TV Debate - who did best?

I thought Clegg relished the opportunity to have a proper input rather than just speaking to an emptying House as an afterthought. He did well.
Thought Cameron looked surprisingly nervous. And policies had v little substance.
Gordon did far better than I expected - obv all those practice sessions with Alaister Campbell worked well.
Will read thread now and see what others felt.

Hmm. Well if it was an exercise in slick and confident presenting style and getting the audience on side then Nick Clegg had it in the bag. I do think he overdid it a tad though and came across as a bit patronising towards the end. If all we needed to worry about was who cared enough and who empathised enough then NC would be our man.

Trouble is, even if he gets LOADS more people board, which he will, he still isn't going to be PM this time. So it's easy for him to promise all the right things and say all the right things because he knows he's highly unlikely to need to deliver just yet. In another 4-8 years maybe, but hopefully someone will have got us (slightly) out of our immediate diabolical fix by then, and he'll have a better plate of ingredients to work with.

Also didn't like the way he kept mentioning 'Greedy Bankers' and 'Duck Houses.' Yes, we know all about them thanks, but they are lazy cliches that have been milked enough. We needed a slightly more intellectual approach rather than too much reliance on tabloid style soundbites, designed to remind the hard-of-thinking masses that he's an ordinary geezer who's on their side.

I also think he had a much easier ride than the others beacuse all he needed to do was criticise past performances and highlight failures of the precious Lab and Tory governments to make himself look strong. They couldn't really counter-attack as Lib Dems haven't been in office since dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Well, I now feel absolutely terrified at the idea of Tories coming into power.

David Cameron was weak, nervy, insubstantial and obsessed with spending cuts. He didn't give a straight asnswer to anything and seemed like a walking, talking human form of the Daily Mail. All those anecdotes were ridiculous.

Did I hear wrong or did he even say he met a "40-year-old black man who had served in the navy for thirty years". If so, I had no idea ten-year-olds could join the navy!

Am a lifelong Labour voter here, but have felt a little wobbly recently. I could be persuaded I guess. DC didn't come across as genuine at all - I felt that I was being spun old tory policies in a 2010 style. GB did very well especially as we all know its not his thing - I felt very reassured. NC came across well too, better than I thought.

I'd say that if the country feels that it must change the government because the existing lot have got complacent (which may be true) then NC's your man. DC scares me - if you want a nightmare for the next few years he's the one to vote for.

BTW - can someone please ask them all if they've had botox, I think they all have.

I wish NC would adopt the conservative policy on the NHS and then he'd get my vote. So far though I disagree with scrapping tuition fees and disagree with any cuts at all to the NHS. I am just a little bit in love with Nick Clegg though and I thought he came across very well in the debate. DC looked completely terrified. GB did quite well, actually, but I still hate him.

When I looked at David Cameron and the fact he was the leader of a major political party I suddenly began to comprehend how the Egyptians managed to worship an insect.

Besom - what did DC say to move you from 'they are all the same' to 'I don't trust DC or the conservatives at all'. That is a seriously big impact from one debate!

Ah ok, they were note-taking as well. I was listening on the radio so didn't know that. Now less impressed with the name remembering, but still think it is a nice touch as long as it's not overdone.

Will be interesting to see if GB does it in either of the next debates, or if the others continue it.

Obviously more interested in their (non)policies, but little touches can make a big difference as well.

I don't trust GB or Labour any more, and they've proved me right on many occasions

Quite right, Besom. Shout it from the rooftops.

I had been thinking 'oh well, they're all the same, it doesn't matter', but the debate has put things into focus for me.

I'm very concerned about what the Tories will do to the public sector. I know they will all make cuts given the current economic climate, but I don't trust the Conservatives or Cameron at all.

I thought DC made a genuinely good point about making cuts. Labour are saying they won't make cuts this year, but not saying what they'll cut when it's NOT an election year. DC is saying that cuts have to be made and is not committing to ringfencing anywhere (except the NHS)

Completely agreed with cutting buerocracy and redeployment in the police as well, the 40 uniformed officer in one station working in HR was shocking - get the police out doing police jobs and get HR managers in to do HR.

NC did well, but it's easy for him to do well, especially when the other leader aren't prepared to attack him or pull him up on his attacks too strongly in case there is a hung parliment.

GB made some great promises and points, but as DC pointed out, there has been 13 years to sort immigration, schools and everything else out and it's only in an election year that they're suddenly recognising "Ooops there might be a problem". And with Lord Mandelson on your side, I don't see how you can start complaining about the House of Lords and unelected representatives, since I don't remember anyone getting to vote on him.

