to be irritated by this Nick Clegg love-in?

[gramercy]

I can't believe some of the comments I've read on here.

Somehow NC must be above reproach; it doesn't matter if there are expenses questions, donor questions, any questions. And heaven forfend that he is quizzed on policy. How very dare anyone challenge him? It would be soooo mean.

David Cameron is on the receiving end of comments on here about his poshness, but NC's privileged background is OK. Likewise his children attending a favoured Catholic primary school (because his wife is a Catholic - he isn't and professes atheism) - that's fine. But if DC sends his children to a nice faith school - that's bad. (Both as bad as each other, there, imo.)

If people support NC's "fairness" he keeps banging on about, then at least be fair in challenging him as well!

"Maximum class sizes of 16!? Great in theory, but how big will the schools have to be to house the extra classrooms needed!? And where are all the extra teachers going to come from when they are already leaving the profession in droves? And where's all the money going to come from to pay for all of it?"

Didgeridoo teachers are leaving the profession but many more are re-training every year. Having applied this year to get a place to do my pgce I'm very aware of the high competition to get a place. Hundreds of applications for just 20 places etc. And to be completely honest, I feel the conservative and labour policies on education are far far worse!

I don't find the idea that parents should be able to share parental leave between them scary. I don't find a commitment to environmental change through the EU scary. I don't find a taxing higher earners more, scary either - and we are top earners! I don't even find the EU scary. I'm not scared, what can I say?

Though when reading all the parties manifesto's it is quite hard to disagree with any of them. They all want a fairer society for instance.

I am a teeny bit scared at the thought of having to open and run a secondary school though

YANBU
All I could think, when I saw on the Sunday (in the Times) after the debate that Nick Clegg's approval ratings had gone through the roof was "MY WORD this country is populated by brainless morons" What did he do? Go on TV, talk a bit, not make as much of an idiot of himself as DC and GB, and all of a sudden, he's apparently nearly as popular as Churchill - whereas Churchill at the time of those ratings had just guided the country through one of the most horrific wars in the history of mankind; the first to extensively involve civilians and with the country under direct attack from the Nazis.

I despair, I honestly do.

I agree, abs. It is totally bewildering that the electorate can be so shallow.

Can not stand the man. Weak, terribly 'wishy-washy' with vague policies and a sidekick who fancies himself a Rasputin.
Doesn't help that he reminds me so much of my ex boysfriend, both in looks and personality etc. wise. While a lovely person, dahlin ex was such a babyfaced weakling, nice, yes but oh how weak. Can't stand weakness in men.
NC reeks of it.

Gosh rollmops - that's certainly a politically informed and incisive and not at all shallow opinion you've formed there.

Abs - this genuine question - what approval ratings? I thought WC voted out after WW 2. No? Not popular at all - everyone ready for a new world order immediately after the war. . . or do you mean when he was voted back in later?

YANBU

So many of the Lib Dem policies haven't come under scrutiny.

In the debate, he basically said "I'm not like the other two" without having his own ideas discussed at all.

Vince Cable totally fell apart yesterday on the Chancellor's debate.

The Tories and Labour get this press scrutiny all the time - yes, much of it unfair. Remember all the brouhaha about Gordon Brown's bullying, or George Osborne and Peter Mandelson's yacht trips - all of which came down to absolutely nothing? The Lib Dems, if they are to become a serious party instead of just a protest vote, are going to have to learn to take the rough with the smooth.

Anyway, at least now the Lib Dems will have to defend their policies instead of just sniping piously from the sidelines.

How are they going to enforce regional immigration controls? Stasi-style border police at every train station?

Votes for convicted prisoners, just because the EU says so? No thank you. Even if it was a political issue worth debating, what business is it of the EU anyway? Why shouldn't such matters be decided at the national level?

A tax on new houses? How nice to kick the construction industry in the teeth when it most needs support. And adding £15000 to house prices overnight - that'll do great things for the bubble property market...

They claim to save £100bn from scrapping Trident, but poke just beneath the surface and they will have to tell you that the replacement will almost certainly cost more.

They have tried to face all ways on so many issues for too long. Now that they have a serious shot at power, they are being called on it.

And frankly, any university student in the country knows that when you are involved in a society, you set up a separate bank account. Whilst he might not have done anything wrong in setting up the direct debits from the lobbyists, it is hardly good judgement to use a personal bank account for political purposes. At best, it is shockingly naive. And if you want to paint yourself as whiter than white, holier than thou - then you should damn well go out of your way to ensuring it is true.

Nick Clegg will now be the favourite for the two upcoming debates. I wonder if he will do so well now that his policies will come under real fire.

yes longfingernails - I think it'll be interesting to hear him on his policies too tonight.

They've not been given much air time - I imagine they are thrilled to have the opportunity.

I did think he talked policy at the last debate though, tbh. As much as the others.

