article: David Cameron is trying to be Prime Minister without taking the job interview, Ed Miliband claimed today ahead of tonight's TV debates. The Prime Minister will be absent when Mr Miliband and four other party leaders take part in the televised showdown, after agreeing to just one direct confrontation with his rival in the race for Number 10. Mr Miliband accused the PM of 'ducking' the chance to defend his record in government or explain how he would pay for a host of tax giveaways and spending pledges. Labour leader Ed Miliband addresses supporters during a visit to Crouch End in north London this morning . Mr Cameron has pledged to find £7billion to pay for tax cuts for lower and middle earners, by lifting the point at which people start paying tax and the level when the 40p band kicks in. He has also promised to increase the NHS budget by £8billion a year, while slashing welfare spending by £12billion. Tonight's 'Challengers' Debate' will feature Mr Miliband, Ukip's Nigel Farage, Natalie Bennett of the Greens, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood. The BBC1 debate, hosted by David Dimbleby at 8pm tonight, is the second TV showdown of the campaign, following an ITV broadcast on April 2, also featuring Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg, from which no clear winner emerged. Speaking on a campaign visit to north London, Mr Miliband said: 'David Cameron has chosen not to turn up tonight to defend his record. 'Here's what I believe - I think if you are applying for the job of prime minister, the very least the British people expect is for you to turn up to the job interview. 'What I'm going to be doing is setting out the big choice facing our country, between a Labour plan to have a recovery for working families across Britain or more of the same from a government that believes that as long as you look after the rich and powerful everyone else will be okay.' The Labour leader said David Cameron was trying to be Prime Minister without taking the job interview . Tonight's 'Challengers' Debate' will feature Mr Miliband, Ukip's Nigel Farage, Natalie Bennett of the Greens, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood . Launching the Conservatives' Scottish manifesto in Glasgow, Mr Cameron denied dodging tonight's debate. Speaking alongside the Tory leader north of the border, Ruth Davidson, at the Emirates Arena, Mr Cameron insisted he had 'unblocked the logjam' that was preventing the events happening at all. 'Tonight's debate is part of the deal that was done to unblock the logjam that there was about TV debates,' Mr Cameron said. 'You are going to hear a lot of different politicians ... while you think they may be saying different things, they are all actually saying the same thing. Ed Miliband will spend the day cramming for tonight's debate after spending the morning campaigning near his home in London . 'They are saying abandon the plan that has turned this country around and got us more jobs, more livelihoods, and more business. That is the truth.' Mr Clegg, who was campaigning in the north-west, said he asked to take part in the debate, but was 'denied the opportunity' by broadcasters. The Liberal Democrat leader told LBC radio: 'David Cameron, I know, didn't want to participate in it, but I don't see why I should have been denied the opportunity to put the side of the story of what the coalition government has done, even if he didn't want to. 'I find it very odd that the debate tonight doesn't have anybody from one of the parties that have actually been trying to govern our country.' Ms Sturgeon said the debate was 'a fantastic moment of opportunity to deliver the positive change that people are looking for'. 'The SNP will be a positive and constructive voice at Westminster, ready to join others in a progressive alliance to end austerity and protect vital public services like the NHS.' Calling on Mr Miliband to 'change direction', Ms Wood said: 'We're calling for an end to austerity and instead balancing the books through job creation and infrastructure investment. 'It's time weapons of mass destruction were confined to history and we divert funds to improve standards of living and prospects for people.' In the debate, each of the five leaders will be allowed a short opening statement before Dimbleby invites questions from 200 voters. Mr Miliband will be positioned to the far left next to Ms Wood and Mr Farage to the far right next to Ms Sturgeon with Ms Bennett in the middle of the group. The 90-minute programme will cover five subjects. Each question will see one-minute opening statements followed by 10 minutes of free debate. David Cameron took questions  with employees of telecommunications company O2 at their offices in Leeds - hundreds of miles away from tonight's TV debate in London . The Prime Minister insisted he was not trying to avoid Mr Miliband - and even claimed he had 'unblocked the log jam' stopping the debates taking place . Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg gestures as he stands in front of an image of UKIP leader Nigel Farage and Prime Minister David Cameron at a campaign event in Cheadle . Responding to Mr Clegg's complaint of being excluded from the debate, a BBC spokesman said: 'Over many months the broadcasters, jointly, have worked hard to ensure that their audiences were offered the best possible combination of programmes to help them engage with the election, to inform them about the issues and to scrutinise the politicians. 'The programmes which have been agreed - including the BBC debate on the 16th - involved all sides, broadcasters and parties, making a number of compromises, allowing the different elements to go ahead. 'For each of the broadcasters, ensuring due impartiality is not only a priority, but an obligation and the BBC is satisfied that the election programmes it is offering on each of its services fulfils that obligation and that all the relevant parties will have the opportunity to put their case - and to be appropriately scrutinised.'
highlights: PM  absent tonight when five party leaders take part in TV showdown .
  Nick Clegg has been excluded from the 'Challengers' debate on the BBC .
  Ed Miliband said David Cameron was ducking the chance to defend record .
  PM said he had 'unblocked the logjam' to ensure debates happening at all .
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