Baker won the radio showdown IMHO

[Hannibal smith]

For those who don't think that Prescott makes planning decisions on political grounds, take a look at the (now abandoned) animal research centre in Cambridge.
Cambridge City Council opposed it.
Cambridgeshire Council opposed it.
Local residents opposed it.
The planning inspector at the public inquiry opposed it.
Prescott gave it the go ahead.

More relevant I think would be Ashburton Grove. Virtually everyone from the local residents to the Planning inspector gave it the thumbs down but this was given the go-ahead by Prescott.

Whether or not it is one rule for the premierships top team and one for a top hald 2nd division team we will find out shortly.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Baker sounded like a very untrustworthy second hand car salesman. Perry wiped the floor with him and Baker just spread a mixture of lies and sheer ignorance and stupidity.

I would not vote for him, speak to him, shake his hand. He is trying to destroy the club with no justification.

Harty did a good job, I would have told him to feck off in no uncertain terms.

 

[Hadlee]

Ashburton Grove did not go to a Public Enquiry, the GLC backed it and DOT decided not to call it in.

On the phone in I thought Baker came over quite well, but he was rightly berated for saying we "rushed" into Falmer and could (or would) not answer the question about an alternative site.

Overall MP shaded it on points.

 

[Martlet]

For those who don't think that Prescott makes planning decisions on political grounds, take a look at the (now abandoned) animal research centre in Cambridge.
Cambridge City Council opposed it.
Cambridgeshire Council opposed it.
Local residents opposed it.
The planning inspector at the public inquiry opposed it.
Prescott gave it the go ahead.



agreed - but how many on Cambridge, Cambridgeshire Councils were sh*t scared of animal rights protesters firebombing their houses?

The govt's always been committed to controlled animal testing, and bailed out Huntingdon Life Sciences when they nearly went out of business. Somewhat different to building a football stadium, I'm afraid.

I wouldn't pick any crumbs of comfort out of this one

 

[Spiros]

How could Baker have won the debate when he totally avoided answering direct questions such as 'where should we build it then?' and made blatantly ill-informed statements like 'the club rushed into this site' to which Perry responded with 'Well what have I been working on for the last 6 years then?'

Baker cleverly tries to make out he is not 'blowing in the wind' when that is exactly what he IS doing - only the wind for him is being blown by the Falmer NIMBYs, not by people in Brighton & Hove. In my opinion he has failed to take into account that a significant proportion of his electorate probably support the stadium - for example those in Newhaven as well as those in Lewes itself. Personally I wouldn't mind Baker opposing the stadium if he could suggest a viable alternative, but we're still waiting to hear it. No, for me it was game, set and match to Perry.

 

[countrygull]

I'm afraid I thought Baker came out of it reasonably well. It was not his job to answer `If not Falmer then where` questions. His job is to stand up for his constituents (though whether he's doing that is up for question - I haven't noticed a referendum in Lewes on the issue). But I feel his question about no plan B is legitimate - if Falmer does go down the swanny - what next?

 

[Spiros]

I'm afraid I thought Baker came out of it reasonably well. It was not his job to answer `If not Falmer then where` questions. His job is to stand up for his constituents (though whether he's doing that is up for question - I haven't noticed a referendum in Lewes on the issue). But I feel his question about no plan B is legitimate - if Falmer does go down the swanny - what next?

I'm sorry but I think if he is opposing the choice of site - for which the main argument in favour is that it is the ONLY site - and he is saying it should go somewhere else, he HAS to say where it should go. The main thrust of Baker's opposition is that there must be a better site but he will not say where - namely because he can't think of one that hasn't been ruled out already. As far as plan B goes, there is no plan B because Falmer is the ONLY option.

If we have a plan B then we have an alternative site then our case for building at Falmer is severly diminished.