Questions over Boris Johnson no-show in TV debate – The Yorkshire Post says

These are unprecedented times. Not only does the membership of one party, the Tories in this instance, have the power for the first time ever to select Britain’s next Prime Minister, but it also comes at a time of a political and constitutional crisis over Brexit.

Life sharing a Commons office with Boris Johnson and what I learned about his private life – Former MP Patrick Mercer

And while it is right that the former Foreign Secretary, and Mr Johnson’s successor and rival Jeremy Hunt, set out their competing visions to party activists, they’re doing so on an individual basis.

Snubbed: why we’re still waiting for answers from Boris Johnson about Power Up The North – Tom Richmond

Yet they, and their party, appear to forget that the victor will not just be Prime Minister of up to 160,000 people – the number of Tory members entitled to a vote. They will also become the leader of 66 million people and Mr Johnson should have accepted the invitation to attend tonight’s debate on Sky News where the two contenders could have cross-examined each other.

There’s also the small matter of how they will work with others to deliver Brexit. After all, Mr Johnson – or his opponent – won’t be able to go into hiding prior to Prime Minister’s Questions or a difficult Parliamentary inquisition. They will be expected to show statesmanship as well as calmness under pressure.

As such, it is even more perplexing that Mr Johnson, a politician steeped in the media, appears now to be so publicity shy when he has been finessing his campaign from the moment he resigned as Foreign Secretary a year ago. What is he hiding from? Could he be having second thoughts about his ability to do the job? Yet, while this is unknown, Mr Johnson’s curious conduct is even more reason for an independent commission to be given the task of finalising the debate protocols for the next election. They’re too important to be left to 
the whims of individual leaders.