Who won the political debate ?.

[Hotchilidog]

I pretty much agree with all of that. The BBC are running down Cameron this morning but aren't the BBC notoriously pro Labour ?.

They are notoriously pro-labour but i do not believe that is actually true. If anything the beeb is quite centre-right these days and is too frightened of the pro-tory press to actually be much of anything these days.

Cameron just wasn't that great last night. It was a format that should have suited him and he failed to live up to expectations. There is just little substance to the man and waving the 'efficiency savings wand' just isn't going to cut it when real answers are needed for the economy. For all his ranting and raving about how Brown got the economy into this mess, I fail to see how, had the conservatives been in power they would have prevented the same thing happening, after all they favour in less regulation of the banks than labour.

The defecit exists because of a collapse in poorly run banking system and a ruinious involvement in vanity conflicts in the middle east, all of which would still have taken place under a tory watch. And truth be told once the crisis did hit, at least the government did something about it and a sensibly paced recovery is under way. I am still not entirely clear what the conservative response would have been, other than possibly putting thousands of public sector workers out of a job.

The tories have had a rare opportunity to come with a sensible response to a quite frankly dismal government and have failed to do so, which is quite frankly astonishing. The conservatives have remained the party that continues to look for the top 20-30per cent of society, if they are to solidly break through the 40 per cent barrier they have to be more than that.

I thought the debate was a pretty good one, and a lot better than I hoped. I wouldn't say I was looking forward to the next two, but I will tune in.

 

[Gwylan]

The right wing certainly think that the BBC has a left wing bias - the lefties think that the BBC has a right wing bias. There's a good article here New Statesman - Bias and the Beeb

Certainly, I think that an organisation that has Nick Robinson, prominent in university Tory politics as its political editor and unashamed right-winger Andrew Neil, as a prominent presenter can scarcely be called a bastion of leftism.

I think that the BBC is just about as neutral as it can get. If you're being shot at both sides, you're probably doing something right.

 

[User removed 4]

. And truth be told once the crisis did hit, at least the government did something about it

Yes, they asked the bank of england what they should do and then followed their instrucions, just like the tories would have done, do you really think a buffoon like brown has the ability or financial acumen to manage a crisis like the one we have just seen ?

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Clegg. If he had stronger local candidates he might have a chance. But he doesn't.

 

[KneeOn]

On reflection, I don't think Clegg is ready to be leader, Cameron shouldn't be leader because he is an awful leader who when it was time to step up to the mark and put down where he stands on various policies, gave the same old ambiguous shit and didn't clarify what he is goign to do and labour once again have looked ragged and frankly, not like Labour. I reckon though, people are so sick of Labour. Tory will be the biggest party and the LibDems will vote in line with the tories because they will have the strongest mandate.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Cameron by a whisker only based on the fact that he had the most to lose and didn't ... if you get my drift?

 

[Hotchilidog]

Yes, they asked the bank of england what they should do and then followed their instrucions, just like the tories would have done, do you really think a buffoon like brown has the ability or financial acumen to manage a crisis like the one we have just seen ?

Well I am loathe to say it, but he does actually seem to be managing it. Things are, albeit slowly improving.

As long as Cameron insists on looking after the top echelons of society at the expense of the majority he will have a credibility gap with voters he still needs to win over.

 

[User removed 4]

Well I am loathe to say it, but he does actually seem to be managing it. Things are, albeit slowly improving.

As long as Cameron insists on looking after the top echelons of society at the expense of the majority he will have a credibility gap with voters he still needs to win over.

I refer to my earlier post about exactly who was/is manging the crisis, the bank of england, end of story.

 

[pork pie]

Tory Boy.

Clegg was too agressive and kept banging on about them being a "new party" - when they were the Wigs all along with a few pinko Labour bods added. As for his bloody "ban the bomb" crap - well!

 

[pork pie]

Clegg. If he had stronger local candidates he might have a chance. But he doesn't.

