´óÏó´«Ã½

Cool! Does that mean if Brown loses his temper we could see fisticuffs without anyone even having to move away from their lecterns?

The debate will focus on plans for the "recovery", but not a word will be spoken about any actions or proposals each made to prevent it. The media will analyse it in detail while missing the bigger questions, such as where they stand on controls over banking. Judgement, character, amount of funding from banking and financial services industry in their campaigns.
This will be a less entertaining version of Keelan Leyser and Charlotte Marie.

It may be important to identify political leaders who are not afraid to invade personal space, especially when their convictions are extremely strong.
I'll watch for the leader(s) who prefer to stare down the lens and speak to me personally. Thanks for the heads-up.
Poor David - with less in common with either Labour or the LibDems - he stands, sandwiched between the two - like a point of divisiveness even before he speaks.

Nick

"This has left some advisers feeling decidedly queasy."

Not so queasy as most of the viewers will feel after sitting through 90 minutes of regurgitated sterile soundbites I suspect.

Thanks to the nice volcano I will now be spared this penance and have to rely on your balanced summary of it tomorrow, assuming the world hasn't ended.

Too close for comfort?

Well I guess that puts a stop to the gesticulating and eyeballing they've all been taking lessons in.

Hope the first aid man is standing by just in case.

I don't suppose it will matter how each leader of the individual parties performs. The media will analyse it and tell the public what to think anyway.

For those of the electorate who have already made up their minds who they will vote for, it will just be a case of looking for flaws in the other two. For those that are undecided I think they will be told what they should think by the the press and media. These debates could prove to be of little value in the end.

The public already know so much about each of these candidates for PM. I wonder how much that is new they can learn.

I definitely feel queasy. Let's hope Gordon remembers

"David Cameron - who got what some regarded as the "best spot" in the centre of the three lecterns - will find himself having to move his head from side to side as if watching a ping-pong match if Nick Clegg and Gordon Brown gang up on him..."

Yeah but if he sets a small telly in front of him, its the perfect opportunity to watch some tennis in secret....

One of the end ones would have been better as you can point and stare at 2 people at the same time.

If there is no audience then that will be rubbish

C'mon Nick,

where are the real important details?

I am talking flick knives, nun chucks, bats hockeys??????

Dont tell me the ´óÏó´«Ã½ blew my licence fee on some lame podiums for these three pageant queens to stand pruned.

Gutted ,is what I am.

I think the podiums are great, and is goo that they are so close, but they should eb higher... around a huindred feet, and shark infested water below... lets see how they really cope with pressure.

"What strikes you instantly is how close the three men will be standing to each other. David Cameron and Gordon Brown are literally within touching distance - which mean that if one of them wants to turn to address the other, they'll have to be happy invading some personal space."

You mean we may get a few handbags match? Lovely!!

An ammendment to post 11, would be the addition of gladiator style battons...

Perhaps with them standing so close it might make it more tempting for one to simply thump whoever is getting on his nerves....

One can hope.

POP FACT...

The set for debate tonight is the same used in 80's quiz show, "going for Gold"...

Will they be allowed mascots a la Blockbusters...?

i don't know if anyone else has noticed yet....it certainly hasnt been evident in any of the recent blogs, but......... has the one eyed master had his maggie moment. What i mean is ...every time i've heard him recently (and it isn't often because i tend to switch over as soon as i see him) he is talking in a softer more genteel/caring tone. He has obviously had some sort of voice coaching for this evening (unless my hearing aid is playing up).
I wonder if some of the questions tonite will be:

1) whether MPs should have the term Right Honourable removed from their title ?

2)Has the cycle of Boom and Bust has been brought to an end?

3)Is national Insurance a tax?

4)Should England have a devolved parliament?

5)Should a married persons allowance be classed as a type of benefit?

6)What proportion of the 1.6 million jobs created by the Labour government recently do the parties believe have gone to British people?

7)Do the leaders believe that the parties have listened to the people when dealing with significant European treaties?

8)Do the parties believe there are any issues over the last 3-4 years which should have resulted in Ministers/Members resigning?

If any questions like these are going to be faced tonite , i will order a takeaway.

Should make for engrossing television. Especially on a wide screen, top of the range plasma. Great opportunity for Nick Clegg; if he shines it could trigger the long awaited Liberal Democrat breakthrough ... 25% popular vote, 75+ seats maybe. Having said that, I expect Cameron to come over best; he's Mr PR of these three. Unless, that is, he bangs on too much about the "Great Ignored", which could be a turn off.

