TV Debate - who did best?

Very true alicatte! I think DC will be kicking whoever advised him to take that particular tack.

Haven't got my login for journals here but some bbc details on uk rehab figures here

Nick Clegg came okay but I don't think he won the debate, well not for me anyway.

GB surprised me and came across much better than I'd thought.

Cameron was just dreadful, but no big shocker there.

Wonder if he's on the phone to China now, explaining his faux pas on nuclear weapons?

KurriKurri, On another strand I saw a really interesting saying 'However many anecdotes you tell they can never add up to a fact'

DC's anecdotes were awful and mostly inaccurate. If you commit arson you can get a life sentence even if you don't actually kill anyone - you might only get 4.5 years for the burglary but you'd get a lot more for the arson. Judges set sentences anyway not politicians. That was just BS. As was the Bulgaria thing. And of course they won't fund every single whoppingly expensive cancer drug. Thats just a lie. No party can promise to buy every drug going whatever the cost. And I hate that he used his son all the time. As a parent of SN child I think if he can't sort out his direct payments form he definitely should not be Prime Minister, its really not that hard especially when someone comes to your house and talks you through it. And I don't know where he got his 3 lever arch files from. I would imagine there was more paperwork in paying the nanny.

GB did better than I thought,when he started I thought oh no big lecture, but he came across better after a few questions.

NC did well but not enough to make me feel he could run the economy or cope with a terrorist attack tomorrow

What was interesting was that DC didn't say anything in answering any of the questions about his big society idea or basically refer to his manifesto at all and then in summing up talked about the big society for the first time. which just made it obvious that its completely impractical and not the solution he claims it is, it wasn't relevant to any of the issues - immigration, schools, healthcare, crime etc all of these do need a big state solution not a big society / DIY solution which is just Thatcherite self help dressed up.

And of course businesses will speak out against increased taxes - these are the same people who said the minimum wage was wrong and would put Britain out of business when in fact vast majority of businesses absorbed the minimum wage just fine.

Not sure DC or NC can afford to cut class sizes in a recession though - my school already has 2 classes in portacabins if they cut class sizes by a third they would have to find an extra 7 class rooms or build a new school to house the infants as well as extra staff costs.

Evidence base for that?

Sure it works for some but overall is quite ineffective. Point is DC gave no solutions/proposals/promises.........just a vague opinion masquerading as a policy

Ponders I work in an area affiliated to (but not precisely) drug rehab. I'll believe the Tories funding it when I see it. We are all very worried at the thought of them coming into power.

Then again Ed Milliband who I am watching now also has that smooth skin maybe its an epidemic amongst politicians. Well except Boris Johnson.

Nick Clegg had least to lose - he couldn't really fail.

GB - did well in something which is not his strongest suit.

DC - blew it with his 'I was talking to ......' anecdotes. Awful, the more debates he has to take part in the more his weaknesses will become apparent IMO.

I hadn't thought of that Shrinking Violet. He does have very smooth, and winter holiday tanned, looking skin doesn't he?! Surely not.

one of my kids works in drug rehab & it does work for some, LadyBB - would be better if it worked for more but you know, baby steps...

They are all v concerned that if the Tories get in their budgets will be slashed, so it was vaguely comforting to hear him acknowledge that rehab is one measure to help reduce crime (as opposed to banging them all up)

Ponders - nice thoughts about drug users but he gave no actual solutions

Yes, lets get drug users off drugs. Great, not thought of that.

So, how, exactly?

Rehab is pretty much ineffective, so what DC, what are you proposing?

Although Clegg gave the best performance, as Hague said in the after show analysis, it will be interesting to see how his figures/policies stand up under scrutiny. I felt that some of his figures were plucked from thin air and without substance and his policies unworkable.

oh and also i'm so angry that the Lib Dems and the Tories will take away child trust funds. they've been great. That's the money that might make the difference between our children going to university or not when they get older. It also encouraged us to start saving for them. Poorer familys would need it even more. One of the best things labour did. Showed a real commitment to getting working class families into higher education

wonder if DC was told to frown to show he wasn't botoxed [cynical].
Also thought it was interesting that Clegg and Cameron stayed on the stage together at the end for the long camera shots while Brown had disappeared off.

I really expected more from david cameron but he was weak and patronising. Clegg was lovely but he can say what he likes. Gordon Brown was so much better than i thought he'd be - he clearly knows his beans and I just trust him more

Also think DC sounded like he was on Newsround for children.....explaining things in very simple terms to reach the lowest common denominator audience.

Slightly depressing, as may work.

aha, forgot, I was surprised & impressed by what DC said about therapy for drugs users to get them off crime.

(but I don't believe for a minute that he meant it )

NC was v.g but then he isn't a real contender for PM (more's the pity) so was less constrained that the others. However, came over very well, appeared genuine, will have won over a few voters I would think.

DC like sixth former debater/Daily Mail headliner.(I just simply didn't believe that anecdote about robber setting fire to sofa killing child and 'only being sent to prison for 4 years' etc etc.....). Came up with lots of inflammatory anecdotes but not much in the way of solutions to the problems.

Tend to think he wouldn't have had much to do with the NHS were it not for him having a very disabled child. But he was genuine in his thanks for the NHS nevertheless, I imagine (didn't have much choice emoticon).

GB looking like elder statesman, if a little dull and 'forced'. Don't know why he didn't labour the point (excuse the pun) on education that everyone should have a decent education regardless of wealth (i.e. paying for private education).

I always think it would be a better Tory policy to send the kids to private school so then they can slag off the state school system etc. AND continue the privilege in one foul swoop.

He missed a trick there DC. How can he slate the education system created by Labour and at the same time say his kids go to a "fantastic state school"

Just pondering

I think Nick Clegg came over very well - bit excitable but full of ideas. I can really remember the things he said too. I don't think I agree about Trident though. School class sizes would make the biggest difference - I think.

David Cameron frowned all the time and he seemed uncomfortable he didn't answer some of the questions too. The cameras kept showing him frowning - he kept on doing it except for the rehearsed bit at the end - I was surprised. I remember him saying he wanted to have a bigger drugs fund. But then he said he wanted to make government cuts too. I thought he had costed it all out.

Gordon Brown came over better than I expected, he's not the best public speaker in the world but he did seem to know his stuff. It would be nice to have those reforms for home care for the elderly - I didn't know he was planning that.

It was nice at the end when Gordon Brown started shaking hands with the audience - and then the others joined in. It made me warm to him. Well a bit.

sorry, what? he said he'd found it hard, the poor pet. doesn't inspire much confidence. but yeah, you enjoy the sob stories... that's the measure of the man, that he's prepared to exploit the memory of his dead child.

you were obviously on your second glass of bolly AitchTwoZone as you missed the point he was trying to make about needless paperwork.

I thought Nick Clegg was fantastic. I had expectations but he really was good.

I thought Cameron was too polished and too insubstantial. I expected him to do far better. Gordon is Gordon and much as I expected.

Clegg by a mile.