To think three female party leaders should manage a debate without group cuddling on stage?

[Arsenic]

Just pfft.

YANBU. It was embarrassing. That sort of gendered tribalism does women no favours.

I'm also annoyed about the patronising way in which commentators talk about how "nice" it is to see women debating. No matter it seems that one of them is an airhead, one a lunatic and one a demagogue. Not a reasonable or rational idea between them. As long as some skirts are on stage that is apparently progress. Urgh.

Is that you Nigel?

I doubt it was their idea - more likely something the tabloids wanted.

I think united together, they are formidable enough to bring about some real change and more social justice to politics.

I hope not! Two of them do not and cannot represent the vast majority of the electorate. Whatever changes either wants to bring about will be to the detriment of most of Britain. Nicola Sturgeon's raison d'etre particularly is just to keep the Tories out. She doesn't seem to have anything else to say.

Sadly the greens have one MP and may not have any after the election (apparently the people of Brighton aren't that enamoured with them). Don't know if they are likely to win any other seats but it seems unlikely they will have enough to influence anything.

I am all for social justice and change but those three are not the three to bring it about. I don't know who is.

Agree Big

I haven't seen anything from any of the 3 women in terms of real policies - lots of rhetoric and promises but nothing about how they would actually deliver, and Nicola Sturgeon is becoming like a, irritating, wee yappy dug who's bark is stuck on "I hate the Tories". I'm delighted that Milliband has ruled out a coalition with them.

Better than the arseholes in the House of Commons shouting at one another and jeering like 12 year old boys!

I'd rather see hugging than that! Get more hugging women in!

Couldn't we aspire to neither jeering nor cuddling??

You know, just grown-ups doing politics like adults?

It was embarrassing. That sort of gendered tribalism does women no favours.

Yes indeed scatter

Agree Arsenic - neither jeering nor hugging is required (from either gender)

oh god no really? ....how cringey and they impressed me last night too.

Why can't they hug? Why is a formal handshake 'better' than a hug?

BigBoobiedBertha - my impression of the greens in Brighton (mum and dad live there) is that although the green council seems to get on everyone's nerves (rubbish for cars, expensive buses, something about bins) most people really like Caroline Lucas as a an individual. I reckon (and hope!) she'll stay in.

I don't know how I feel about it. I am not a hugger and hate people being within 9 feet of me so from a personal point of view, I find it uncomfortable.

BUT.

I think the absolute pressure of the election must be immense. Last night they stood up in front of our nation and debated. It was massively stressful I imagine and my initial reaction was that it was a response to having survived that and also in a climate of a receptive audience, the right wing wazzock on the end absolutely floundering and a real feel of solidarity and unity around wanting things to be better. Whatever I think of their policies and abilities, I do think all three of those women genuinely care and are passionate about politics. I also like the fact that they can come together at the end of a big debate and remain civil, friendly and open with each other. They take up separate positions but they share something too. They are women in a traditionally male-dominated sphere and they stood up and were heard last night. It's a really lovely charge I think. A few times last night I felt a little fizz of pride at the way women are moving into leadership and I liked the fact they were the majority. It probably felt bloody great. It's a tiny start.

Maybe it was a cynical, contrived manoeuvre. In that case, it's hardly remarkable in politics but for now I'm going to see it optimistically. This is my last surge of hope that the general election might bring about real, positive change. Don't worry. It won't last. By May, I'll be despondent again.

They hugged, so what. I think I'm going to adopt that as my stance. I'm not going to tell them what they can and can't do with their own physical levels of contact. As long as they don't hug me, more power to their cuddles.

Sadly the greens have one MP and may not have any after the election (apparently the people of Brighton aren't that enamoured with them). Don't know if they are likely to win any other seats but it seems unlikely they will have enough to influence anything.

I don't think Natalie's weird bellowing session last night will have helped them either.

So strange to do these anodyne presentation-focused events and yet they all keep screwing the presentation up.