Apparently there is a thick dark cloud hanging over the UK and it's impossible to get away.

Oh, and there's also been a volcanic eruption in Iceland.

so, Nick, what you are saying is that they will be standing close to each other...

...right


...i see



...and your point is.......?

Maybe we could have 'Leaders Debate Plus' on ITV2 featuring the excluded Celtic nationalists, Greens, UKIP. Might be better than the main event.

Come on you reds!!!!!

6. At 4:52pm on 15 Apr 2010, Susan-Croft wrote:

Susan - you got a sister - jumps about a lot - quite fit???

Or how about connecting each candidate/contestant to a lie detector machine and showing the print outs at the bottom of the screen?

You know its a real pity I won't be able to see it. When I do get back next week I'm sure I'll be abel to watch it on ITV's replay system. Or maybe not.

Fight anyone?

Nick,

The closer we get to the debates the more puzzling why David Cameron agreed to take these debates on.

Gordon Brown has nothing to lose as we already have low expectations of him but the decision to give Nick Clegg massive exposure is a masterstroke by Labour and I am suprised the Conservatives have agreed to take on the debates.

If Labour are unable to gain outright victory (which seems highly likely) they are trying their best to stop the Tories by promoting the Lib Dems. It seems strange the Tories have been suckered into such a lose-lose situation. Little wonder David Cameron is "nervous".

Brown v. Cameron!
This debate brings to mind a quote by the late, great, noted political pundit Mitch Hedberg:
"My friend asked me if I wanted a frozen banana, I said "No, but I want a regular banana later, so ... yeah"."

So this debate thingy, is it worth it?

check this out, the rules

/blogs/pm/2010/04/those_election_debate_rules.shtml

Don't need to read just scroll

Are we really discussing the order and proximity in which the leaders will stand? It would seem that Mr Robinson, yours truly and 'the usual suspects' all have too much time on our hands. The sooner this tv 'debate' starts the better. For our footballing visitors:- This is not yet 'squeaky bum time'. That comes later.

17. At 5:03pm on 15 Apr 2010, Numb-Bum wrote:

1) whether MPs should have the term Right Honourable removed from their title ?
========================

pedantry I know but technically they never have had it so it cannot be removed.

MPs are only called the honourable member for xxx when in the house of commons - it is not a title they have it is a courtesy.

The right honourable is reserved solely for members of the privy council be they MPs or not.

The Honourable , is a term of address reserved for specific aristocrats and certain other people like judges.

So don't go tugging the forelock to any of them calling then The Honourable - the only thing they have is the letters MP after their name (and not even that now).

Here in butcher’s shop, Yuri and I are imagine how Putin would approach debate. Of course is all hypotheticals – opposition politicians is not get this close Putin without Security Service is arrest and throw in Lubyanka.

There is no question that if in debate, Putin would combine intellect with judos physical prowess. So we are re-enact. I am Putin and am stand in middle. Yuri is be some bloodings heart liberal and is stand on right and customer Old Ivan, who is come in for half kilo beef (that’s what he think it is anyway) is unreconstructed Communist and is stand on left (natural!). Ivan is start by challenge me on some stupid question about worse state of people pensions since fall of Communism. First, I am trap brilliantly into logical fallacy, then arm and perform neat Hane Goshi throw. Then, Yuri is ask about measures need to expand civils liberty, freedoms of speak, combination, as well as measures to break oligarchical monopolies. I swat aside such petty considerations with reference to burgeoning middle class prosperity, bombard with statistics, then is grab with both hands and perform Tai Otoshi body slam. Ha! Manage democracy of glorious Vlad is triumph again.

Oh, dear, I think I might need to call doctor for Ivan.

Whey hey - im waiting on a Konnolsky!!!! But when this is published the wait will be over - so I will be wrong un

@15. As in Manchester, I am recommend last minute change of debate format. In 1980s we get bootleg samizdat videos "Bullseye" with amiable working class hero Sir Jim Bowen. If adopt format bit of bully (or miss out final "y" for what politicians is say), then debaters is ask questions by Jim on fiscals position and he is give them crumple fivers if they right. Then, when Cameron is ahead in debate, but gamble all on rash plan to halve deficit in one year, Jim is draw in breath, look sad, while board is turn round reveal Number 10 Downing Street, and Jim is say "Look what you coulda won."

22. At 5:32pm on 15 Apr 2010, followingborohurts wrote:

Come on you reds!!!!!

