Wilson was much more effective than Alec Douglas-Home who got shouted down a few times and accused Labour of hiring hecklers to disrupt his meetings. Heath was ok in 1966. I really don't understand why politicians have run away from such encounters. They were both authentic and entertaining - far better than the phoney contrived garbage that politicians of all parties serve up to us today.
I think the reason is that people have become intolerably rude and offensive. In those days people were much more polite, and even hecklers wouldn't be swearing at you.
She could have a two-hour long televised debate with Jeremy Corbyn and assorted other soft and hard leftists, but then again she could also have a two-hour long televised debate with a greenhouse full of tomato plants.
The latter would be about as enlightening as the former, and just as much a waste of time. Besides my previous argument, televised debates are also at least as much a test of presentation and pre-rehearsal as of policy. I'm not sure I'm interested in counting how often Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Nicola Sturgeon and the various minor personages repeat the same two or three soundbites over and over and over and over again.
However, the leaders might still end up doing individual shows, taking questions from an audience...?
This is a very good point. UK politics (perhaps in other countries too) is extraordinarily biased to parties of the left, in a particular student union kind of way.
This was apparent in the GE15 debates. Lib Dems, Labour, SNP, Plaid and Greens essentially all fairly extreme when it comes to the ordinary public on issues like immigration and political correctness. The Conservatives (then) were still to the left of the public and UKIP to the right.
Of course this is why May is sweeping up now. She's very centre ground and that's what people like.
A party leader would also benefit from being seen to deal effectively with hecklers at public meetings. Harold Wilson was brilliant at that in the 1964 and 1966 campaigns.
Yes:
Wilson: "blah blah, 13 years of Tory misrule*, blah blah"
Heckler: "Rubbish!"
Wilson: "blah blah blah, 13 years of Tory misrule, blah blah ... pragmatic.. reasonable..."
Heckler: "Rubbish!: Rubbish!"
Wilson (turning to heckler) : "Sir, I'm am coming to your particular interest in a moment"
* The idea of repeating the same mantra over and over again isn't new!
Wilson was much more effective than Alec Douglas-Home who got shouted down a few times and accused Labour of hiring hecklers to disrupt his meetings. Heath was ok in 1966. I really don't understand why politicians have run away from such encounters. They were both authentic and entertaining - far better than the phoney contrived garbage that politicians of all parties serve up to us today.
Totally agree Justin Richard just wants a sealed homogenous event as does May.In today's world only a TV debate between Corbyn and May would interest the public , people! do not go to open candidate events much anymore.
She could have a two-hour long televised debate with Jeremy Corbyn and assorted other soft and hard leftists, but then again she could also have a two-hour long televised debate with a greenhouse full of tomato plants.
The latter would be about as enlightening as the former, and just as much a waste of time. Besides my previous argument, televised debates are also at least as much a test of presentation and pre-rehearsal as of policy. I'm not sure I'm interested in counting how often Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Nicola Sturgeon and the various minor personages repeat the same two or three soundbites over and over and over and over again.
However, the leaders might still end up doing individual shows, taking questions from an audience...?
This is a very good point. UK politics (perhaps in other countries too) is extraordinarily biased to parties of the left, in a particular student union kind of way.
This was apparent in the GE15 debates. Lib Dems, Labour, SNP, Plaid and Greens essentially all fairly extreme when it comes to the ordinary public on issues like immigration and political correctness. The Conservatives (then) were still to the left of the public and UKIP to the right.
Of course this is why May is sweeping up now. She's very centre ground and that's what people like.
In the above, my comment is from 'this is a very good point'
Good tactics - will wind up UKIP supporters behind May
Talking tough and acting tough are two completely different things. Think we need to be careful not to antogonise.
So roll over - tough talking needs tough talking back.
Why bother? We are pretty much going to have to roll over anyway. All it does it gives an illusion (yes that word again) that we have significant bargaining chips in any negotiation.
