Some reforms to consider

[Ron Manager]

1 - Scrap televised debates (the one's that started this year with the 3 main party leaders). That's nothing to do with policy and more to do with media training.

2 - Ban politicians in office and candidates as soon as they are standing for office from appearing on 'entertainment' programmes as guests. No more Cameron, Brown or Clegg on GMTV for example. Once again, that's about personalities and not about policies and just appeals to the lowest common denominator. Basically it's news and news debate programmes only.

3 - Campaign budgets to be centrally controlled and a % of the amount allocated to parties dependant on the number of seats they are contesting. Financial donations to political parties are banned, instead you can donate to this central fund to support democracy as a whole. Therefore it isn't possible to influence party policy with financial incentives.

All of the above to be legislated by an independant body with powers of audit of any party standing for office at any level.

Discuss....

 

[Mad Cyril]

I would like to see stamp duty imposed on any property purchase that raises the owners porfolio above one property irrespective of the price.

There is something wrong when the average property costs 5-6 times the average salary.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Nice idea's RM.

Instead of the live debates being scrapped altogether though, what should happen is each leader has 30 mins to discuss their policies with a serious politics presenter such as Dimbleby or Paxman, one on one, with the policies put under serious scrutiny.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Nice idea's RM.

Instead of the live debates being scrapped altogether though, what should happen is each leader has 30 mins to discuss their policies with a serious politics presenter such as Dimbleby or Paxman, one on one, with the policies put under serious scrutiny.

That did happen, Paxo interviewed each three separately and the interviews went out the day after each leadership debate.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

That did happen, Paxo interviewed each three separately and the interviews went out the day after each leadership debate.

Wasn't the headline act though was it.

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

No probably as this has before, whereas the Leaders Debates were new, so the media were so focused on this as a new thing. The whole point of the debates was to engage with the people who do not read papers and use the TV as their only means of news input.

To be fair I think to reach a wider audience they should incorporate the debates on the Manifestos into Eastenders, Coranation Street and Emmerdale. This will ensure a larger percentage of the population get some exposure.

I was amazed how much noise was on Facebook because Eastenders was delayed due to the events of yesterday evening. It is a sad state of affairs that people consider Eastenders more important to our lives than what is happening with the government. :stunned:

 

[Hotman]

I would like to see stamp duty imposed on any property purchase that raises the owners porfolio above one property irrespective of the price.

There is something wrong when the average property costs 5-6 times the average salary.

Why? The CGT exemption for your principal private residence is only available on one property - why should people who own more than one property be unfairly taxed twice, on a property that they are purchasing out of taxed income?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

1 - Scrap televised debates (the one's that started this year with the 3 main party leaders). That's nothing to do with policy and more to do with media training.

2 - Ban politicians in office and candidates as soon as they are standing for office from appearing on 'entertainment' programmes as guests. No more Cameron, Brown or Clegg on GMTV for example. Once again, that's about personalities and not about policies and just appeals to the lowest common denominator. Basically it's news and news debate programmes only.

3 - Campaign budgets to be centrally controlled and a % of the amount allocated to parties dependant on the number of seats they are contesting. Financial donations to political parties are banned, instead you can donate to this central fund to support democracy as a whole. Therefore it isn't possible to influence party policy with financial incentives.

All of the above to be legislated by an independant body with powers of audit of any party standing for office at any level.

Discuss....

The increase in voter turnout represents a success for the introduction of TV debates and GMTV/Piers Moron interviews.

Discuss....

 

[Ron Manager]

The increase in voter turnout represents a success for the introduction of TV debates and GMTV/Piers Moron interviews.

Discuss....

The X-Factor-isation of the election means many people were voting more on the basis of personality than policys, which is a worrying trend for the long term.

Discuss.....

 

[osymandus]

The X-Factor-isation of the election means many people were voting more on the basis of personality than policys, which is a worrying trend for the long term.

Discuss.....

You mean as opposed to our leader lead politics we have had prior , and or tribal loyalty to a brand for the last 60+ years :P

Don;t assume that everyone who saw the debates didnt also go ... wow ill look on line for myself at their websites and read what they are about . YEs TV can have an affect to make you look into things (maybe thats why advertising works who knows ) but some people also use it for their own opinions .

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

Andy did you manage to watch one of the debates?

Although it did Americanised the proceedings, the way the debates were handled did ensure that the manifesto from each party were discussed and by tayloring each debate to cover a different section of the manifestos, i felt it helped get the message across.

Of course it can be deemed that it was more about the party leaders performance than the manifestos, but surely being Prime Minister does need a person that can also perform not only to us but the world stage as well?

I have to agree with Osy, that the chances are people watched the debates then decided to look up for more information. I know my 17 year old niece was gutted not being able to vote, as she had watched all 3 debates and then went to look at the parties sites. Before the debate she had no interest whatsoever in politics, i am positive this reaction was not in isolation.

 

[leeblue]

I thought the debates were a breath of fresh air, giving people the oppurtunity to get involved in a way, I think the decent turnout for this election can be largely credited to these televised debates

 

[TravellingBlue]

I thouroughly enjoyed all three debates and the fall out from them. It certainly opened my eyes and showed that there is a passion out there for politics.

I would have liked to have seen more open debate and representation from the fringe parties UKIP, BNP, Greens etc. I do realise too many cooks etc but they certainly didn't get the mass media hype that surrounded our three main parties.

I enjoyed just as much the politicians interviews one on one with the likes of Paxman and especially Boulton. What I dislike intensely are those 'spin doctors' who are not politicians and are paid to spread the word in a blinkered and terribly biased way - Alistair Campbell, goodbye and good riddence, what a frustratingly horrible man!

Ron Manager - as for campaign budgets, are you adovcating that all parties entering a general election should have exactly the same amount of money for their campaigns to make it more of a level playing field?

 

[Ron Manager]

Ron Manager - as for campaign budgets, are you adovcating that all parties entering a general election should have exactly the same amount of money for their campaigns to make it more of a level playing field?

Yes, I think it's an idea that should at least be considered.

 

[TravellingBlue]

Yes, I think it's an idea that should at least be considered.

How interesting!

I do believe that the debates brought the publics attention to politics in our country to the fore. I do not believe that any parties local campaigns' were vote winners at all.

I think all future elections will be fought on the TV screen therefore the local campaigning will take more and more a back seat. This for me is disappointing as I particularly like to ask a question face to face and get a direct answer - as my local Labour MP found out!

Hyped up Americanised campaigning and media frenzy I'm afraid is now here forever regardless of how much money we throw in.

 

[shrimpled]

I think it would be better if instead of the current nomination procedures each candidate in the election had to get 1000 signatures from potential voters and then they were all entitled to a certain amount to spend on their campaign from a national body. I stood for election last week and we had absolutely no chance, not only because i was standing in the second safest Conservative seat in the country but because of the machine they had behind the campaign. The money that was spent on their campaign, considering it was hardly a threatened seat was staggering.