------------------------------------------

A riposte perhaps? Allez les Bleus! :P

Nah, not really come to think of it, I'd need a lobotomy to vote for the toffs.

#26 think DC is going for a votes majority BUT not seats appraoch,

therefore there will be a lib-lab pact like the 70's it will all come tumbling down and new election in 8-18 months and he then get the landslide that will be required, to do what is right for the country, might be painful BUT its going to have to be done. Unless gleggee comes of the fence and is prepared not to go with labour at any cost wit hbrown in charge , which would lead to another election in 3-4 months
as chance of leader right after an election will not go down well.

think that the long game going on , flush gleggee out as a labour clown,

Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Nick Clegg.

One Podium.

Only one way to decide.

FIGHT!!!!

I am really disappointed at the undemocratic exclusion of the other UK party leaders. I think they should have all participated, minor parties plus all leaders from Wales, Scotland and northern Ireland. Has anyone complained about this to the Electoral Commission or Ofcom? What did they say?

Would be a big test for the Chairman! Perhaps a spirit of serious, civilised debate would descend on the gathering and we would learn more?

Actually, being serious for a moment I would like to point out just how poor and pointless this offering is. There's less substance to it than a Political Party Broadcast and the subject material is weaker than last month's budget.

Why are we having our license fee wasted on this short hand drivel when perfectly good blog writers are being tossed out onto the street as the ´óÏó´«Ã½ cut back on their expenditure?

I mean, there's thirteen sentences all in all? I could write more than that in one sitting even after a skinful at the Blue Bell.

Eee.

242. At 5:15pm on 15 Apr 2010, toryandproud wrote:

#221 VR

Thanks for the song, but I can't get access to the site at work, specially with sound associated with it. The people I work with just would't appreciate it. Still it's the thought that counts.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

No bother my Tory friend! Heard it on the radio this morning, the first line is "Dunno why, Tori came by" and it reminded me of you. It goes on to say that it must be hard for Tori to see through the tears she is hiding. Dunno if thats applicable? Hahaha!!

I wonder if the 3 candidates have been eating only salads and nuts over the last 2 days. Could you imagine the war of stinkin farts between these 3? If we see the screen melting, we'll know why.

Will Gordon Brown bang his lectern like he does the dispatch box in the Commons? Nick Clegg will have the benefit of being able to say something without being heckled. All David Cameron needs to do is play everything with a straight bat. The country wants change and a smaller state. That's about it.

"lefty10 wrote:
andy c555
ive noticed you attacking saga on here, more and more."

To be honest, I try my best not to notice you at all.

I wonder if someone is going to apologise for Gordon Brown and his past and current governmental crimes, indiscretions and misdemeanours?

26 Remember that Cameron challenged Brown, perhaps thinking he wouldn't have the nerve to accept.

As you say, with Brown having nothing to lose, he accepted and then Cameron could hardly change his mind. I suspect neither really wants it to go ahead. perhaps they won't turn up and Clegg will end up talking to himself....

Not long now! Don't know about the three principals but I'm getting nervous. Going to need something I think.

PS

and all of his mistakes and lesson learning!

toryandproud spoke in message 191 of his desire for a feudal Britain, complains that the standard of blogs is poor and likes the idea of us going back to having leaders like D. Cameron Esquire whose claim to fame is he is (enormously) distantly related to the Queen and went to the right school and though he was a member of a male chauvinist drunkards society, it is alright his wife's family twisted people's arms to get him all his jobs.

Ah the days before we started to have democracy and the House of Commons was stacked full of idiots who were the sons, nephews and brothers of peers and would keep the squirearchy in clover and the peasants in their place.

The simple fact is that in any modern company today, anyone with any education (apart from it seems Oxford) knows that it is always the best man for the job and we are closer to a meritcoracy than ever before.

The fact that the Tories have opposed every proposal which today's Englishman or Briton would regard as the proudest parts of being a Briton or Englishman(woman), our constitutional monarchy and democracy, came from Whigs, the Liberals and Centre Left parties, seems to escape him.

I am surprised that he hasn't even bothered to complain that having this whole pallaver and charade of a TV orchestrated 'candidates interview', and wondered aloud why we can't delegate the decision to D. Cameron's father and mother-in-law and a handful of their fellow blue blood foxhunting friends from the House of Lords!

To me the final insult about D. Cameron came when I read in last weekend's Sunday Times magazine profile that apparently it was Cameron's media mate Steve Hilton who insisted he must 'start to cycle' just for the cameras, that did it.

A complete and utter phoney who is trying to fool us!