We will not roll over with 100 billion EU imports and World class security services. Why do you want to talk your Country down
Been out all day in cornwall more Tory signs seen.. Nothing for Labour or Lib dems and ditto for ukip even in camborne. A f e w cornish flags but that's normal.
Can someone please explain what Cornyn f up was in Harlow ta
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
It is a risk/reward calculation. It is not merely analogous to, it is the same thing as, placing a bet. Do you want to back tories most seats at 1/10000000? No? Is that because you are frit that the tories will not win most seats? No. Corbyn might humiliate May, at a cost to her which could mean fewer seats. May humiliates Corbyn is priced in, and gains her what? (Other than promotion in your personal political landscape from frit wee timorous feartie to Guardian of the Galaxy)?
Corbyn has seriously misplayed the debate card (Hasn't he misplayed them all...)
"I won't debate unless May does." To which May just says ok, no debates.
It's madness, as the challenger you get yourself onto debates come high or hell water even if Tessy isn't there. At least Ed Miliband did them, and (sort of) forced Cameron into a couple.
A tough call probably. On the upside he is denying airtime to the smaller parties - SNP,Plaid, Greens , UKIP and LibDems.
How many seats are at risk to change hands between Labour and the smaller parties? How many seats are at risk to change hands between Labour and the Tories?
@SquareRoot Most generous interpretation was Harlow coverage would reach 2 ITV regions, less charitable view was keep him away from Lab held marginals.
A party leader would also benefit from being seen to deal effectively with hecklers at public meetings. Harold Wilson was brilliant at that in the 1964 and 1966 campaigns.
Yes:
Wilson: "blah blah, 13 years of Tory misrule*, blah blah"
Heckler: "Rubbish!"
Wilson: "blah blah blah, 13 years of Tory misrule, blah blah ... pragmatic.. reasonable..."
Heckler: "Rubbish!: Rubbish!"
Wilson (turning to heckler) : "Sir, I'm am coming to your particular interest in a moment"
* The idea of repeating the same mantra over and over again isn't new!
Wilson was much more effective than Alec Douglas-Home who got shouted down a few times and accused Labour of hiring hecklers to disrupt his meetings. Heath was ok in 1966. I really don't understand why politicians have run away from such encounters. They were both authentic and entertaining - far better than the phoney contrived garbage that politicians of all parties serve up to us today.
John Major famously got out his soapbox.
I could never dislike him as much as the rest of the Tories.
Anecdata, been driving around the Farron constituency today, certain areas are normally awash with Libdem placards, but today there were slightly more blues about. Yes early days.
He is of course very popular around here, and will be re-elected, but this is natural Con territory. He does work hard locally, not sure his image will be enhanced as leader.
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
It is a risk/reward calculation. It is not merely analogous to, it is the same thing as, placing a bet. Do you want to back tories most seats at 1/10000000? No? Is that because you are frit that the tories will not win most seats? No. Corbyn might humiliate May, at a cost to her which could mean fewer seats. May humiliates Corbyn is priced in, and gains her what? (Other than promotion in your personal political landscape from frit wee timorous feartie to Guardian of the Galaxy)?
Corbyn has seriously misplayed the debate card (Hasn't he misplayed them all...)
"I won't debate unless May does." To which May just says ok, no debates.
It's madness, as the challenger you get yourself onto debates come high or hell water even if Tessy isn't there. At least Ed Miliband did them, and (sort of) forced Cameron into a couple.
I think the fight has completely gone out of him - I've thought that since he went along with the FTPA vote. He just wants it over asap. Difficult to blame him, really - I have never seen another human being subjected to such sustained hatred and derision, and he knows it is all for nothing.
Wilson was much more effective than Alec Douglas-Home who got shouted down a few times and accused Labour of hiring hecklers to disrupt his meetings. Heath was ok in 1966. I really don't understand why politicians have run away from such encounters. They were both authentic and entertaining - far better than the phoney contrived garbage that politicians of all parties serve up to us today.
