TV Debate - who did best?

[JustineMumsnet]

So there you have it. History in the making; the UK's first live Leaders' election debate. Who do you think did best? Has it confirmed/ clarified your choice or even changed your mind?

Let us know your thoughts in our third election poll and you could win £50 in Boden or Amazon vouchers.

Thanks,
MNHQ

Scarlet FWIW as an undecided voter I think you should watch the other two debates and then vote for the party whose policies are closest to what you want for yourself, your family, your community and our country. I live in a safe Tory seat, but will be voting Lib Dem as they are the party that most closely represent my own views and beliefs.

If everyone who thought that a vote for the LibDems is a wasted vote ACTUALLY voted for them, then, whilst they might not get many more seats under the current flawed electoral system, they WOULD get a substantial share of the vote; which at best (for me) could result in a hung parliament. Then there would HAVE to be a change to the voting system (GB alluded to it last night and it has always been LibDem policy to change the voting system). A change in the voting system would FINALLY mean that a vote for a party other than the 'Big Two' might actually make a difference.

PinkFuschia,

I'd like to see more policy clarifications and for the participants to answer more of the worries that people have about the plans individual parties have.

I'd love it if candidates showed signs of taking concerns on board.

I do understand that we need to get out of the recession but I'd like the needs of the population to be registered and acknowledged.

I just saw a set of polls on the news - they were very different weren't they?

I heard someone on the Radio say that Conservative support is very 'solid' and they tend to be unswayed by events so that is why when they have focus groups the Conservatives can seem to do better.

Perhaps that's why the more independent text poll was more in tune with what people are saying on the web and the media.

I was undecided before the debate and have decided to vote Lib Dem, not for any other reason but that a hung parliament would force electoral reform and proportional representation.

Any of them could do the job though, but together they could do it better IMHO.

I thought GB came across surprisingly well, especially during the summing up.

He made a good case for NOT slashing public sector jobs. All very well for DC to talk about cutting the public sector to the bone, but this means destroying the livelihood of many thousands of the "decent hard-working families" so beloved of the Tories. We need to remember the utterly de-stabilising effect of mass unemployment on families and communities during the 1980's.

DS was dire. He kept referring to Business and Industry Leaders as if their opinions and needs are the only ones that count. The whole "increase in NI" issue is a red herring. And his scare-mongering Daily Mail-style anecdotes just confirmed that the Tores think us plebs are dumb as a bag of spanners.

Problem for DC is that American-style (small "c") conservative fiscal policies as followed by both Tories and Labour over the last 20 years have got us into this mess, thanks to the decisions made by an unregulated financial sector. Why should we still believe that a free market economic model will get us out of the hole, when the events of the last 2 years have demonstrated otherwise? The state has had to bale out the financial sector with OUR money. That's why we have such a huge budget deficit.

NC came across as sincere and intelligent, though he fluffed it a bit at the end, too hesitant and his inexperience showed up. He still has our vote though, we are in a LD safe seat with an excellent MP.

Labour have finally lost my vote thanks to the Iraq/Afghanistan issue. Did anyone else find the figures quoted as necessary to maintain our military presence overseas utterly, mind-boggingly awful? What on earth are we doing there?

I am still going to vote Green but was very impressed with Mr Clegg.

Cameron is just crashingly posh, he hasnt a clue how the other half lives.

Did anyone catch where NC's constituency is?

I was very impressed by NC, not really knowing what to expect from him - perhaps that is why he has generally come out so well. I particularly liked the fact that he seemed to be the only one recognising that we seriously need to address public sector pay and the seemingly endless list of civil servants
GB takes alot of flak for what is, let's be honest, a global recession. It is far too easy to blame the party in power when the chips are down and again, his plans for bringing us out of recession have also been adopted by many of the world's leaders. I think too many people judge him by what is told to us in the media. I think a ringing endorsement of his policies by other world leaders is far more impressive than the (entirely predictable) endorsement of the conservatives by big business. I mean, who saw that coming?
The thing that annoyed me most about DC was his banging on about the planned rise in NI being 'a tax on jobs'. Well, I am an employer of 13 people and do not consider it to be so. It is National insurance, paying for our healthcare and our pensions. He is being entirely misleading when he calls it tax.

