2015 election TV debates

[Uncle Leo]

Conservatives - all three shows. Fair enough, Cameron is the PM

Labour - all three shows. Fair enough, Miliband is the Leader of the Opposition

Liberal Democrats - two shows. Fair enough, Clegg is the leader of the third largest party in the Commons.

UKIP - one show. Well, they do have an MP now, may have two by then.

Greens - no shows. Hang on a sec....

Doesn't seem quite fair does it? And that's without mentioning the Welsh/Scottish/Irish parties. Or Gorgeous George and Respect...

 

[callan]

Conservatives - all three shows. Fair enough, Cameron is the PM

Labour - all three shows. Fair enough, Miliband is the Leader of the Opposition

Liberal Democrats - two shows. Fair enough, Clegg is the leader of the third largest party in the Commons.

UKIP - one show. Well, they do have an MP now, may have two by then.

Greens - no shows. Hang on a sec....

Doesn't seem quite fair does it? And that's without mentioning the Welsh/Scottish/Irish parties. Or Gorgeous George and Respect...

I don't see why we can't have an x factor style debate program where each week the public decides on who goes through to debate on the next show.

 

[EastStandBlue]

UKIP are also grossly over-represented on Question Time.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

It's a disgrace that the Greens haven't been allocated at least one show.

 

[Pubey]

The way I see it:

- Unlike the US, we have no history in TV debates of this style and the bits that I saw from the last GE were terrible. I worry that we continue to base political decisions on personality rather than facts and promises - this is a further move towards an X-Factor generation of decision-making.

- None of Clegg, Cameron and Miliband are good debaters. Cameron is ok but nothing special. The format and their skills meant no one was able to really hit a home run and it all just came across as a bit of a mess. I don't think for the 'big 3' the debates are of interest in any way.

- Nigel Farage is a good debater (grudgingly), and is good value on TV. He gets people talking and people seem to like his aggressive nature when debating. I can see why they've been over-represented - however this isn't fair.

- I actually agree with Cameron that these debates should be spread out over a longer period of time. I think that all UK-wide parties should be represented on the basis on the number of MPs they have (so UKIP have no more or less than Respect or the Greens). Cameron should have to have debates in Scotland and Wales with their national parties (SNP etc).

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

It's a disgrace that the Greens haven't been allocated at least one show.

please God no. Still if Caroline Lucas got more air time their vote would plummet.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

I'd prefer it if there weren't any TV debates at all, as Pubey said it reduces the whole thing to an X-Factor style battle. However, I'm not Green Party fan but they have as much right to be involved in the debates as UKIP. They have an MP and got more votes than the Lib Dems in the European Elections. It would give me a good laugh too.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

please God no. Still if Caroline Lucas got more air time their vote would plummet.

Don't think so, after just having seen her on the Daily Politics.

In any case,the Lib/Dems share of the vote increased after Clegg's appearances in the 2010 debates.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I'd prefer it if there weren't any TV debates at all, as Pubey said it reduces the whole thing to an X-Factor style battle. However, I'm not Green Party fan but they have as much right to be involved in the debates as UKIP. They have an MP and got more votes than the Lib Dems in the European Elections. It would give me a good laugh too.

Greens got less votes than the BNP in the last election who also had more votes than the SNP. The Greens got 1 MP and the SNP 6. BTW not advocating for the BNP but it's a complicated world out there.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

and UKIP polled over 3 times the votes of the Greens and got no MPs.

 

[South Bank Hank]

The way I see it:

- Unlike the US, we have no history in TV debates of this style and the bits that I saw from the last GE were terrible. I worry that we continue to base political decisions on personality rather than facts and promises - this is a further move towards an X-Factor generation of decision-making.

In any case,the Lib/Dems share of the vote increased after Clegg's appearances in the 2010 debates.

Sadly you're right. As I recall, a fair portion of the voting public were somewhat taken by Clegg's skilful use of a member of the public's name when he addressed their question as if that was the real high ground for a politician's aspirations. Unfortunately, in my opinion, we now have exactly the politicians we deserve and it will continue to get worse and worse.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Is it Cameron v Miliband throughout, or will there be a Osborne v Balls and/or a May v Cooper debate?


Best way to negate UKIP is the truth and to show that they are insiders.

Farage is a public school educated millionaire banker turned career politician who has, along with his German wife, been pocketing a six figure sum off the EU each year for the last 15 years.

He is everything that UKIP voters should detest!

Daylight is the best cure for him.

 

[Pubey]

Don't think so, after just having seen her on the Daily Politics.

In any case,the Lib/Dems share of the vote increased after Clegg's appearances in the 2010 debates.

By 1%......

 

[ooh-andy-ansah]

I would like to see Nigel vs Natalie, odds on he would tell her to **** off back to Australia at some point during the debate

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Greens got less votes than the BNP in the last election who also had more votes than the SNP. The Greens got 1 MP and the SNP 6. BTW not advocating for the BNP but it's a complicated world out there.

The Greens did somewhat better than the Lib/Dems at the last election (Euros) both in terms of share of the vote and number of MEP's.

They also had an elected member of Parliament in 2010-something UKIP didn't achieve.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

and UKIP polled over 3 times the votes of the Greens and got no MPs.

Blame the first past the post system.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

and UKIP polled over 3 times the votes of the Greens and got no MPs.

So they should suggest we take on board the EU voting system!

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

So they should suggest we take on board the EU voting system!

Personally,I'm all in favour of PR and a list system.If it's good enough for mainstream European political parties....

 

[Pubey]

Is it Cameron v Miliband throughout, or will there be a Osborne v Balls and/or a May v Cooper debate?


Best way to negate UKIP is the truth and to show that they are insiders.

Farage is a public school educated millionaire banker turned career politician who has, along with his German wife, been pocketing a six figure sum off the EU each year for the last 15 years.

He is everything that UKIP voters should detest!

Daylight is the best cure for him.

I really like this post. Maybe it could be converted into a set of questions for (potential) UK voters:

1. Do you want your PM to have been born into significant wealth and public-school educated?
2. Do you want your PM to have made millions working as a banker in the city, and then moved to become a career politician?
3. Do you want your PM to have a foreign wife who worked for her husband, and pocketed a disproportionate salary for a job that could have gone to a UK citizen?
4. Do you want a PM who is anti-Europe but happy to pocket a six figure sum from the EU?

Not necessarily saying I'm yes or no for any or all of these, but the hypocrisy of UKIP and the blind loyalty of some UKIP supporters who see Farage as the saviour for the working man because he talks a good talk and drinks a pint is really worrying.

 

[Benfleet A1]

I really like this post. Maybe it could be converted into a set of questions for (potential) UK voters:

1. Do you want your PM to have been born into significant wealth and public-school educated?
2. Do you want your PM to have made millions working as a banker in the city, and then moved to become a career politician?
3. Do you want your PM to have a foreign wife who worked for her husband, and pocketed a disproportionate salary for a job that could have gone to a UK citizen?
4. Do you want a PM who is anti-Europe but happy to pocket a six figure sum from the EU?

Not necessarily saying I'm yes or no for any or all of these, but the hypocrisy of UKIP and the blind loyalty of some UKIP supporters who see Farage as the saviour for the working man because he talks a good talk and drinks a pint is really worrying.

I sort of agree with some of that but at the same time are any of the others any better or come from any different background. None of them would be what you might call the same as us, are they. At the same time , I probably wouldn't feel particularly comfortable with Joe Blogs the ex steel fixer becoming the next man in charge.