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Original poster

Anyone else watching Question Time?

44 replies

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 13/05/2010 22:58

What a complete arsehole the New Statesman journo is. Rude, obnoxious, and he won't let anyone else finish a sentence.

OP posts:
nigglewiggle · 13/05/2010 22:59

He does seem rather full of himself, but he's making some valid points.

AgentProvocateur · 13/05/2010 22:59

I was just about to start a thread asking who the young Asian guy was - I take it that's him!

Original poster
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 13/05/2010 23:03

niggle I agree that some (not all) of the points he's making are valid. But he is doing it in such a hideous way.

OP posts:
Wonderstuff · 13/05/2010 23:06

Just turned on, who's the woman? She's a bit annoying.

nigglewiggle · 13/05/2010 23:06

I think she's from the DM!

megcleary · 13/05/2010 23:07

Melanie Philips

megcleary · 13/05/2010 23:09

Been looking forward to this all day (sad cow) & am enjoying except for New Statesman bloke

Wonderstuff · 13/05/2010 23:10

Didn't understand why she felt that a fixed term govt was less democratic than the PM deciding when he was best able to win the next election? The US seem to manage OK.

Other countries manage to govern in coalition, don't get why no one seems to think it can't work

megcleary · 13/05/2010 23:12

I think because they are used to the adversarial way of doing things

Heathcliffscathy · 13/05/2010 23:12

GO SIMON!

fabulous rebuttal..

christ here comes melanie!!!

alicatte · 13/05/2010 23:13

I do think they both have a point. I hadn't really thought about it in depth.

If there was a change in the voting system from this then it would legitimate the LibDems position but if they are going to just roll over without that then its not really OK - it does look a bit 'gravy train' unless they get proportional voting.

Original poster
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 13/05/2010 23:16

Wonderstuff - I completely agree about the fixed term Parliaments. It's a very good idea and prevents all the stupid 'will he won't he' with Brown just after he inherited the PMship from Blair.

I also think that there is a real appetite across the country for a co-operative government that will get us out of the mess we are in.
The media will come around to the idea in the end, but they are always a bit slow on the uptake.

OP posts:
HerBeatitude · 13/05/2010 23:17

Fixed term isn't less democratic, but it isn't parliamentary.

We have a parliamentary democracy. The parliament is sovereign. If parliament as a whole loses confidence in the government, they can dump the government and go to the country. Under a fixed term, parliament is stuck with a government it doesn't want. This is a massive constitutional change as it changes the relationship of the house of commons with the government.

thinker · 13/05/2010 23:17

It all looks a bit squashed tonight like there isn`t any room in the studio, a bit cosy.

Original poster
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 13/05/2010 23:18

sophable - he was fabulous wasn't he? I've never voted Lib Dem but I have always liked Simon Hughes.

Melanie got a bit shrill there didn't she bless her, and she had no answer when that girl in the front row challenged her.

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katycarr · 13/05/2010 23:18

Dp has been watching this and shouting at Mehdi Hasan, I have come in to see what the fuss is all about. Am about 25 minutes behind.

tinkletinklelittlestar · 13/05/2010 23:19

It seems like a beat up the LibCon coalition government QT.

Has Melanie Philips got a stomach problem? She's talked about puking and being 'sick to her stomach'.

I think we have to keep an open mind on this new government.

Miliband the Elder for Labour leader then?

Wonderstuff · 13/05/2010 23:20

They are having a no confidence clause in the fixed term legislation, 55% of MPs can vote for an election

Liking the audience speaker saying literally lost trust on trains and taxis, totally agree with him.

HerBeatitude · 13/05/2010 23:22

ha ha ha and the "other parties" have only 53% in the house.

So it's a stitch-up.

Wonderstuff · 13/05/2010 23:24

I think its a shame Harriet Harmen has ruled herself out of the Labour leadership. Ed Balls, Labour will become the third party surely?

GrimmaTheNome · 13/05/2010 23:24

We only watched about the first 5 minutes before DH couldn't stand the stupidity. He didn't know who MP was - I explained she was DMs shit-stirrer general. Hadn't come across the New Statesman bloke but he seems to be the Lefts equivalent.

Journalists are the one profession who can really make politicians look good by comparison, aren't they?

Wonderstuff · 13/05/2010 23:26

Under the old system we only went to the country when the ruling party felt they had best chance of winning - how is it a stitch up?

Original poster
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 13/05/2010 23:28

Ed Balls is awful - plus he only has about 1500 majority in his seat so he could well lose it at the next election.

OP posts:
Wonderstuff · 13/05/2010 23:29

Why is everyone finding the idea of coalition government so hard? People have to compromise on some things to achieve others.

ooojimaflip · 13/05/2010 23:30

Melanie Philips is managing to make me like her even less. Which I didn't think was possible.