I think the reason is that people have become intolerably rude and offensive. In those days people were much more polite, and even hecklers wouldn't be swearing at you.
I think you have rose tinted glasses.Even Winston Churchill was booked in 1945 GE.
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
It is a risk/reward calculation. It is not merely analogous to, it is the same thing as, placing a bet. Do you want to back tories most seats at 1/10000000? No? Is that because you are frit that the tories will not win most seats? No. Corbyn might humiliate May, at a cost to her which could mean fewer seats. May humiliates Corbyn is priced in, and gains her what? (Other than promotion in your personal political landscape from frit wee timorous feartie to Guardian of the Galaxy)?
Corbyn has seriously misplayed the debate card (Hasn't he misplayed them all...)
"I won't debate unless May does." To which May just says ok, no debates.
It's madness, as the challenger you get yourself onto debates come high or hell water even if Tessy isn't there. At least Ed Miliband did them, and (sort of) forced Cameron into a couple.
I think the fight has completely gone out of him - I've thought that since he went along with the FTPA vote. He just wants it over asap. Difficult to blame him, really - I have never seen another human being subjected to such sustained hatred and derision, and he knows it is all for nothing.
Yes I thought the same . I think this is a young person's game now .
Re Jon Craig news that the guy with the knives was stopped due to tip off.
I think it was fairly obvious that was the case. Bloke gets jumped by a load of feds before he even gets wavey with his knives and within 15 mins they say it was terrorist related.
Looks like a lucky escape and well done to whoever tipped off the authorities and quick action by them.
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
It is a risk/reward calculation. It is not merely analogous to, it is the same thing as, placing a bet. Do you want to back tories most seats at 1/10000000? No? Is that because you are frit that the tories will not win most seats? No. Corbyn might humiliate May, at a cost to her which could mean fewer seats. May humiliates Corbyn is priced in, and gains her what? (Other than promotion in your personal political landscape from frit wee timorous feartie to Guardian of the Galaxy)?
Corbyn has seriously misplayed the debate card (Hasn't he misplayed them all...)
"I won't debate unless May does." To which May just says ok, no debates.
It's madness, as the challenger you get yourself onto debates come high or hell water even if Tessy isn't there. At least Ed Miliband did them, and (sort of) forced Cameron into a couple.
I think the fight has completely gone out of him - I've thought that since he went along with the FTPA vote. He just wants it over asap. Difficult to blame him, really - I have never seen another human being subjected to such sustained hatred and derision, and he knows it is all for nothing.
I agree, most people would have called it a day by now, but he is stuck with it now,and may well yet continue after a defeat. There are powerful forces who want him to remain and gain complete control of the once proud Labour party.
Re Jon Craig news that the guy with the knives was stopped due to tip off.
I think it was fairly obvious that was the case. Bloke gets jumped by a load of feds before he even gets wavey with his knives and within 15 mins they say it was terrorist related.
Looks like a lucky escape and well done to whoever tipped off the authorities and quick action by them.
Cool looking dude, though. Samuel L Jackson will be playing him in the biopic.
This is a very good point. UK politics (perhaps in other countries too) is extraordinarily biased to parties of the left, in a particular student union kind of way.
This was apparent in the GE15 debates. Lib Dems, Labour, SNP, Plaid and Greens essentially all fairly extreme when it comes to the ordinary public on issues like immigration and political correctness. The Conservatives (then) were still to the left of the public and UKIP to the right.
Of course this is why May is sweeping up now. She's very centre ground and that's what people like.
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
It is a risk/reward calculation. It is not merely analogous to, it is the same thing as, placing a bet. Do you want to back tories most seats at 1/10000000? No? Is that because you are frit that the tories will not win most seats? No. Corbyn might humiliate May, at a cost to her which could mean fewer seats. May humiliates Corbyn is priced in, and gains her what? (Other than promotion in your personal political landscape from frit wee timorous feartie to Guardian of the Galaxy)?
Corbyn has seriously misplayed the debate card (Hasn't he misplayed them all...)
