians that lie to us, so do some think tanks with their output, be that ‘papers’ or email ‘briefings’. Among the main culprits are Business for Britain, Open Europe and British Influence. Along with politicians, these too must be challenged and no opportunity should be lost in so doing, whether by personal meetings or email.

As I have written previously, the audience of blogs is but a small percentage of the population – and in any event they are ‘preaching’ to the converted. Methinks the time has come to to take the fight to the enemy and indulge in some verbal fisticuffs.