I thought Brown showed his true colours tonight = as a bully. Well I guess after yesterday his facade had been blown, so what the hell. I guess that is why he is getting both negative and positive feedback on numerous media outlets on that very issue at the moment.

 

I thought Clegg came across like an opportunistic spiv meets a University student debater tonight. He was lightweight compared to the big guns for the first time in three contests. But hey his Party voted and refused to support a minimum tax on alcohol in Scotland. Yet voted the very opposite way in Parliament for the rest of the country. Even though alcoholism is greater in Scotland than any other part of the UK.

 

As for "Call me Dave", I thought like Rafa Benitez (tonight) he was scared to go for the KO when he had the opportunity, to avoid falling foul of a counter attack in this debate. For his party's sake I hope he hasn't got a Glen Johnson in his team to blow it for him near the death to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

The Shadow Cabinet is full of Glen Johnsons... we already know one advocates B&B owners turning away gay clients and most of them voted against most gay rights legislations.

I honestly thought Brown won that. It was a much more confident performance than previous weeks - there was a lot more conviction in his voice, whereas his voice often faltered and stuttered in the other two. Even if this wasn't a "game-changer" for Brown, I really do think that, by pointing out that it was the "same old Tories", he will have shored up the vote in the traditional working-class Labour heartlands (which was looking shaky after yesterday) - which is probably the best he could've hoped for.

You're calling Brown negative? Cameron spent almost the entire debate talking about 13 years of Labour government or telling lies about Lib Dem policies.

 

Exactly. Cameron's sheer hypocrisy in the last few weeks has pissed me off more than anything else. He keeps moaning that Labour are playing on people's fears - yet he's the one who's been constantly scaremongering about a hung parliament, he's the one who keeps saying "don't be stuck with what you've got now", it was his Shadow Chancellor who ordered the Mail and the Telegraph to run their ridiculous attacks on Clegg's character. It's just ridiculous.

At the end of the day .... is there anyone posting here on BJ that is going to be any better/worse off WHOEVER gets in? I for one, will still be as poor as a church mouse and the rich will still get richer and richer. I have not watched any of these debates as I will not have any of these wasters infringing on my leisure time. The only one of the main three that I have a major allergic reaction to is Cameron. Everytime I see his smooth, glistening face ... I want to do some projectile vomiting and smack him! I don't even have anything against the Conservatives (if Kenneth Clark was leader ... at least I'd want to listen to what he said. I fancied Michael Heseltine for ages ... and Boris Johnson is just cuddly) I just detest Cameron ... he seems so ... vaccuous!

 

We won three rounds in our quiz tonight by the way!

 

Norma

Edited April 29, 201015 yr by Norma_Snockers

The whole debate was an exercise in futility, with all three holding their cards firmly to their chests. As for a winner, well in terms of swaying undecided voters, I think Cameron won in planting some seeds that will take in the next week.

 

Under a Conservative government we’ll probably have a double-dip recession, while under Labour propped up by the Lib Dems we’ll go to the brink of national bankruptcy.

 

Whoever wins this election it is a poisoned chalice for sure, as the cuts will be extreme and tax levels will rise markedly. VAT at 30-40% in the coming years is the legacy of the wasteful New Labour years.

I thought Clegg came across like an opportunistic spiv meets a University student debater tonight. He was lightweight compared to the big guns for the first time in three contests. But hey his Party voted and refused to support a minimum tax on alcohol in Scotland. Yet voted the very opposite way in Parliament for the rest of the country. Even though alcoholism is greater in Scotland than any other part of the UK.

Errr, no, not quite.

 

 

Clegg has nothing to do with the way the Scottish Liberal Democrats vote or are run. They have a similar feel to their policies but have different aims. Scotland has a extremely valuable whisky/scotch sector that would be adversely affected by said tax, and the SNP's proposals [as i understand them] are flawed. Some people say it's ridiculous other say the bill doesn't go far enough [as in what it covers not just tax].

 

The SNP's bill failed at holyrood because it was $h!t.

Strangely, according to a pollster just now on GMTV, Gordon's gaffe has had no effect at all on the polls.

hmm... i have to admitt that the idiot public are being taken in by the slimy boy cameron and his unsubstantiated claims that he can lead britain into economic prosperity.

 

its looking like he will do better then i expected/wanted, but i still dont expect a workable majority.

hmm... i have to admitt that the idiot public are being taken in by the slimy boy cameron and his unsubstantiated claims that he can lead britain into economic prosperity.