"I won't debate unless May does." To which May just says ok, no debates.
It's madness, as the challenger you get yourself onto debates come high or hell water even if Tessy isn't there. At least Ed Miliband did them, and (sort of) forced Cameron into a couple.
I think the fight has completely gone out of him - I've thought that since he went along with the FTPA vote. He just wants it over asap. Difficult to blame him, really - I have never seen another human being subjected to such sustained hatred and derision, and he knows it is all for nothing.
I think he is loving it. Jezza is not really at home in parliament with its obscurantist traditions, but in his element on the stump rabble rousing at rallies. Part of why he won the leadership was because of his campaigning and hustings performances.
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
Couldn't be arsed is probably more accurate.
If she thought there was an advantage to doing it, she'd do it. Therefore she sees no advantage to it, therefore she must think she would be harmed, in however limited a fashion, by doing it.
Will she face anyone apart from the faithfull ? Major did well getting involved with public in 92 he gained a lot of respect taking on the hecklers in the crowd .Corbyn should do similar.
A party leader would also benefit from being seen to deal effectively with hecklers at public meetings. Harold Wilson was brilliant at that in the 1964 and 1966 campaigns.
Even Wilson had his moments of being utterly owned however. My favourite is:
'I will never allow a Royal Dockyard to be closed. And why do I say this?'
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
It is a risk/reward calculation. It is not merely analogous to, it is the same thing as, placing a bet. Do you want to back tories most seats at 1/10000000? No? Is that because you are frit that the tories will not win most seats? No. Corbyn might humiliate May, at a cost to her which could mean fewer seats. May humiliates Corbyn is priced in, and gains her what? (Other than promotion in your personal political landscape from frit wee timorous feartie to Guardian of the Galaxy)?
Corbyn has seriously misplayed the debate card (Hasn't he misplayed them all...)
"I won't debate unless May does." To which May just says ok, no debates.
It's madness, as the challenger you get yourself onto debates come high or hell water even if Tessy isn't there. At least Ed Miliband did them, and (sort of) forced Cameron into a couple.
I think the fight has completely gone out of him - I've thought that since he went along with the FTPA vote. He just wants it over asap. Difficult to blame him, really - I have never seen another human being subjected to such sustained hatred and derision, and he knows it is all for nothing.
I agree, most people would have called it a day by now, but he is stuck with it now,and may well yet continue after a defeat. There are powerful forces who want him to remain and gain complete control of the once proud Labour party.
Surely the most powerful force is himself? He's been given, quite unexpectedly, the chance to do what he & his friends have wanted to do from the start of their careers. Who would give up? I'd expect him to continue the struggle to the last gasp.
Fewer Melenchon and Hamon voters now go to Macron and more are abstaining and about 5% of Fillon voters have switched from Macron to Le Pen since the last Harris poll
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
It is a risk/reward calculation. It is not merely analogous to, it is the same thing as, placing a bet. Do you want to back tories most seats at 1/10000000? No? Is that because you are frit that the tories will not win most seats? No. Corbyn might humiliate May, at a cost to her which could mean fewer seats. May humiliates Corbyn is priced in, and gains her what? (Other than promotion in your personal political landscape from frit wee timorous feartie to Guardian of the Galaxy)?
Corbyn has seriously misplayed the debate card (Hasn't he misplayed them all...)
"I won't debate unless May does." To which May just says ok, no debates.
It's madness, as the challenger you get yourself onto debates come high or hell water even if Tessy isn't there. At least Ed Miliband did them, and (sort of) forced Cameron into a couple.
I think the fight has completely gone out of him - I've thought that since he went along with the FTPA vote. He just wants it over asap. Difficult to blame him, really - I have never seen another human being subjected to such sustained hatred and derision, and he knows it is all for nothing.
