UK Prime Ministerial candidate debate

[Gandalf]

I think Clegg is firm favourite for the next round. The anti war position immediately has him ahead of the other parties and I think most intelligent people see the fallacy behind the Iraq war and the flaws in reasoning in how the Afghan conflict was approached. I don't see how Clegg can mess this one up. Both Labour and the Tories blur too much on these issues and the Lib Dems stand totally apart.

I think the Iran issue is a load of BS. It's an American manufactured non issue. But of course Britain, the humble lapdog wants to look look cute in the eyes of the Americans. I think the biggest threat to peace in the Middle East is Israel which is conveniently allowed it's own stockpile of nuclear weapons, breaks international law and is creating a new apartheid. I would really like a party to take a step back on this issue and tell it for what it is, but it won't happen. Every sensible nation will be trying to build nuclear weapons and that is understandable in this unreasonable age of pre-emptive strikes. North Korea should have been dealt with far more forcibly than Iraq.....but nothing....ahh no resources whatsover! Britain should really keep out of international affairs and let America implode on its own. There will be no radical voice on these issues though which is a shame.

The Lib Dems seem very much in favour of EU integration and I think this is pretty much agreed within each of the parties. I don't think the Tories are in any way as hardline as they used to be. They have become a much more pragmatic party just like Labour. I'm not really convinced on the issue of Europe myself. I see the good and the bad and struggle to get righteous about it.

[Gandalf]

The polls suggest that Clegg has made an impact. A 3 horse race now, I'm fine with that. Just as long as the two main ones slip as much as possible.

Lib Dems leapfrog Labour in polls - Yahoo! News UK

[HattonTheHammer]

The polls suggest that Clegg has made an impact. A 3 horse race now, I'm fine with that. Just as long as the two main ones slip as much as possible.

Lib Dems leapfrog Labour in polls - Yahoo! News UK

wouldnt look to much into that milo. If that poll is indeed right im pretty sure labour mantain power on the basis they`ll have more electoral seats.

the general concensous from all the polls totalled up tends to suggest its more like 38%-tory, 32%-labour, 22%-libdem, 8%-others (UKIP, green, SNP, BNP etc)

[Cressa121]

The polls suggest that Clegg has made an impact. A 3 horse race now, I'm fine with that. Just as long as the two main ones slip as much as possible.

Lib Dems leapfrog Labour in polls - Yahoo! News UK

wouldnt look to much into that milo. If that poll is indeed right im pretty sure labour mantain power on the basis they`ll have more electoral seats.

the general concensous from all the polls totalled up tends to suggest its more like 38%-tory, 32%-labour, 22%-libdem, 8%-others (UKIP, green, SNP, BNP etc)

Yeah I read this morning that if the Yahoo polls were replicated in the election then Labour will still have to majority of seats in the House of Commons despite polling lower than the Lib Dems and Conservatives. I think they'd have something like 248 seats compared to just over 200 for the Tories and about 130 for the Lib Dems, although I can't remember the exact figures.

Hard to judge after that debate, Clegg definitley came across the best and put the Lib Dems out there as a viable alternative. I actually thought Cameron fared the worst, some of his policies were slaughtered and he didn't really answer many questions about what he would do e.g the immigration cap. What type of cap are we looking at? How would it work exactly? Whats the point in saying what you want to do if you can't back it up with a workable plan, or include at least rough figures of what we'd be looking at in terms of cuts or limits etc.

I agree with those that said considering the circumstances, Gordon Brown did well. He was always going to get the other 2 saying "you've had 13 years, why are you only suggesting this now?"

Clegg should do well again in the next debate, although I think he wants further integration within Europe, which may dent some support as there seems to be a lot of negativity towards the EU among the public. Brown's going to have to attempt to defend the indefensible in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I don't think anyone's going to buy his BS when it comes to these topics. Should be interesting to see what he has to say on these issues.

[Master]

Did you see the way Brown was cosying up to Glegg. You know what they will do when there is a hung parliament.

[Gandalf]

Did you see the way Brown was cosying up to Glegg. You know what they will do when there is a hung parliament.

They hang all the MP's?

[FTMatty]

I like Nick Clegg as a leader, but a vote for his party would make me poorer due to cuts in Child Tax Credits etc.
The other two parties will make sure Clegg doesn't get an easy ride in the the next debate.

[Gandalf]

The polls suggest that Clegg has made an impact. A 3 horse race now, I'm fine with that. Just as long as the two main ones slip as much as possible.

Lib Dems leapfrog Labour in polls - Yahoo! News UK

wouldnt look to much into that milo. If that poll is indeed right im pretty sure labour mantain power on the basis they`ll have more electoral seats.

the general concensous from all the polls totalled up tends to suggest its more like 38%-tory, 32%-labour, 22%-libdem, 8%-others (UKIP, green, SNP, BNP etc)

True, only early days yet, but a glimmer of hope for those that care. I despise the British first past the post system though.

I was reading this interesting article today looking at the unspoken issue of Afghanistan. I might have started my idiots in the military thread, but you know, I would sooner have no wars and would certainly much rather have nobody in the military being killed for what is no more than an imperial measure to secure future gas reserves. Over 40 British troops dead this year already. And nobody is talking about it. They should be though, the war is 9 years old and no end is in sight.

Afghanistan: A conspiracy of silence - UK Politics, UK - The Independent