 

its looking like he will do better then i expected/wanted, but i still dont expect a workable majority.

 

To be fair, it has far more with Brown/Labour LOSING the election than anything. After his "The Thick Of It" style gaffe performance in Rochdale on Wednesday, to follow it up with a negative, bullying performance resulting in even one of his "home" http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/ap...-brown-campaign paper's poll's admitting defeat last night says it all really. Hence Cameron's "neutral" performance was good enough by default.

 

Guardian/ICM poll showed David Cameron on 35%, Gordon Brown on 29% and Nick Clegg on 27%. ComRes had the Tory leader on 35%, Nick Clegg on 33% and Gordon Brown trailing on 26%.

YouGov for the Sun had Cameron on 41%, Clegg on 32% and Brown on 25%

AngusReed had Cameron on 36%, Clegg on 31% and Brown on 23%.

 

For Christ sake when it came to summing up, all Gordon Brown could do was attack the Conservatives, rather than sing the praise of his own policies.

 

I think the three debaters characters and thoughts could be best summarised as:

 

Gordon Brown: depressed, dejected, desperate.

Inner thoughts – “The bast*rd Blair knew what he was doing when he got out when he did leaving me in my own excrement............ still let's look on the bright side, at least I've trashed the joint for whoever takes over (what do you mean my microphone is still on)”

 

Nick Clegg: university debate amateurish, condescending, smug.

Inner thoughts – “I can’t believe they’re buying my chummy style, still enough people out there hang on Simon Cowell's every word; and think Cheryl Cole is both beautiful and talented ............ if only we could reduce the voting age to 11 then my talking to teletubbies style would see me in No. 10 Downing Street on May 7th no problems ...”

 

David Cameron: promising, convincing but undercooked like a Blue Peter demonstration prior to the "here's one I prepared earlier" finished goods.

Inner thoughts – “If only I was ten years older and had a working class accent, and did not look like the lead singer of Keane's older brother, then I’d be formidable and look the part like Michael Heseltine ................ William (Hague); Kenneth (Clarke) help me I want my mummy..”

 

Sadly only one of the three candidates remotely fits the criteria to be PM ...... in 2020. In 2010 it’s a poisoned chalice for whoever wins.

 

(As Ethan's post implied), as I think a double dip recession is less harmful in the long run than national bankruptcy, then I don't feel I have any sensible alternative with where to put my X next Thursday.

^ So you'd rather go with the guys who were the only major politiicans in the Western world to call for cuts when the recession first hit?

Strangely, according to a pollster just now on GMTV, Gordon's gaffe has had no effect at all on the polls.

I don't think it's particularly strange at all. Labour support is already pretty low so it may not have much further to fall. We'll have a better idea over the weekend.

Btw, according to the BBC's seat calculator, today's poll of polls still shows Labour would have the most seats in a hung parliament (just) - although like I said, I'm sceptical about how reliable it is to go by a uniform national swing in such a volatile election.

UK does need another Margaret Thatcher (as much as some people don't like her) to get the economy back on track. Mind you, David Cameron is NO Margaret Thatcher, he's more like Ted Heath.

UK does need another Margaret Thatcher (as much as some people don't like her) to get the economy back on track. Mind you, David Cameron is NO Margaret Thatcher, he's more like Ted Heath.

If there's ever another Thatcher I will assasinate them

At the end of the day .... is there anyone posting here on BJ that is going to be any better/worse off WHOEVER gets in? I for one, will still be as poor as a church mouse and the rich will still get richer and richer. I have not watched any of these debates as I will not have any of these wasters infringing on my leisure time. The only one of the main three that I have a major allergic reaction to is Cameron. Everytime I see his smooth, glistening face ... I want to do some projectile vomiting and smack him! I don't even have anything against the Conservatives (if Kenneth Clark was leader ... at least I'd want to listen to what he said. I fancied Michael Heseltine for ages ... and Boris Johnson is just cuddly) I just detest Cameron ... he seems so ... vaccuous!

 

We won three rounds in our quiz tonight by the way!

 

Norma

 

The Conservatives are planning to allow universities to charge whatever tuition fees they want. I'm in Year 12 (lower sixth) and the unis I'm looking at (Sheffield, Nottingham, UCL, Newcastle, Cardiff) will most likely take advantage of this, leaving me in the $h!t when I leave in eight years time (long course).

 

And my mum works in the civil service, so yes, we would be A LOT worse off under the Tories. Hung parliament ftw since a Labour majority is nigh-on impossible and would render them unelectable for a generation.