It definitely cleared a few things up for me.

Lol Laugs, yes he did mention Sheffield rather alot.

Eddie Izzard!!!

It was very interesting to hear about the new internet developments though - I'm noticing that Mr Brown does seem to know stuff. Would all this really happen? It would be great if it did.

The ComRes poll was fascinating 3 points down for both Labour and Conservative (although I guess their sample must have had Conservatives on 40% before which seems a little higher than I'd previously heard and Labour on 29% which seems a little lower I thought it was more 38% against 32%) - all added to the LibDems.

How would that play out?

Quick read here would seem to suggest NC followed by GB. Is that the feel? I woul agree. My politics are towards the left and I was going to vote Lib but now will vote labour who are best placed to beat tories here. A tactical vote hoping for hung parl.

I'm no expert about how % share of the vote would actually translate to the number of seats in Parliament but, as I understand it, because the LibDem vote would be spread out amongst the consituencies (having less of a 'heartland' than the other two parties) their % would be high but their number of seats would not. So the LibDems and Tories could (theoretically) get the same % of the vote, but the Tories would have many more seats.

Anyone else know more about this?

I though NC repeated himself far too often. and why did we need to know where his constituency is? He just didn't seem to have enough gravitas to be PM.
GB needs to smile less - he looks awful. And he didn't shut up when asked.
DC needs to sort out his body language, but I think he had a difficulty in being in the middle in that respect - having to look left/ right - easier IMO to be on one side.

Still prefer DC.

I knew that loads of people would say "Oooh, that Nick Clegg, he seems nice. Using people's names. Says he can offer something different..."

Duh!

It's easy to say absolutely nothing and seem like the good guy. Do those of you who want to vote LibDem actually know what they stand for? Eh? Thought not.

Cleggy all the way!! I am so glad to have another face and other views than the usual suspects!
I was already converted. Lib Dem for me!

gramercy sometimes people vote for what they want and sometimes against what they don't want. Once politicians are in power they have a way of not doing whatever their manifesto says anyway. So voting for someone you perceive as basically the more sensible and honest individual is not as stupid as you wish to suggest. It's a lot more sensible than believing what any party tells you know.

Astonished that the polls show DC second and GB third. Here and on Guardian and even the Times websites, Cameron is the clear loser. Tories must be kicking themselves for choosing him. I thought NC lovely but lightweight and yes, GB surprisingly impressive, and often the only one who went to the heart of issues and gave hard facts. Such a shame about the grinning though - spin doctor's advice clearly backfired!
Did anyone watch Question Time afterwards? Much more interesting performances from both guests and audience.
PS Does anyone know whether DC's kids go to a state school...

Another thing- I was gob-smacked that the Camerons had considered claiming Direct Payments for their disabled child. I know it's a universal benefit, but come on, they are so wealthy how could they consider taking money off the state!

Cinnamon- surely not, or he'd have mentioned it over and over again!

Also was a bit worried he found it difficult to do -claiming Direct Payments - as it seems to be running the country at a time like this will be a bit tougher. No?

I thought Gordon Brown came out best and Nick Clegg a close second. David Cameron did nothing to make me like him.

Though I will have to vote Lib Dem as they are neck and neck with Cons in our constituency. It does make me wonder how many people realise they are voting for their local MP and NOT the leader?

I wanted to ask them to explain a CDS and a CFD. Until they understand how our economy works they won't be fit for purpose.

Gramercy if you want to know what LibDems stand for then this is probably your answer:

"The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives."
(Taken from the Preamble to the LibDem Federal Constitution)

Those are the principles and beliefs that keep me voting for them. (Oh, and I should add that, although I am new to MN I'm not anything to do with the LibDems apart from having voted for them for years.)

Yes, didn't he find the forms a challenge?
They do teach the 3 R's at Eton don't they?