The absences were the biggest news last night.

Stupid and embarrassing and has put women in politics back years. How can you take a group of silly girlies hugging seriously?

I thought it was great! I'm all for politics where politicians are prepared to agree with other parties (where relevant), accept change and show that they are prepared to change their ideas to adapt. Too long, we've had party politics where disagreeing with the opposition is key. Last night it felt, in the absence of the Tories & Lib Dems, that we are moving much more to an issue-based political system, which is a good thing!

If the hugs were genuine, then good on them. Why should women have to emulate men to be taken seriously? I don't think hugging should be standard, but as I say, if it's genuine then I don't see the problem. You'd see it in sport & most other major competitions.

That's the thing though, they are not 'a group of silly girlies'. They are grown women, and successful politicians. If they wan't to hug after appearing in a stressful event let them hug. I don't think 'silly boys' when athletes hug after a sporting event.

I too am interested to know how women displaying open affection/relief makes them 'silly girlies'. Presumably, hugging is silly and somehow related to your sex? If you are a man, are you a silly boy if you hug somebody?

There's a lot of hugging goes on during/after the count in our local elections. It's a mixture of relief, shared experience and acknowledgment of hard work. Is that okay because it's a mixture of men and women?

Too long, we've had party politics where disagreeing with the opposition is key

I don't see that hugging at the end of televised debates is somehow the opposite of an adverserial political system Max

Why should women have to emulate men to be taken seriously?

I'm not at all in agreement that non-hugging is an essentially male thing either (or vice versa).

A bit of professionalism and gravitas would have been nice, though.

They only had to hold on for the green room, after all.

There's a lot of hugging goes on during/after the count in our local elections. It's a mixture of relief, shared experience and acknowledgment of hard work. Is that okay because it's a mixture of men and women?

True grant. I'm a bit partial to an election night scrum myself. But that's election night; the very culmination of weeks of campaigning and pavement-pounding and debating etc. It's emotional and sleep-deprived and special rules apply Plus it's partisan and not gender segregated.

These three were weeks premature last night. It looked like a girls club. And over-emotional for the context.

I'd feel the same if I saw female barristers huddling with the (female) opposition, squealing and flapping hands at their mascara at the end of each day in court.

I just don't think it was particularly unprofessional. PMQs behaviour is far worse!

Either it was spontaneous, in which case good on them, or they have been advised to do it, in which case I'm sure their advisers have their reasons.

I and some others on this thread found it personal and a nice change from the norm. I am sure we aren't alone amongst the electorate.

I can't see the problem with the hugging.

Lots of people are naturally quite tactile, and in general, women probably are so than men. So if were going to have more women in politics, then why shouldn't they do what comes naturally to them? I don't see why they should be made to be all stoic and behave in the way that groups of male politicians would traditionally behave. They aren't men, they are women, and it's ok for them to do things differently.

Maybe it wouldn't be seen as quite so odd if women had been around in politics from the beginning.

Either it was spontaneous, in which case good on them

Well they could have included poor old Ed. He looked quite lost with his arms dangling

or they have been advised to do it, in which case I'm sure their advisers have their reasons.

Please no. If it's strategy, I am really quite disturbed.

I'd better not go into politics then. I'm a woman and I'm not at all tactile. I bloody hate cuddling. If a random other lay-dee politician decided to swoop in for a spontaneous hug, I'd probably have a knee-jerk reaction and accidentally chin them. Wouldn't look good on You-Tube.

So if were going to have more women in politics, then why shouldn't they do what comes naturally to them? I don't see why they should be made to be all stoic and behave in the way that groups of male politicians would traditionally behave. They aren't men, they are women, and it's ok for them to do things differently.

Oh FFS.

Refraining from cuddling at WORK (in politics, no less - serious stuff) is stoical??

And women naturally cuddle? That's their default? The only reason politics isn't more huggy is because it has been traditionally male-dominated? Really!?