TV Debate - who did best?

This one of the cleaner National election campaigns that I have seen for a while..... ....and further more, it is the first time that I genuinely feel that all three of the main PM candidates are genuinely good guys.

Plus we see a third force re-emerging.

In all the squabbling shouldn't celebrate the fact that the state of play of British politics?

[a bit patriotic; I knowwww.mumsnet.com/images/buttons/post_message.gif]

To clarrify:

The LibDems are proposing a bank bonus limit.

Labour are proposing a 'global levy' on bank transactions dependent on international agreement!!

Tories are proposing a unilateral levy. Tory Bank tax.

I think you'll find Labour are the only major party not proposing a further tax on banks (which makes you think - doesn't it?).

Please link to the £2.4bn calculation. The 50% tax rate only just started two weeks ago!

My point still stands that it is a tax break going to people who don't need it the most and is therefore not being spent on those who do. It's also pointless - who is really going to get married or stay married for the sake of £150 or any amount money for that matter?!

I'd be interested to hear more about Tory plans for taxes on banks - I thought they were the only party without much in the way of plans in this area. They have historically been the party most supportive of deregulation of finance and banking.

I also read that it will be paid for by a tax on banks so it is not a tax on the poor.

I am a SAHM and we won't benefit from it anyway as income over threshold. So it will not tempt me to vote tory.

the change - that link is out of date. The tories have said no one earning more than £45,000 will get the married persons tax break unless I have misread the press this week.

I am not supporting the tories on this merely stating that it isn't a measure that will help the wealthy. Most of the other tory policies eg. over inheritance tax would help the wealthy.

snowlady Even the Tory-loving Telegraph says that the marriage tax break benefits the rich over the poor:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/6475660/Tories-5-billion-tax-breaks-for-ma rried-couples-benefit-rich-most.html

I suppose the point is that this tax break costs tax revenue. Those that benefit are not those who need it most, which makes it a tax on the poor to give to the not so poor.

I do apologise and Sweedes you're quite right it isn't a quote - I put it in all in quotation marks by mistake. Sorry I was in a hurry before I popped out. All the information about Tory policy comes from the Indy but various articles.

How are the marriage tax relief policies giving anything to the rich? They have said those earning over £45k won't get anything. They aren't giving much to the poor either with the marriage tax relief either.

Swedes - Really I'm waiting with bated breath!!

jackstarbright - I don't rate your chances of receiving a link to that quote from the Indy.

The Change I must have missed that one - was it today's Indy? - please provide link. Ta

From The Independent: "Here are the facts. David Cameron will give a £1.2bn inheritance tax cut to the richest 2 per cent in Britain ? with most going to the 3,000 wealthiest estates (including his wife's). Then he promises to end the 50p top rate of tax, giving another £2.4bn to the richest 1 per cent. Then he has pledged to cut taxes on the pensions of the richest, handing another £3.2bn to the same 1 per cent. Then his marriage tax relief policies will give 13 times more to the rich than the poor. To pay for this, he will slash programmes for the middle and the skint"

flatpackassemblyDiva - you are spot on with your comments about the rich and clever accounting!

Ninjacat - that came from www.channel4.com/factcheck and if you look at the website I think you'll find that Gordon Brown told a fair few whoppers during the debate too (Cameron's was just an exageration as the police car did cost over 50K which still sounds an enormous amount to me). The Guardian are just spinning the story to make DC look as bad as possible.

DC gets his ^knickers^ facts in a twist

Does anyone know the total tax contribution made by Non-Doms to the inland revenue?

that was interesting....

Labour and the conservatives face similar choices about reducing the deficit etc. I think one has to look at values to guage likely difference. For me the Tories are about looking after a smaller section of society. Admittedly I am part of the section that the Tories are likely to look after. But I "live selfish gene" on a daily basis so I am looking for a Govt that is more likely to help the vulnerable.

Altho' I think DC is a decent tolerant man, I don't think that I can say the same for the centre of gravity of the Tory party.

So I hope that Lib Dems or Labour win so that we have a Govt that doesn't just look after one section of society. The top of the pile didn't do so badly under Labour did they? But that has been balanced with investment in public services etc.

Love it Molesworth thanks.

DC did do that quite a lot didn't he? Makes me feel that he doesn't actually know any real people, other than those he meets on the campaign trail. Here's hoping the whole of their manifesto isn't based on his 5 minutes with each of em.

BTW haven't met anyone yet who likes their "big idea" of people power in public services - has anyone else???? DC didn't mention it in the debate did he, maybe he hasn't met anyone recently who liked it either.

Quite frankly, it's insulting to anyone who volunteers their time already to any number of causes, and baffling to those who don't and don't want to.

Apologies if this has already been posted, but I can't resist:

Who has David Cameron been talking to?

The cliche that a week is a long time in politics really applies here. A week ago the Lib-Dems were probably wondering whether they should have had Vince Cable as leader and now Clegg has given them a real boost. Good for them.

i wsas wondering if those who thought Gordy did well had watched the same debate - he looked tired, awkward, and slightly dishevilled

DC did indeed look too orange, though i thought did quite well, though not as well as NC...

which is a shame because i am not going to vote liberal democrat - the fact that the leader can produce the goods in one tv debate does not make m agree with their policies.

Ps. should have said above the liberals have said they are cutting tax credits for top 20% of earners..presume this includes the 40-60k bracket but am not sure

as 50k+ is already ineligible, that would mean probably the 40-50k bracket, or part of it. 40k being the average household income. I am amused people think that those in the 40-60k bracket 'get it the worst'.