I know. I've almost reached the point of feeling sorry for him. The only thing that stops me is his refusal to resign when 75% of his MPs asked him to go. It's hard to love someone so arrogant
Listening to Theresa May tonight it occured to me that it looks like she is going to be doing a lot of evening events and canvassing. This would be unusual but must be traced back to her councillor days when it was the best time to get people at home. Maybe the journalist following her will have to get used to working longer hours
Wilson was much more effective than Alec Douglas-Home who got shouted down a few times and accused Labour of hiring hecklers to disrupt his meetings. Heath was ok in 1966. I really don't understand why politicians have run away from such encounters. They were both authentic and entertaining - far better than the phoney contrived garbage that politicians of all parties serve up to us today.
I think the reason is that people have become intolerably rude and offensive. In those days people were much more polite, and even hecklers wouldn't be swearing at you.
Am not so sure about that. Harold Wilson got hit by a stinkbomb thrown at him by a schoolboy in 1966. Politicians have now become such control freaks. Even in the two elections of 1974 the first signs of that were appearing. I recall very little heckling and public meeting were becoming ticket only affairs.Whenever the Leader addressed a meeting there would be a background set designed to push the party message. So even by the mid-70s spontoneity was in decline. Then it went a stage further in 1979 with Thatcher's photo opportunities.I do feel we have lost something from the election experience of those earlier years.
@rosschawkins: Radio Derby to PM: Do you know what a mugwump is?
PM: What I recognise is that what we need in this country is strong and stable leadership
She speaks like a robot.
"Long term economic plan", anyone? Parroting those lines enough does have an effect.
Indeed- anyone thinking parroting a prepared line over and over will irritate to the point of having an effect more than making sure the line is ingrained in peoples' minds is kidding themselves. And I say that as not a fan of May.
When will they give May the Ed Miliband treatment?
"These strikes are wrong. Both parties need to drop the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table"
You can see why she's chickening out of the debates.
She's scared of losing to Jeremy Corbyn FFS.
She's frit.
It is a risk/reward calculation. It is not merely analogous to, it is the same thing as, placing a bet. Do you want to back tories most seats at 1/10000000? No? Is that because you are frit that the tories will not win most seats? No. Corbyn might humiliate May, at a cost to her which could mean fewer seats. May humiliates Corbyn is priced in, and gains her what? (Other than promotion in your personal political landscape from frit wee timorous feartie to Guardian of the Galaxy)?
Corbyn has seriously misplayed the debate card (Hasn't he misplayed them all...)
"I won't debate unless May does." To which May just says ok, no debates.
It's madness, as the challenger you get yourself onto debates come high or hell water even if Tessy isn't there. At least Ed Miliband did them, and (sort of) forced Cameron into a couple.
I think the fight has completely gone out of him - I've thought that since he went along with the FTPA vote. He just wants it over asap. Difficult to blame him, really - I have never seen another human being subjected to such sustained hatred and derision, and he knows it is all for nothing.
If he feels like that he should have blocked the election and resigned his position! What you are suggesting sounds like pure masochism.
May: trailer park Galadriel who succumbed and accepted custody of the one ring Corbyn: A samwise gamgee figure who sympathises with Mordor Farron: Just Gollum
@Cyan I'll assume you've been playing the French markets well and have Le Pen/Macron as a trading position (Something like -1k Macron/+20k Le Pen)
Go to options
Turn on "Cash out" - See the number ?
That's how much you'll win if you lay Le Pen.
Don't hit it, instead lay Le Pen till you have zero Le Pen and then wait for the money to roll in on Macron. Thank me in a week's time.
Thanks for this, @Pulpstar. I am much more exposed than that to a Macron win - up to the maximum I am willing to lose. If he wins, the loss will be about two-thirds of the amount I'll win if it's Le Pen.
Comments
*gets Klaxon out again*
Trouble is they tried it before and it didn't work than either.
So, exactly how stupid are they?
No, sensible.
She could have a two-hour long televised debate with Jeremy Corbyn and assorted other soft and hard leftists, but then again she could also have a two-hour long televised debate with a greenhouse full of tomato plants.