A riposte perhaps? Allez les Bleus! :P

Nah, not really come to think of it, I'd need a lobotomy to vote for the toffs.
.......................

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy

Looking forward to seeing the Gordon Brown false smile. Can he keep it going for 90 minutes ?

Judging by the big picture in the papers today (with the Labour lackeys holding the door open), It's Sarah Brown who has to do the 'dour look' to contrast with Gordon's new confident grinning.

sagamix, "the great ignored" was paraphrased to me on the day of the launch by someone at Central Office as "the great unwashed, ho ho ho!"

The trouble is that is how the Tory leadership see those outside the Notting Hill Set. Even the Tories in the shires, the backbone of the Tory Party who do so well out of EU subsidies of £150,000 per farmer, are regarded as "plebs" and "buffoons"...

I expect that Mr Cameron will try and encroach on Mr Brown's personal space.

It is well know that it makes him (Mr Brown)edgy.

Oh no, it clashes with Country House Rescue. And Mother's here. What to do?

So ... which of these candidates have policies such as flogging servants, shooting poor people and the extension of slavery to anyone who hasn't got a knighthood then ...?

#29 thats just about how pathetic this is becoming record debt and
deficit not just of the HMG but also of many households.

If NR was to stand on the pile of debt you would get a quessy feeling alright, maybe you need a reality check NR and start to post something worhtwhile

40. At 6:46pm on 15 Apr 2010, VengefulRod wrote:

hahaha, Rod what does go through your mind some times?

#54 ps and my licence fee (TAX) is actually providing what sort of service during the election ? .....

not much is it

The media comment has been brilliant. They have lead on the eruption in Iceland and have tried to avoid the election as much as possible.

I don't want anyone to get hurt but I could do with a few more natural disasters.

The election is like being asked if you want ketchup or HP sauce on your chips. Most people don't want either and resent being forced to make a choice. If I had to make a choice I would chose ketchup and probably throw most of the chips away.

We have got Broken Britain. Must have if these are the duds we have to choose from.

I get the feeling I'm going to be disappointed if I want entertainment. I also get the feeling I'm going to be disappointed if I want substance.

42. At 6:49pm on 15 Apr 2010, AndyC555 wrote:
"lefty10 wrote:
andy c555
ive noticed you attacking saga on here, more and more."

To be honest, I try my best not to notice you at all.

Honest? A tory? You really are delluded!!!

Now about the minimum wage. What did the tories say?????

Star - wazzup - that'll confuse em - Star, whom ist this Starman

Clegg gets to appear like a serious contender for office while hanging (hopefully) to the coat tails of whoever he can get to give him a job in a hung parliament. Brown will "smile" a lot and Cameron will find it hard to believe he's sharing a platform with someone he obviously detests.

You know what will make this programme entertaining? for one of the candidates to accidentally brutally cut their head of while shaving ...

#52 go have a drink with your Father then

45. At 6:52pm on 15 Apr 2010, sagamix wrote:
Not long now! Don't know about the three principals but I'm getting nervous. Going to need something I think.

Just say 'No', Saga. Personally, I intend to settle down with a good book and a copious glass of sherry wine.

Where have all these blogging adolescents suddenly appeared from? They seem to be denser even than some of the Tory contributors. I go away for a few days and everything's... well, I'm sorry to have to use the word, but... deteriorated.

... Or would I prefer to see one of them accidentally brutally stab themselves in the stomach while combing their hair? Decisions eh?

Hey FBH.

I will be watching the debates but doubt if they will affect my voting intention. I think we need to learn from history.The last Liberal government (at the start of the 20th century) was so weak willed that it crippled the economy, almost caused a revo;ution and started the downward spiral of Britain as a world power. Succesive Labour governments have produced some benefits - the NHS for one, but they always spend far more than the country can afford. Conservatives governments, whilst far from perfect, generally improve the economy and leave us and the country better off when we eventually vote them out 'for a change'. So history tells me that on this occasion we need a Conservative government and that's the way I shall vote.

#59 I think you will find if it had not been for mass uncontrolled imigration the minimum wage would have been a massive disasster.

you would have had wage inflation etc, instead emploers were allowed to get away with imported "slavery" to do the work thus displacing many low skilled people

but we have the dissater of mass imigration , just look at peterbourgh, barking etc and the rise of the BNP, its all linked.

