To think what you look like in politics really shouldn't matter?

[Loopylala7]

I'm not necessarily a labour voter, but I've just been a bit shocked at the outpouring of people who I've heard say they wouldn't vote for Ed Milliband simply because of his looks. I mean seriously? The last time I checked I voted because of a parties principals, not because of what the leader looked like. I mean there have been some incredible world leaders who wouldn't of made the cat walks, equally I can't ever see a super model in number 10? What's wrong with people?

Apart from those in the party leaders' constituencies, none of use will be voting for David Cameron or Ed Miliband or Nick Clegg et al.

I do not vote for parties (although my thoughts are Conservative). I vote for a person. We had a superb Labour MP not so long ago and I voted for him until he retired because he represented us and helped us personally if we needed it. I do not vote for our current Conservative MP because he does nothing personal for us and he just toes the party line. At the moment, I'm thinking of voting UKIP.

Don't vote for a party. Vote for a person.

(Um - Neville Chamberlain didn't lead a post-war reforming government, did you mean Clement Attlee?) I agree totally OP.

I would like it if journalists refused to write about politician's appearance and about their partners unless they do something newsworthy in their own right, and published pictures of them only in their offices or on some public photoshoot. This would include not pandering to them when they want to boost their profiles by, I don't know, a photoshoot dressed only in a sheet, or standing casually in their kitchen.

Sadly this belief doesn't stop me reading this crap when they publish it [shout put out own eyes emoticon]

Given a choice between supposedly charisma-less Miliband and charismatic Putin - ye gods and little fishes, if that's what charisma gets you give me the sensible non-psychopath every time!

I don't want a party leader to strut about on the world stage doing half naked photoshoots straddling a horse. I want them to be sane, have empathy and intelligence.

YANBU, I agree with you OP. It is an indicator of how crap the newspaper is if all they can do is judge on appearance and I am looking at you Daily Fail as the ringleader.

For the person saying vote for a person rather than a party - unfortunately that person is a representative of a political party and will be constrained by the party whip.

People should vote for the party whose policies most closely reflect their own beliefs. However, some areas of the media (I'm looking at you Daily Mail) seem obsessed with image and shallowness. This is also the paper, remember, that just before the Scottish vote ran a story about how neither Nicola Sturgeon or Alex Salmond were able to understand the needs of Scotland because they don't have children .

This campaign is just going to get worse and more personal because, unfortunately, David Cameron only has image and PR to fall back on and Ed Milliband is an easy target.

There was a hilarious comment in the independent a week or so ago, about Theresa May taking her bosoms in to work with her. I think it was Katy Guest. She suggested that TM should concentrate less on being Home Secretary, and more on dressing in a way that doesn't Scare The Men.

People have voted for non good looking politicians in the past.

I agree that with Ed it isn't his looks, it's his lack of confidence. He doesn't come across like a leader. If his brother was labour leader I suspect labour would win the election easily.

It's not abou looks it's about being up to the job and franky he appers not t be being a party leader is like a job interview and he's not up to the job I would rather imagin of you aapapr to be weak then it's unlikey you will be able to secure any high powered job let alone the one to run the counrty

I think the left have to keep pushing this because they know ed the duck dosent have IT

Haha I am even starting to hear it's a media conspricey they sound like the UKIP people as that's what what they say when NF comes across like a Pratt

First impressions count other wise we would got meetinging with our pjs on and breakfast in our hair his first impression was a weak ,backstabbing two kitchen fool

Even the fucking notes he had at the debat

"ReLish the chance to show who you are " lol

And he didn't even appear in his own political video had the campabin soclist Martian freeman who avoids tax , won't use the nhs and send his children t private school

Oh and even his own mps think he's a dick that's why they didn't vote for him as leader he was shooter in my the unions who thought they would have a puppet

They didn't want the other brother because his string and would not allow himself to be ruled the unions thought themselfs to haves stooge and alltheyhave done is either secured another Tory goverment or a snp one even if labour did get in with a minority he's not strong enought to work with the snp labour will be the birth regardless of how many seats they have and Nicola will befrimly in the driving seat

99pokerface - I don't actually understand much of what you post, but it sounds very much like bigoted nonsense.

99 er what?

99pokerface We get that you're anti EM, but you might want to repost so what you're saying makes sense.

Tony Blair started it. Back in the good old days politicians were not judged on looks. Think of Winston Churchill, Harold Wilson etc.... I'm sure Walpole was no looker either.

Ed M isn't that bad looking, it's his mannerisms that don't do him any favours I think.

You are right that looks shouldn't come into it, but judging on looks happens in most areas of life, not just politics. People have to be very mindful of the impressions that get of politicians based on looks. That's why I won't let osbournes smarmy face that creeps me right out stop me form voting conservative if theirs are the policies I decide I like best.

I agree OP - look at a party's policies and vote for whichever one best fits with your priorities and opinions, rather than whichever party has the most PMish looking leader, for goodness sake.
How good someone looks eating a bacon sandwich should have absolutely no bearing on their leadership skills.

I think that a lot of the EM 'doesn't have charisma' 'doesn't have 'it' ' 'doesn't look like a leader' stuff is a perception based on the ridiculous photos the press keep publishing. He is, by all accounts, a very able debater - which is surely exactly what you want from a leader on the world stage?

I agree with the posters up thread about it not being about looks per se but about the overall package

I've said previously that I just don't see Ed as a world leader. Apply the G20 photo call test: Merkel, Obama, Putin and.....Miliband? Really??

I think the trouble is that people either do not give the matter of politics enough serious thought, or are perceived not to be giving the matter serious thought. Hence the silly posturing on telly. It doesn't help that the parties are squabbling over the middle ground. It's not like the days of Thatcher, where politics was about conviction.

To be fair to the politicians, it must be difficult to put your policies forward and be taken seriously in an era where looks seem to matter more than anything else, and where most of the electorate probably don't care that much anyway.

From what I've seen of Prime Ministers' Questions, Ed wins out over Dave on a regular basis.

Merkel is a great example - not glamourous (but probably could be with a makeover) but doesn't give a shit beciase she is too busy doing a serious job as a leader of a major Western power. A total inspiration and role model!! Which gives the lie to the OP's post - real talent - and I mean REAL talent - will out.

I like the sound of a campabin socialist, that sounds a bit like me

Tony Blair really didn't 'start it', Mrs Thatcher had image consultants and there was a reason Harold Wilson smoked a pipe in public and cigars in private. You could say that Churchill was a superb brand manager way back into the 20s when he appeared on film with the police at the Sydney Street siege [slightly vague on details here but I remember the image]. But I agree that the 24-hour news cycle and obsessive all-details brand management was very strong in New Labour. You only have to look at the coverage Neil Kinnock got to see why.

However, I do believe there is a thread of reality in this. People genuinely couldn't see Neil Kinnock as prime minister. In terms of doing the job I think he would have been fine, but if you can't get a mandate, you can't do the job. Sadly I think the same is true of Ed Miliband. It's interesting that he has been framed as a hopeless bungler when I think he is probably far more ruthless about real policy than Cameron. Cameron is ruthless on public image, he is a PR professional after all.

Good point about Kinnock, I'm regularly reminded of how the Tory papers covered Neil Kinnock when I see reporting about Ed Miliband.

It's ridiculous to base on looks I agree, I wouldn't vote for him and his party but that's not because I think he looks creepily soulless (imo), it's because I don't trust them to look after me and mine and do what's best for anyone but themselves.

Sorry in answer to my earlier point. The late robin Cook said he was too ugly to be pm :(