If there's ever another Thatcher I will assasinate them

 

Seconded. Another reason why I don't want Cameron and co. to get in, she'll die when he's in charge and get a state funeral. There's no way on this earth she should be allowed one.

 

AND, remember how great Blair was in securing the London Olympics? The 2018 World Cup should be ours but Cameron couldn't give a toss about a working class game and will ignore the fact that since we already have the necessary stadia it would rope in far more money than it would cost -_-

Seconded. Another reason why I don't want Cameron and co. to get in, she'll die when he's in charge and get a state funeral. There's no way on this earth she should be allowed one.

 

AND, remember how great Blair was in securing the London Olympics? The 2018 World Cup should be ours but Cameron couldn't give a toss about a working class game and will ignore the fact that since we already have the necessary stadia it would rope in far more money than it would cost -_-

 

Cameron (like Ted Heath beforehand) is a (moderate) Peelite and not a (right-wing) Thatcherite, as like his closing statement last night inferred he (at least pays sound bytes) to caring for the poorest in the country and a degree of social welfare. A far cry from the vile old woman's personal and political beliefs.

 

Or may be you have forgotten when he won the eternal Party Leadership election in 2005; when a certain Margaret Thatcher campaigned for her "chosen one" (the Euro-sceptic, homophobic) David Davis who was expected to win the vote who lost in the final battle against David Cameron.

 

Likewise his days at University where he spoke, pointed out in debates against the all too obvious weaknesses of the policies of that vile old witch have made him palatable to a generation of late 30-somethings/early 40-somethings who hate(d) Thatcher with a passion. Whilst since being made leader of his party he has been at pains to stress that he does not agree with many of her old policies and values on numerous occasions. Indeed that is why a number of former Tory councillors switched to UKIP on his appointment, because he was too moderate for them!

Cameron (like Ted Heath beforehand) is a (moderate) Peelite and not a (right-wing) Thatcherite, as like his closing statement last night inferred he (at least pays sound bytes) to caring for the poorest in the country and a degree of social welfare. A far cry from the vile old woman's personal and political beliefs.

 

Or may be you have forgotten when he won the eternal Party Leadership election in 2005; when a certain Margaret Thatcher campaigned for her "chosen one" (the Euro-sceptic, homophobic) David Davis who was expected to win the vote who lost in the final battle against David Cameron.

 

Likewise his days at University where he spoke, pointed out in debates against the all too obvious weaknesses of the policies of that vile old witch have made him palatable to a generation of late 30-somethings/early 40-somethings who hate(d) Thatcher with a passion. Whilst since being made leader of his party he has been at pains to stress that he does not agree with many of her old policies and values on numerous occasions. Indeed that is why a number of former Tory councillors switched to UKIP on his appointment, because he was too moderate for them!

 

Cameron might be a nicer, more likeable person than Thatcher, but everything about his rhetoric about separating the government and the people screams Thatcherism. Being from near Liverpool, I can still see Thatcher's legacy first-hand (it's only just started to recover in the last 5 years, when the preparations for its time as Capital of Culture began), and I have no doubt that Cameron would leave the north to rot away just like she did.

Cameron might be a nicer, more likeable person than Thatcher, but everything about his rhetoric about separating the government and the people screams Thatcherism. Being from near Liverpool, I can still see Thatcher's legacy first-hand (it's only just started to recover in the last 5 years, when the preparations for its time as Capital of Culture began), and I have no doubt that Cameron would leave the north to rot away just like she did.

That's another reason why the electoral system is so awful. The Tories could win without a single seat in Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Sheffield, Bradford or Cardiff. The only major cities where they would have any seats are London and, perhaps, Bristol and Wolverhampton. So there's no reason why they should care about people in the major cities if they can win an election without their votes.

Seconded. Another reason why I don't want Cameron and co. to get in, she'll die when he's in charge and get a state funeral. There's no way on this earth she should be allowed one.

 

AND, remember how great Blair was in securing the London Olympics? The 2018 World Cup should be ours but Cameron couldn't give a toss about a working class game and will ignore the fact that since we already have the necessary stadia it would rope in far more money than it would cost -_-

 

I actually think there's more important things at this time for th Prime Minister to worry about than football :o. Back in 2004/05 everything was going quite swimmingly and I suppose Blair had a lot of time on his hands :lol:.

 

EDIT: Maybe swimmingly is a bit of an overstatment, but still - I think that whoever wins the next term as PM will have a lot on their plate :o.

Edited April 30, 201015 yr by nickthenoodle