"And frankly, any university student in the country knows that when you are involved in a society, you set up a separate bank account. Whilst he might not have done anything wrong in setting up the direct debits from the lobbyists, it is hardly good judgement to use a personal bank account for political purposes. At best, it is shockingly naive. And if you want to paint yourself as whiter than white, holier than thou - then you should damn well go out of your way to ensuring it is true."

Very true, it'll be a long few weeks til election time

100x - This is from the Times articles, but yes, it was the approval ratings that Churchill received a few months before being being voted out.

Here

I won't vote LibDem because I have some fundamental disagreements with them on foreign policy.

For the Euro, I'm not against the UK joining, just not now. The Sterling is already collapsing, and all of this political posturing and uncertainty is not helping (that's partially why I was so miffed by it appearing that the votes are going to pretty much be split between the three main parties - it's destroying Sterling). The Euro is also not in the best condition - definitely a bad idea to join now as it is weakend by the state of Greece, Spain and Portugal's economies. To go in now would also be rather foolhardy/dim. But hey, that's what I've come to expect from politicians.

ahundredtimes

Well, he got his 90 seconds, as did Cameron and Brown - but in the head to head, Brown really went for Cameron whilst Cameron tried to stay "above the fray" - it didn't work for either of them and they came out looking stale compared to Clegg. Clegg attacked both of them, looked straight into the camera, put his hand in his pocket, namechecked the audience, and did very well out of being the outsider.

It did mean, for example, that the detail of Lib Dem policy was not examined in nearly as much depth as that of the other two.

Nick Clegg did very well out of it, and can scarcely be blamed for playing his hand perfectly. David Cameron really messed up his strategy by underestimating Clegg - Brown is Brown, and can't do anything other than desperately say "I agree with Nick" because he needs him as a coalition partner.

Ditto, as much as I am definitely up for 'a change', I am against all of the Lib Dem's foreign policies. I think that is a shame though, of they had policies that were more in line with many people's wants they would stand a real chance this year, previously they definitely would have been a 'wasted vote'.

oh yes me too, it's mindless

YANBU, this election has turned into X Factor.

He doesn't irritate me half as much as the others tbh

but isn't irritation to do with personality 9real or perceived) of course YANU to be irritated by people, it's normal

Perhaps with teh rst of teh stuff though, those of us who do tend towards a LD viewpoint (and have done for many eyars) are just relieved not to be laughed at / told we are wasting our vote / ignored for a while? Is it really odd that we might just enjoy that for a bit?

And tbh i don't give a damn if I am paid in Euros.

And yues what a hundredtimes daid, basically.

IME many people I know don't like the obvious 2 choices but had been told they were wasting a bvote so many times they started to beleive it. opening choice is always a good thing. Nobody is forced to vote for him after all, but why should they be lauughed at for beleiveing and wanting different things to the main two parties? That has happened for too long.

'of they had policies that were more in line with many people's wants they would stand a real chance this year, previously they definitely would have been a 'wasted vote'.

isn't the whole point that people are pissed off with not having a variety of chocies? Why do we want another set of same old?

Fine if you dont like the policy vote elsewhere: wishing other people didnt ahve the option is odd imo

MrsC2010

Well, I think the Lib Dems were right on Iraq, but perhaps more out of opportunism than principle.

If Iraq genuinely had weapons of WMD which could invade Britain in 45 minutes, then the war would have been justified in my view, for our own national security.

It all got very murky with the second resolution, and the fact that Bush was an absolute twat.

I supported the war at the time because I didn't think a British Prime Minister would ever lie to the House of Commons about the case for war. Sadly, that was a more innocent time.

But yes, on economic foreign policy, they are bananas. The one thing saving us from being like Greece is the fact that we're not in the Euro and can set our own interest rates. The Lib Dems themselves agree that they were wrong - but still want to join the single currency! Yes, they say they will give a referendum before it happens (but remember all the parties broke promises in one way or another on Lisbon). But the fact that they can't see how barmy it is just by looking over at Greece, Portugal and Spain casts serious doubts about their economic credentials.

Good post longfingernails.

Agree that this election is becoming like the x factor or Britains Got Politics

Last thursdays debate was just one long soundbite and three nice suits.

The electorate's gone down in my estimation if they changed their mind based on 90 mins performance TV.

I was led to believe that Greece's problem is not so much being in the euro, as that it is v.easy for professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc) to set up as self-employed, declare virtually no earnings, and pay virtually no tax.
No tax income => broke country, regardless of fiscal/EU policy.

Agree with you Longfingernails.
I suspect one reason Clegg's value went up after the last TV debate was because he was relatively newer and fresher compared with the other two who are well known to us. It was the novelty factor as much as anything. Once he gets wall to wall coverage and more scrutiny (just like Vince Cable yesterday who fell apart in the Chancellors' debate)we'll view him as suspiciously as the rest of them!

"And Jackie asked the question .... do you mind if I overuse your christian name, Jackie?" Are people really impressed by this sales technique? I thought it was nauseating.

100x - Robinson finds it pretty difficult to be objective IMO. Makes me laugh when people say the BBC is a lefty stronghold