General Election- Live Debate round 1
On the day that started with my seeing Alistair Campbell, at Leeds Railway station, about to board the train I got off,the first historic live debate took place. Stage managed and controlled as it was, it did show the strengths and weaknesses of the three participants. If Nick Clegg was a Tory, the result of the election would not be in doubt. He was convincing as a person, but the Liberal Manifesto is flawed. David Cameron was not as good as everyone expected , but I think he will come back, more strongly next time. I thought he managed to avoid taking the debate down to the level Gordon Brown did at times,by not rising to the bait that Gordon offered. Gordon Brown trotted out the same old claptrap as he has over the past two years, ignoring questions about the reason why all of a sudden Labour are talking about tackling manifesto promises from 1997. He chose instead to debase the discussion by intriducing snide comments about Lord Ashcroft and clear misrepresentations od current Tory thinking, and by being obsequious towards Nick Clegg and the liberals.
I really think that Gordon is so convinced he will lose the overall majority that he WANTS people to vote liberal.
If this was a boxing match then round 1 was shaded on points by the liberals, with the Tories 2nd and Gordon trailing miserably behind.
So Gordon Brown has called the election
The most signposted date for the General Election has been called and Gordon Brown is now facing his destiny. Surely to be the first non elected party leader and Prime Minster to be consigned to history as the man who sold Britain’s gold reserves, robbed pension funds, racked up massive debt. Here is a man called a “comulsive liar” by a panelist on BBC Question time. A hung parliament is being suggested. I just wonder which politicians will be first to the gallows, as some people wish to see all politicians “hung” for the recent bad press they have had. The country needs someone to trust, who will do what they say, instead of re-inventing policies every month to make it look like they are doing something.
Argument of the week was over NI contributions, where labour contradicted themselves by saying they are not adding to the burden this year on business, and are not making public sector savings, yet say they are already doing it.Confused??
The Tories generally carry out their manifesto pledges, Labour just talk about doing things. In my experience of governments over the past 40 years, since I was able to vote, the Tories get things done, Labour completely destroys the economy, whether there is world recession or not.
Roll on May 7th, when all the staged campaigning and nonsense is out of the way.
Economic Realities – Should Politicians tell the truth?
Should politicians simply talk up the economy, when the truth is that it is still suffering and has a long way to go, before we can truthfully say it is growing? A General Election is looming large on the horizon, and the points scoring process as started. Labour, via Lord Peter Mandelson, are accusing David Cameron, and the tories of putting down the British economy, when they should be talking it up. In the past this has happened, 1979, for example. A beleagured Prime Minister , James Callagahn claimed inflation was only at 8%, as Labour grappled with the winter of discontent, like a paratrooper trying to take the air out of his parachute on landing and put it back in its pack, or like King Canute trying to order the sea to obey him. However hard he tried the reality showed up. Britain was not prepared for how bad things REALLY were ,as interest rates soared after the election to tackle the parlous state of the economy.
We all know there are very difficult days’ ahead, more difficult than any of us can remember, so I say to all politicians ADMIT the truth, don’t pussy foot about dismissing opposition comments that are the stark ECONOMIC TRUTH. Britain is in a mess, Britain, as it has been proved , was “not best placed to come out of recession quickly”. Gordon Brown is having to eat his words more and more, he is just not to be believed on anything, as he struggles to save HIS job, and not the country.
Bankers versus Governments -Bonuses etc
So can the major governments dictate to the banks on how to reward their staff and waht businesses they should be in? I doubt it very much. If the banks don’t generate profits from astute investment skills, then governments lose tax revenues, businesses cannot borrow money and the economy stagnates or continues to flounder. Leave the banks to do what they do best. By all means banks should learn the principles of sound lending, but apart from that all this rhetoric, particularly in the UK, where the parties are canvassing your vote in the impending election, the banks are being used as the scapegoat for government failings.