Great idea! Maybe they could get Bellotti back in Eastbourne?

 

[severnside gull]

It did the chances of a hung parliament no harm at all


I thought the biggest loser was Cameron.
No-one expects Brown to shine in front of a tv camera while Clegg has nothing to lose (and no share of the blame for what has gone before). Cameron however came across as out of touch, smarmy and untrustworthy

 

[vulture]

new poll comres is a shocker

Tory 36% +1
lib dems 35% +12!!!!!!!
labour 24% -10!!!!!!

 

[Simster]

new poll comres is a shocker

Tory 36% +1
lib dems 35% +12!!!!!!!
labour 24% -10!!!!!!

What poll?

 

[vulture]

What poll?

comres for itv

 

[Simster]

"1st draft of Comres/ITV poll put Lab 24, LibDems 35, Tory 36. Now changed to final totals of Lab 28, Tory 35 and LibDems on, ahem, 24. oops"


Still, a big jump for the LibDems

 

[simmo]

Clegg undoubtedly, but being an unknown to me and nearly all of us he has a blank sheet of paper and we all probably were a bit surprised as to how competent he was. Watch the other two go for him a bit more in the other debates though. About Trident and about how in times of economic austerity they can offer a tax threshold raise from £4000(ish) - £10000 how the hell does that add up? They are offering the biggest tax giveaway of all!!!

Cameron came across as being really nervous and a bit too slick and smooth almost oily.

Brown I thought came across as a bit agressive (he will always look dour and sullen), probably been told to do that by his spin doctors and not really prime ministerial

Cameron (and even Clegg) also missed a huge oppurtunity with Brown though whom kept on saying I agree with Nick, so much one of them said well why don't you join the Liberal party then.

 

[Prettyboyshaw]

Brown once again shows himself up as an unlikeable slimy Scottish slug.

Anyone who thinks Nick (lets stare at the camera lens make notes of tits in the audience's first name a reel them off later pretending I give a f***) Clegg, is worth a vote needs shooting.

David Cameron did better than expected and even if the Tory leader was a chimp I would still vote for them. Tory...the only sensible vote.

 

[Gritt23]

I thought Cameron was utter shite, and I'm bloody angry about it too, as all that media image bollox is supposed to be what he's good at but there is no fecking substance to the man.

Clegg came across just as the Liberals always do. Bloody nice fellas, but let's face it, they ARE still a wasted vote as they won't actually WIN.

So, Brown wins that one for me, and I'm not a Labour supporter at all, so I think that's a pretty objective view. He battered Cameron about his cuts to education and policing, and Cameron had nothing. I don't give a shite whether the business community back you on opposing the NI change, I'm not voting Tesco in at the General Election, and what happens when you have to make a decision that is unpopular for business but necessary for the wider good of the country?

Cameron, you disappointed me almost beyond belief.

Clegg coming out on top? Oh what's the point, he can promise us anything and everything it's not ever going to be tested is it. He may as well say we'll all get a free hovver bike and a go on Mylene Klass, he'll never have to deliver. Class sizes of 16 (secondary school) and 20 (primary school) didn't sound too far from it. Noodle doodle land.

 

[Simster]

Class sizes of 16 (secondary school) and 20 (primary school) didn't sound too far from it. Noodle doodle land.

Not if you scrap trident, which is what they want to do.

 

[Gritt23]

Not if you scrap trident, which is what they want to do.

Oh yeah because the only necessity of a nuclear weapon is to defend ourselves from the "Cold War". Yeah, he did mention that about a 1000 times. If the ending of the Cold War meant nuclear weapons were unnecessary why are they still around. No, the Cold War bollox, was exactly that .... bollox. Whether we want to remain a nuclear power is a far more complex debate.

Also, it will take more than merely MONEY to get class sizes down to that. We need the schools and the teachers and the support network to deliver that. It would be a massive undertaking, but as I say, it's the Liberals, they will NOT ever have to deliver.