I think I will watch HIGNFY instead

Do you know whats missing on this site?
A second time along side the first post time indicating how long it takes to mod

John Wood: your comment upon Brown that he gets edgy if anyone invades his body space, sounds as ordinary as that 'Brown shouted at someone, once'. I suppose your source is the demonising and trashy Torygraph or Mail which regularly make up stories..?

Not only does Cameron also shout at staff, but I suspect like all people the world over he too has a 'body space' issue.

We ALL do; it is programmed into our minds. Due to evolution I believe. Therefore if he didn't, he wouldn't be human!

The fact is no matter how much the Tory press try to 'demonise' Brown, thankfully the great British public have a gut instinct and nose for what is fair and what is unfair.

If you read a junk press, you get a junk mind(just as if you eat junk food you get a fat body), so I suggest you stay away from the worst of the junk newspapers...

Thank goodness we have the ´óÏó´«Ã½ which apart from the occasional 'once in a decade' lapse, like the shockingly bad cover up over the Gilligan lies, which caused the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Chairman and Director General to resign, is oodles better than any other country's media

Too busy trying to get a good price on a bulk buy of Vaseline to bother watching later on ... I might as well get ready in advance for whoever gets in power ... they're all going to screw us over finacially.

C'mon Browny boy. Kick that posh twit into submission. I'd love it if he cries.

64. At 7:37pm on 15 Apr 2010, Its_an_Outrage wrote:

Where have all these blogging adolescents suddenly appeared from? They seem to be denser even than some of the Tory contributors. I go away for a few days and everything's... well, I'm sorry to have to use the word, but... deteriorated.-
------
Are you a part time moderator, is there a problem?

Wonder what their minimum bribe level is .... can they be paid in turnips?

Wonder if the mods will accept turnips in order to speed things up around here ...

WHERE IS NICK ROBINSON at this critical juncture in the 2010 political calendar? He has been a solid fixture for so long it beggar's belief that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ would sideline him now in favour of Laura Kuensberg whose harsh Scottish accent is hard to understand. I suspect cynical manipulation by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Trust acting on Gordo's instructions.

64. At 7:37pm on 15 Apr 2010, Its_an_Outrage wrote:

Where have all these blogging adolescents suddenly appeared from? They seem to be denser even than some of the Tory contributors. I go away for a few days and everything's... well, I'm sorry to have to use the word, but... deteriorated.-
------

'Tis amazing how gullible some peeps can be and even more fascinating that some actually take all we say at face value.

Perhaps they should take a tip from the moles we deal with - keep a low profile, work hard, pop up unexpectedly in a wide variety of places and blindly get on with the job in hand. Good luck to each. But we suspect they may well fall prey to the well planted trap !! Cheers British Traditional Molecatchers Register

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment has been referred for further consideration. Explain.

Hey Star!

Hey Tone!

Not sure my blogg strategy works on pre-mod blogs - yes - no? Advice???

Clegg - bad start from the Dullard.

Great start from Big Gordon!!!!

Cameron mentioned "expenses saga" in his opening remark - own goal or what!!!!????

Lets stop it now - my boy is winning!!!

Im nervous!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's like watching the Boro!!!!??????

Where the serious posters anyway ...? Have they had already found a good spot to mass debate over proceedings?

Clegg keeps talking about the last 20 years in order to blame the Conservatives as well as Brown for the immigration mess. Very crafty

Evening Mike!!!

Brown is awesome...he's killing the oppos, what a star (not THE star, obviously)

Cameron looks nervous and out of his depth (shallow end with water wings i believe), sinking fast.

Clegg...Cameron-lite - the worst insult ever.

right, might go and watch the debate now...

hey fbh!

Nicky, you sir (mam?) are too wise and too calm for this anonymous mud slinging.

Respect.

Brown has to mention 'Ashcroft' - it's a form of Tourettes

I think that Clegg is winning the debate, Cameron is doing well but I expected better. Brown was doing OK he comes across as a bit dull but I think he fell over his joke about the posters. If you are going for the rehearsed soundbite (and we all know that it was!) it needs to be sharp and snappy not stumbled over.

WOW! its a real pity I won't be able to see it.

Gordon keeps saying 'let's be honest'. Such hypocrisy !

Cameron loves the word quango doesn't he?

I'm at work working hard , has anyone mention the Debt and the Deficit yet and what is going to be done with Brown profligate spending legacy.

will we be seeing the IMF and 98% income tax rates like back in the seventies when the last labour term's from '64 to 79 (excluding heath) took the never had it so good economy to the sick/poor man of Europe.

has Brown mentioned his pensions raids yet

has brown mention the 10p tax fiasco yet