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

[Arsenic]

Just pfft.

No, not wild, and of course, mine is only an opinion too.

I woudont hug in business meeting because it don't have them, but I have certainly hugged colleagues before and I've never known it to be an issue. There's a time and a place obviously, but I don't see why the end of a debate like the one last night should be a wrong place for it.

It's not that women are more emotional then men, just that they aren't conditioned to hide their emotions in the same way men are. I don't really think it's about emotion though, I really think they were just using a different way of being friendly and supportive to each other.

Why ask is somebody hugs constantly in business meetings? This is one hug in amongst hours of campaigning and late nights and travelling round and reading and arguing and trying to do a good job. One hug. One moment of respite. You are filling it with meaning that isn't there. Nobody is constantly hugging anybody. Nicola wasn't on Leanne's leg, clinging and crying while they debated the NHS. They did their jobs, they stood up in front of the nation and its vultures and they came back together at the end of it in a way that is unremarkable. At worst it was just a human moment.

I am as interested in them hugging as I am in the discussion about their hair, shoes, general appearance, how old they look and whether they look good eating a sandwich.

Loads of people hug at the end of 'events' work or otherwise My builders hug me a fair bit!

These women are amazing and I'm so glad that we have them as role models instead of that women Thatcher that blighted women's politics for decades.

Role models?

Regardless, IMO it looked unprofessional and immediately reduced them to giggling schoolgirls in the eyes of many of the public (myself included). I also wasn't impressed with Nicola Sturgeon being the Wendy - "Ed, be my friend or else...." Again, she's managed to put herself right back in the playground when she had previously made inroads in showing more professionalism.

Jesus H. Saying the women are guilty of gendered tribalism?? In British politics??? Fuck me. They're the only ones out there, in an industry (and world) dominated by a shouty rich privileged boys club men.

I thought it was great - a spontaneous, natural demonstration that politics can be collaborative and respectful rather than adversarial and aggressive.

The best aspect of this election has been these three women coming to the fore. Bloody fantastic!

(Just said goodbye to a client today and got a big hug from the two directors , one male, one female. Traditional heavy manufacturing business i.e. not a luvvie marketing agency or the like! )

I actually do like the women. I agree that the men in politics for the most part behave abysmally. And yes, if the men and women had filtered around giving each other greetings and a hug here and there, I'd have thought nothing of it. But the group hug with just the women looked unprofessional and silly IMO. Obviously not everyone will agree, and I have no issue with that. As I said, from a professional and political standpoint, I do like the women and think they have added a lot more depth to the political frenzy that goes on prior to elections.

Is it possible to have a coalition that has 3 parties in it? Or does it have to be 2? I think that Labour, Plaid and SNP could balance each other out a bit.

Okay. Obviously my question has broken you all... or you're all stunned that I could perhaps ask such a ridiculous question. But hey, don't ask, don't know, right?

wakey wakey......

Speaking as someone desperate for a good woman to vote for this stuff upsets me. I think if you're a naturally huggy, kissy type you're probably ok with it. I'm from the firm handshake school so loathe this sort of behaviour.

There has to be an alternative to the shouty twattishness of pmq's other than this.

I actually really like Theresa May. She is a Tory but is dignified, calm and has managed to control the Home Office a bloody sight better than any predecessor I can remember. She's also had to face down the police, deal with budget cuts etc. She is a far better example of a woman politician IMO.

wasabi, we probably have v different view points because I think Theresa May is awful. Her record is atrocious imo. However, as somebody who despises hugging and public displays of affection and doesn't even like firm handshakes, I still see no problem with what happened last night. Because I am not them and am in no position to comment on their feelings in that moment. It was a hug, not a flashing of breasts and a scream of "I am woman hear me roar".

And " immediately reduced them to giggling schoolgirls in the eyes of many of the public" Alice? Seriously. So no matter if they gave the roaring debate of their lives, had statistics and figures to back up the best policies you've ever heard. Even if they had fulfilled their remit in every way possible? One, single hug immediately reduces them down to infant levels? They are suddenly rendered ridiculous. THIS is the problem with politics. People are so swayed by tiny inconsequential acts that they can't see the important bit anymore. Same the other way. One clever soundbite like broken Britain or some wild figure with regards to immigration and that is the thing people talk about.

I think it's just opinion. Either you think they should have hugged or you don't. Or you don't give a tiny shit. Absolutely stating that it means xyz is impossible.

And yes you can have more than two parties in a coalition.

I think it's great they hugged-it suggests they might be there for ideological reasons and are genuinely open to working together, as opposed to the crappy 'us against them' adversarial politics that mess up every nation.

Actually, to me it suggested the exact opposite of that - to me it reinforced the 'us against them'. They very pointedly left out the other two members of the debate. If you leave gender out of it, they split the group in 2 by their actions. The three of them might be able to work together but they aren't in reality actually going to be working together are they? Two of them are leaders in two different countries. The third, the leader of a tiny minority party. Their ability to work together in any real way, will be severely limited yet they turned their backs on one party that might be able to bring them together in government and give them the opportunity to be part of that government.

Politics should be gender neutral. Shake hands, smile and move on to the Green room to dissect the evening.

And no I have never hugged a colleague. Well, except DH but that is a whole other story.

yet they turned their backs on one party that might be able to bring them together in government and give them the opportunity to be part of that government

As I recall it was nicola sturgeon offering to work with Ed Miliband and lock the Tories out of power - and his blank refusal- which was one of the high points of the debate

I thought human beings being human was rather refreshing

Theresa May?!? She needs to go in the same way as Cameron does

It was also a lot less 'emotional' than Farage humphing off by himself at the end

Theresa May is beneath contempt. Unless you think a British man's own foreign-born kids should be deported because he doesn't earn $$$$$.

I dont see why not beats the well done old boy back slap women dont need to be all straight laced and stiff upper lip to talk politics they shouldnt need to be like the men i quite liked that they hugged