Cameron running scared: Prime Minister REFUSES to take part in head-to-head EU debates

DAVID Cameron has confirmed he will not take part in any live head-to-head TV debates in a bid to stop “blue-on-blue conflicts”.

The Prime Minister yesterday struggled to bat away claims he had become scared of Ukip leader and Brexit campaigners Nigel Farage.

The Tory leader instead confirmed he would instead face off against members of the public in 'town hall' style televised discussions.

Mr Cameron said: “I’m doing these TV debates but they are as town halls."

He claimed answering questions from voters is "better than the slightly phoney atmosphere of debates with pre-scripted lines".

But he admitted he wanted to calm the Tory civil war over Europe, telling radio station LBC: “I don’t want too many blue on blue conflicts."

He added: “I want to prove the breadth of the campaign. I don’t want this to become a sort of Tory psychodrama between me and Boris or me and Michael Gove."

Mr Cameron is set to take on Mr Farage in one such 'town hall' Q&A broadcast on ITV and moderated by Julie Etchingham on June 7.

Earlier this week Mr Farage agreed it made sense for the Prime Minister to avoid "blue-on-blue" clashes with fellow Tories.

He said: “ I don't often agree much with what he does, but from his perspective he does not want this referendum to turn into a Tory civil war.

“One can remember from 40 years ago Tony Benn and Roy Jenkins tearing chunks out of each other and it was a rift that was never ever healed.

"So I guess the Prime Minister has said 'look, I will not debate against anybody from my party' but he knows he has to do a debate of some kind.”

He added: “I think they are worried. There's probably a third of the Conservative Party, if we did vote to remain in the EU, are going to be pretty irreconcilable and so long-term they're very, very worried about this split.”