The latter would be about as enlightening as the former, and just as much a waste of time. Besides my previous argument, televised debates are also at least as much a test of presentation and pre-rehearsal as of policy. I'm not sure I'm interested in counting how often Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Nicola Sturgeon and the various minor personages repeat the same two or three soundbites over and over and over and over again.
However, the leaders might still end up doing individual shows, taking questions from an audience...?
This is a very good point. UK politics (perhaps in other countries too) is extraordinarily biased to parties of the left, in a particular student union kind of way.
This was apparent in the GE15 debates. Lib Dems, Labour, SNP, Plaid and Greens essentially all fairly extreme when it comes to the ordinary public on issues like immigration and political correctness. The Conservatives (then) were still to the left of the public and UKIP to the right.
Of course this is why May is sweeping up now. She's very centre ground and that's what people like.
She could have a two-hour long televised debate with Jeremy Corbyn and assorted other soft and hard leftists, but then again she could also have a two-hour long televised debate with a greenhouse full of tomato plants.
The latter would be about as enlightening as the former, and just as much a waste of time. Besides my previous argument, televised debates are also at least as much a test of presentation and pre-rehearsal as of policy. I'm not sure I'm interested in counting how often Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Nicola Sturgeon and the various minor personages repeat the same two or three soundbites over and over and over and over again.
However, the leaders might still end up doing individual shows, taking questions from an audience...?
This is a very good point. UK politics (perhaps in other countries too) is extraordinarily biased to parties of the left, in a particular student union kind of way.
This was apparent in the GE15 debates. Lib Dems, Labour, SNP, Plaid and Greens essentially all fairly extreme when it comes to the ordinary public on issues like immigration and political correctness. The Conservatives (then) were still to the left of the public and UKIP to the right.
Of course this is why May is sweeping up now. She's very centre ground and that's what people like.
In the above, my comment is from 'this is a very good point'
https://twitter.com/paulmasonnews/status/857655329819111425
As long as they're Tory voters like.
Lib dems and ditto for ukip even in camborne. A f e w cornish flags but that's normal.
Can someone please explain what Cornyn f up was in Harlow ta
How many seats are at risk to change hands between Labour and the Tories?
https://twitter.com/alexmassie/status/857621533849772032
I could never dislike him as much as the rest of the Tories.
He is of course very popular around here, and will be re-elected, but this is natural Con territory. He does work hard locally, not sure his image will be enhanced as leader.
Kezia is the one who needs a sense of humour though TBF
Good evening, everyone.
https://twitter.com/jhnbxtr/status/857656694205288449/photo/1
PM WNBPM apart from his initials
Macron 61% Le Pen 39%
http://harris-interactive.fr/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/04/Rapport-Harris-Indeed-Intentions-de-vote-a-lelection-presidentielle-LCP.pdf
I think it was fairly obvious that was the case. Bloke gets jumped by a load of feds before he even gets wavey with his knives and within 15 mins they say it was terrorist related.
Looks like a lucky escape and well done to whoever tipped off the authorities and quick action by them.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/the-one-photo-that-summed-up-the-whole-90-minute-bbc-leaders-debate-10183353.html
Though obviously Ed would like to.
Many thanks!
'I will never allow a Royal Dockyard to be closed. And why do I say this?'
Heckler: 'Because you're in Chatham!'
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/lembit-dad-sterile-mp-accident--10300510
Terror arrest near Houses of Parliament
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39736733
https://twitter.com/JamesMelville/status/857504408334217216
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3760248/I-m-not-wealthy-claims-Jeremy-Corbyn-despite-earning-138-000-year-owning-600-000-home-1-6million-pension.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_French_presidential_election,_2017
Fewer Melenchon and Hamon voters now go to Macron and more are abstaining and about 5% of Fillon voters have switched from Macron to Le Pen since the last Harris poll
May: trailer park Galadriel who succumbed and accepted custody of the one ring
Corbyn: A samwise gamgee figure who sympathises with Mordor
Farron: Just Gollum
I still think she has a good chance, though.