NC was a bit dumbed down, but then I guess they all were. Not like HoC at all, which is the only time your really see them debate. All seemed to be treading on eggshells in comparison, which made for pretty boring viewing.

Don't really get the big deal of it, just watch HoC debates to see something more real.All the Qs are prepared anyway which makes it even more false.

I though Alistair Stewart was pretty awful.

What the debate again, NC kept repeating himself on everything over and over again. It's like he was desperate to have a say but couldn't think of anything good. Really not impressed at all.

I can see GB and DC so busy fighting with each other they don't even notice NC moving into no. 10!

Agree with loads of others, NC will have made quite a few people think about taking LDs seriously and GB obviously knows what he's taking about (and so he should) whilst DC came third for me.

I think these debates are such a good idea, however stilted/artificial. None of this changed my voting intention, but I feel somewhat clearer now about specific policies.

I felt Nick Clegg didn't come across as having the gravitas needed to be the leader of a party. As someone else has said, abit 6th form debating society, and some of what he said seemed too matey and off the top of his head. I was abit disappointed in his performance.

I think GB came over better overall, as he does have that gravitas I was looking for. He presented as the executive. He should stop that awful laughter/grimace though - weird.

I thought DC perhaps came over better as prospective leader than NC - abit more 'grown up' and serious. But the way he looked at his notes instead of listening/engaging didn't work.

Thought it was funny when NC told that bright jewish boy with the v good question re education that he NC would bring in Sat morning schools.... Just being picky. Could have been any of them saying that I think.

I thought GB would perform pretty badly but he seemed surprisingly relaxed and did better than I thought he would.

I was worried that DC would do really well but thought he didn't. He really annoys me and when he kept harping on about how many of us haven't had to tighten our belts in recent years I kept thinking - YOU - you haven't. Hardly think the Camerons have been feeling the pinch. He deflected all of GB's questions about spending cuts which of course is to be expected but means that I am very suspicious of his plans.

Thought NC came accross very well. Of course he doesn't have a record in g'ment to defend but wass def. more personable than the other 2 and I suppose I like the general feel of his manifesto so am inclined to wish him well.

GB just confirmed that he wants to p**s more of our money up the wall. He spent most of his term as chancellor claiming to be "prudent" with our cash and has instead indulged in prolific wasteful spending. Having had a long period of economic growth and some of the highest treasury receipts in history, he has managed to spend everything and saddle us with a national debt which will take decades to put right. He has no credibility as to economic management - he told us he had fixed the boom and bust.

He continues to claim that by spending the most Labour cares the most and provides the best services. Utter nonsense. What we want is a government that is careful with our money and allocates it where it is needed, not one that thinks who spends the most wins the debate.
DC argued this point but needs to make it clearer.
NC came across well, although not convinced by his policies.

NC came across the best IMO. However I don't want to vote for a party because of an xfactor style popularity contest of the party leaders. Policies are important too and I think that it was diffuclt to pick out what they were proposing amongst all the sniping & squabbling. Some of the Lib Dem ideas are, for me, a bit . So I am still not convinced by any of them TBH! Roll on the next debate!

The regional immigration system is used with great effect in other countries

I don't understand why people are saying the Nick Clegg came out best!!!! He was like a child next to the other two.
On emmigration he said he would creation regional work permits, like that will work.
On crime he went on and on and on about converting the young offender on time, okay, how about all the criminals that are already out there.
He wants to eliminate the missal defense program leaving the UK completely unprotected
He kept repeating himself over and over again, his closing speech was uninspiring. I would be very worried if he became prime minister

Gordon Brown did really well, knows what he is talking about, but David Cameron has better ideas and seems to have done his homework about what business are worried about and the impact on the economy.

Not changed my mind, GB for me. I also can not beleive how many people fell for NC name checking people who asked questions, that is the oldest trick in the book and not very original especially as he was reading them. I do like DC but not so keen on the rest on his party.

I have to say that I agree with the scrapping of the Child Trust Fund.

I agree with Nick Clegg's annoying habit of putting his hand in his pocket, but it was probably nerves.

Was up all night worrying about GB's multilateral nuclear response . . . so we need to build new nukes so that there are more to throw at Iran if they misbehave? Sounds like the end of the world. NC was exactly right that this is outdated cold war thinking.

I found the pandering (unsung heros, brave troops blah blah blah) nauseating and a waste of time. More substance please!

I don't think GB or DC broke out of their traditional roles . . . GB defending and DC attacking. NC came across as an ordinary pol with his pandering, too bad.

But then we are to be voting for the policies, not the people, no?