Leaders ready for first TV debate

[Win2Win Racing]

The leaders of the three main political parties - Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg - prepare for their first TV debate.

More... (http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8621119.stm)

[vegyjones]

Tuen on or turn off ?

Anyone looking forward to this?

I'm expecting it to be dull as dishwater, and it is not going to change my mind as I've already decided where my vote, but I'm probably going to watch the first one to see if the hype was all worthwhile.

I'm also a little apprehensive about the Americanisation of it all. ut I'll guess I'll reserve judgement on that until afterwards.

[mick56]

vegy i think you are spot on ,with your above comments,i have been hearing all day about how the three of them have been rehearsing thier answers, using thier own people to play devils advocate,being coached on what to wear and how to gesticulate.Already it sounds more like an american soap opera than a genuine political debate.
Apparently 76 rules are in place,many demanded by the 3 participants.

Knowing the above how can any potential voter be expected to take the program seriously.When are these people going to stop patronising the British public,all any of them need to do is speak true fully about the subjects which concern the public,and if they really believed they could help those they ask to vote for them none of the above circus would be nessasary.

I can invisage an increasing number not voting this time and of those who do an increase in votes for minority party's.

[lowe1]

Not to bad actually

Nick Clegg is putting a good show in though i am a Lib Dem voter :thumbs

[vegyjones]

I thought all 3 of them did quite well actually given what a pretty nerve racking experience it must have been.

[John]

When's it on again? Can't wait for the sequel.

Seriously though, is it being repeated?

Caught the last 10 minutes but want to see the whole thing, no matter how 'staged' it feels.

[eastyorkshireracing]

Britain’s Got Politics

I was waiting for the numbers to come up at the end where you spend your 50p vote then next week there are two left as one got the boot. Then the one left at the end is PM.

It went very much as you would expect. Nick Clegg was always going to be the one with most chance of gaining public brownie points, because the Labour and Conservatives are always going to slag each other over histories, where as the Lib Dems don't have a history to slag. Then come the election it does not matter if they have 100% in the charisma poles they will still not have a history, because they will still be miles behind in the vote.

The one good thing to come out of these debates is that for the first time the ordinary voter is going to get some idea what the party policies are. In the past you get the leaflets drop through the door with the fizzogg of someone you have never seen before and most likely lives nowhere near the town they are trying to represent, with a big "X" on it saying vote for me, with no reference of what they stand for.

But then on voting day, the apathy sets in and you get people who probably work in middle management in a bank go vote labour??? Not because they know anything about them, but their dad was a union man and a Labour voter and their granddad worked down t'pit so if it was good enough for them it's good enough for me.....

Sorry but the debates don't mean anything to the man on the street.

Gordon