To wonder if anyone can explain why Theresa May is refusing to do any live interviews when she called this election?

[Bearbehind]

As far as I can see TM called this GE because she arrogantly assumed she'd walk it.

Unfortunately for her JC has upped his game and every time someone poses a question to her she rattles off some soundbite starting with 'let me be clear...' and completely ignores he question.

Can anyone defend the fact that she wouldn't participate in the live tv debate and now won't do any radio interviews either?

Shouldn't we be able to expect more from a PM?

Aw, c'mon Bear, it'd be boring if we all agreed

'Most odd that a couple of posters have popped up on a thread about TM just to slag off JC'

They've both been on the same programme though? So one poster says oh TM said etc etc then surely it's obvious others will say well JC said..?

There will always be huge polarisation between Labour and Tory.

But this time I see a leeching away from Tories. Maybe that is because now they can see that Corbyn is not the devil in disguise he was painted out to be.

Forget about Diane Abbot for now, she is easily replaced sorry Diane, we have to look at the big picture.

No one side of this is perfect. But which side will assist the majority of people? That's what I always ask myself now.

Big business, banking, property investors, million..... sorry billionaires will always be there and will not ever really have to be too concerned really.

But those who do not have the silver spoon would like to be acknowledged too. They (we) are the squeezed middle. Neither abjectly poor nor filthy rich. The forgotten cohort that pays for everything.

It's odd because they hadn't parcipated in the thread before and started slagging him off before he had drawn breath.

Are you talking about me? Actually he'd already been talking for 10mins and I was commenting in a similar manner to previous comments regarding the show

"All killing is wrong"

Wow,who knew.

I find him disingenuous and he contradicts himself. Just my opinion!

soda there is an awful lot of anecdata about lifelong Tory voters defecting to the lefter-leaning parties thanks to Brexit & TM.

What difference, if any, that will make remains to be seen.

I see so many people without a political home to go to, planning to spoil their votes and so on. And I resent tactical voting with a passion (so I didn't). IMO, the sooner we have proportional representation, the better.

But I recognise this is unlikely to happen any time soon, if even in my lifetime.

Answer the bloody question Jeremy.

I wish when he said you need to talk to people to resolve conflict someone had asked him 'yes but you're bit a selective in which side you talk to aren't you?'.

I find him disingenuous and he contradicts himself

Could you elaborate mistletoe?

What has JC contradicted himself on?

Given May has become the u-turn queen (turns out the social housing pledge in the manifesto isn't all it seemed either) how is JC worse?

Plinky,

I come from a country that has PR.

It means (as I am very sure you know already!) that marginal parties/indos can get a seat if that is the will of the voters. It is also fascinating, as the counts can go on for yonks. Not just past midnight on the night of elections/by elections as happens in FPTP.

It is not called proportional representation for nothing. It really does mean that every vote from no.1 to no. whatever on the ballot paper is so useful, and even if one is not in favour of tactical voting, it can work so well under PR.

It is REPRESENTATIVE of the people's choice, rather than a two horse race.

Best of luck to you all. I shall be watching from afar.

Enjoying the threads on the elections. It's good to discuss, because there is not too much of that going on elsewhere!

We'll just in this debate

Small businesses - we will help.

What are you actually going to do?

• put up your wage bill
• put up your tax bill

Errrr

• I talked to them

soda I grew up in a country with PR. It makes a hell of a difference.

I think Brexit was, in part, a reaction to people feeling politically powerless, because in many constituencies their votes count for nothing. The vote I made this week will count for nothing. It's total shit.

I don't know why Britain is so against political cooperation, but we apparently are. Hence why the Lib Dems crashed and burned in 2015, seen as propping up the Tories, rather than tempering them. Maybe FPTP fosters oppositional politics more than other systems, I don't know.

mistletoe he said many small and medium businesses wouldn't face increased taxes.

How do you compare that with the Tories backtracking on manefesto pledges before they've even been voted in?

I think JC did brilliantly. He so obviously has principles and cares for all above the few. He expressed that very clearly. He answered pretty much all the questions with actual examples and answers, and used reason to appeal the audience.

He didn't bring up Trident; someone asked him and other people wouldn't let it go. Who really would like to press the button? Why didn't someone ask TM if she'd like to press the button?
I really hope the younger voters get out there and vote for Corbyn. (And the older ones too).

Mistletoe - he said he'd give tax relief to small businesses.

@Plinky,

Thanks for the info.

I have to say that I just don't understand why any party (other than L or C) would put themselves out there on the ballot paper on FPTP. There is little point is there?

Take the LibDems for example. Under PR they would get so many more seats than at present, and that would be representative wouldn't it?

But then someone is going to come along and say, Hey, I'm glad there is no PR because UKIP would have cleaned up.

But surely that is the will of the people.

As Ms May is saying so often now. But it's not really true WRT to elections is it.

Anyway, not my country, so I should shut up now!

Well, under FPTP we have what is essentially Blukip since the Tories have to cater to the rightest-wingers to retain power. So the Tories have shifted right and shed their leftier-wingers while trying to have it all.

Nobody asked about Northern Ireland tonight, did they? Odd, since it's going to be a massive problem.

Plinky,

NI is not on anyone's radar at all.

And yet it will turn out to be a big issue under Brexit. If immigration is as big an issue that it is made out to be. Just fly/ferry into Dublin or Rosslare and off you go up North and into Britain.

So a hard border is on the cards IMV, unless no one cares. So what's all this about immigration pray tell?

But it is an issue for many, just not for the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is the term used!

I really hope things do not regress after the Good Friday Agreement.

So many things happening with Brexit just the same. Some more important than others it would seem.

Theresa May has ran out of Tresemme

Made me laugh so much I nearly peed my pants. Must be bedtime!

Corbyn didn't answer questions as per usual.
He never does - he just launches into manifesto monologue.

TM was better than I expected her to be.

Corbyn didn't answer questions as per usual.
He never does - he just launches into manifesto monologue.
Did you watch the same debate as us or not?
I think his timing, arguments and body language was far superior to May who looked thoroughly uncomfortable and as if she had practiced all questions a dozen times.

charmageddon aren't you a Tory voter?

Why are your expectations so low for the person you want to lead the country?

Because her record is indefensible and she can't defend it