Do the leaders wives effect how you will vote?

[SmileysPeepul]

I've been pondering this.

Since Sarah Brown came on MN and seemed really relaxed and normal, and more importantly answered my question, with an irnonic wink, which now means we are geat mates obviously, I am feeling much warmer towards Gordon, in a she's OK so he must be OK kind of way.

Sam Cam does nowt for me so far though.

In previous elections DH and I have applied the 'who would you want to you on holiday with?'test.

This year I think I may be changing tactics and ging for the 'whose wife would you want to be mates with test?'

Am I the only one who does this, do the rest of you carefully consider policy.

[unfitmother]

NO, NO and NO!

[Thromdimbulator]

Arrgh! No. This is real-life, not the bloody X-Factor. .

[MaisietheMorningsideCat]

Isn't Carla looking a tad Jocelyn these days?

[mrsbaldwin]

Catherine - obviously you will be making the point in this interview that the French are the undisputed leaders in the glamorous wives industry, and us Brits can only look on and admire. Although Queen Rania of Jordan gives Carla a bit of a run for her money, I'd say.

[DuelingFanjo]

didn't the lib-dem wife recently say that she would have to fit supporting her husband in with her career and her kids?

I think that it's weird to think that wives would be there every step of the campaign, or that they should be. Particularly if they have their own career and family commitments.

[MaisietheMorningsideCat]

Surely there's a vast difference between the wives being present at events and them being used as pawns in the election game, with every word, frock and gesture being pounced on by the media - as if in some way we care?

[CatherineHMumsnet]

Just had French TV on the phone - they want to interview us over the issue of Leaders' Wives. They're wondering, as a slight shift in this discussion, whether Mumsnetters object to the fact that the wives are brought out at every key election opportunity. Or we being unfair - it is only to be expected that partners of party leaders will accompany them to a fair share of election trail events?

[DuelingFanjo]

wassup?

I will be voting for the lib dem candidate here because a. she's good, b. a labour vote is less likely to keep the tories out, I have no idea who her husband (if she has one) is.

The wives of the leaders don't effect my vote!

[Quattrocento]

Thanks

[MissJacksonIfYourNasty]

Why yes, of course.

I see Sarah on TV and think 'Gosh, she is just so down to earth and so jolly well normal. Surely that must mean Gordon is a bloody good and normal bloke, too, and capable of running the country and sorting out the economy and other important manly business?'.

And then I see Samantha (sorry, Sam) on TV and I find myself thinking 'Wow, she is just an average mum, really, and not some posh silver-spoon-in-her-mouth Tory wife working in a job her dad got her at a luxury goods company after all. Why she is just like me! And Dave is just a normal dad who does normal dad things, which means he will probably be excellent at running the country, sorting out the economy etc...

NO. OF COURSE IT FUCKING DOESN'T.

[omnishambles]

oh god quattro [stands well back and proffers JD & coke]

[Quattrocento]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR at DF

[DuelingFanjo]

nope. Whoever leads the party doesn't really effect my vote either.

[Quattrocento]

I really am going to have to go and have a glass of wine. Am feeling very snippety.

OP. What is the difference between effect and affect?

[omnishambles]

Just as a lowbrow aside - have the papers branded them 'leaders wives' on purpose? As a joke? Or more seriously to remind all women of their place in life or is it just an 'amusing' coincidence?

[fridayschild]

Mrs Nick Clegg has pointed out that as she has a demanding job and 3 kids she cannot drop everything to take 5 weeks off for an election. Good for her, I say.

I do not know how to spell her surname and am not going to try. ThingOne knows, are you around Thing?

[neume]

This government is talking about making £4.35bn of "efficiency savings" in the NHS to help cut the massive deficit.

After 13 years of Labour government why do they think the NHS is still so inefficient? Either they are incompetent or they are liars.

I don't care how nice his wife is...Gordon Brown is clearly not in charge of a government that can competently govern.

Time for a change.

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

No.

I don't want to like my primeminister and his lovely family.

I want to know he can run the country.

[Batteryhuman]

I am far more interested in their attitudes to women and the number and calibre of women MPs in each party than in the wives. I particularly loathe the "boden-isation" of the Camerons.

[scottishmummyofone]

I think it will have an effect actually.

SamCam comes across as slim and stylish whereas Sarah is portrayed as 'old', 'dowdy' etc.

But its Sarah I warm to, she's not perfect, as shown by her weight and fashion mistakes. She seems normal. SamCam is too smug and too perfect imo. Her house is too clean.

Sarah and Gordon seem to really love each other. I dont know how to describe it, just the way they seem to look at each other, its a real understanding type look. When Sarah describes him as being there for her, her face says she really means it. I haven't seen anything like that from DC and SamCam.

then again I am maybe biased, having met Gordon and Sarah at a work thingie.

I really cannot stand Alex Salmond though.

[TheCrackFox]

No, they have no affect on my vote. Infact, I find all this endless parading on wives beyond patronising. The more they are brought out to do their little show pony turn the less likely I am to vote for their DH.

[Oblomov]

No. As if their wives would make me vote. come on. give us some credit.
Actually I don't want to vote for anyone. I can't believe a word they say. that sounds so awful written down.

[MaisietheMorningsideCat]

No - it doesn't affect my vote. I refuse to bow to the obsession with image we seem to have in this country, and will be voting solely on the issues.

Now I just have to decide which one of the lying, cheating, pocket-lining scumbags to put my cross next to

[AMumInScotland]

No, it won't affect my vote in the slightest - I don't really care if they are lovely people who I'd enjoy meeting in person or not (the potential leaders or their wives). I care if they have policies which I think are good for the country. Their wives may have some influence over them, but that won't make any real difference in determining their policies and political decisions.