7-Way Debate Tonight

You could enlighten me about enthralled and in thrall actually. I dont think I know the difference.

I am sure that my words are not as spot on as yours.

It is not acedemic in the slightest if say SNP became part of a hung parliament. Not sure how you can think that at all.

I toss all sorts of things in Soutra!

Some things are not common knowledge to me! And probably not to others.
When I write posts, I am never just posting to those on a thread. The internet is open to the billions who have a computer around the world.

I think I class all rags as newspapers

Not "enthralled by big business" " in thrall to big business". Not the same thing.
Is anybody surprised that the Scottish National Party is focused on Scotland and Plaid Cymru on Wales? The clue is in the name.
Is either party putting up a candidate in your constituency? If not, it's all a bit academic then surely

There's objective and detached and there's over the horizon. Why toss random links or questions into a debate if you are going nowhere with them? DJ has not said anything about writing negative comments, but you mentioned the apparent bias of the press and it is hardly surprising when you are aware of the ownership or political backing. Those are common knowledge. And if a link is given it helps to know what lies behind it -the Torygraph is predictably right wing, as is the DM only it uses shorter words. The Guardian and Independent will often give fuller detail and be fairer on social issues. While The Times is a sorry shadow of its former self. I don't class the other rags as news papers

Your health party whatever its initials are - one policy. Just a group of doctors.

Tories - where to start. They are too enthralled by big business.
SNP - only seem to care about Scotland.
Welsh party - ditto
Liberals - again where do I start? Too liberal in ideals.
Greens - cant run 1 council
UKIP - will probably go way too far. A number of things wrong with them.

You have misread the post dj. I am being detached. Do you see the difference? I can and do write negative things about all of the parties.
I wish others would.

If you want, I will write negative things about all the parties.
Do you want that?

Facts about zero hours contracts for you, soontobe, as you are so interested.

https://fullfact.org/factcheck/economy/zero_hour_contracts_facts-41165

Perhaps, soontobe, you should think about the politics of the owners of a newspaper. The Telegraph is owned by two brothers who donate to the Tory party and who are nondoms, in other words gain billions without paying the tax on the money they gain.
One of their top reporters has just left because he disagrees with what the owners are trying to do.
If you do not understand, it's googleable as well.

I think my link was detached, soontobe. Yours wasn't. It was attacking Labour.

I raised it becuase it is part of the whole political story.
I am getting increasingly irritated by the press around the world being biased.
I could be wrong, but I dont think that it used to be as bad as it is now.

I was shocked by part of the Trevor Phillips programme.
A top journalist from the Times, hesitated or delayed, I cant remember which, publishing the Rotherham story. And his reason? Because he said, his words roughly. because it gave such a goal to the other side[he meant UKIP]
He said he was ashamed of that.
Good of him to say it.
But what a confession.

Very very sad.

Why did you raise the zero hours issue if you don't have an opinion then? I wouldn't presume to ask how you or anybody is voting. It is a secret ballot after all.

I dont have one.
I have [probably] narrowed my vote down to two parties. And have decided to wait until the day to decide which way I am voting. Other parties may just be in the running as well.
So I am looking at it all from a detatched distance.
Who knows what is going to come to light between now and then.
6 or 7 weeks is a long time in politics.
I am a floater who is still floating.

So presumably you did (read it). And your opinion is?

Amongst other googlable links.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11510523/Labour-MPs-accused-of-hypocrisy-over-use-of-zero-hours-contracts.html

this is interesting. Haven't seen the whole debate yet, but I heard about the papers this morning, and I was not at all surprised. They all saw what they wanted to see.

tomorrowspaperstoday.com/?utm_content=buffer85c48&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I am going to have to go and find it now I suppose. Or I may just choose to wait and see if someone else can confirm it.

I don't know soontobe. Did you?

Did I read somewhere that Labour currently employ many zero hours contract staff in Labour run councils?

I did it with help, hoora!

I watched it last night but I also recorded it to be able to make a better appraisal , yes I know that's sad but you miss the odd nuances and I like to be confident about making a personal opinion.

Having watched it again I thought Natalie Bennett did very well. I think her policies are, to my mind only, quite mad but I liked the way she stated what her policies were in a clear manner. She was certainly more composed than when being interviewed one to one.

Nigel Forage did exactly what I thought he would do, say what he thinks lump it, or leave it. Totally Marmite character but will take votes from both Labour and Conservatives. I thought he performed quite well.

Nick Clegg was OK I just think he looks desperate at times but he is trying to appear to be the 'Mr Middle of the Road' and I don't think that's what his party wants to be honest. I find him a bit hypocritical and back stabbing and that never sits well with me. He did better than I thought he would.

Leanne Wood is a genuinely nice person and as a nationalist quite rightly speaks up for Wales. I thought her positioning on Labours hypocrisy re the running of the NHS and NHS privatisation under Labour were made well. She had another killer point come across when she stated Labour voted 'against' a Plaid Cymru ammendment to ban zero hour contracts . BAM, ! I do worry she is a little too in awe of Nicola Sturgeon though.

David Cameron had a remit I think not to give anybody the opportunity to call him smug and he underplayed his hand too much. I thought he was more or less on the money and the second time round I noted more points were actually raised by him than I thought first time round. I thought he took comments that criticized him well and was all in all steady as she goes.

Nicola Sturgeon is always good in front of a camera and debates well. I like the fact she speaks honestly about wanting to break up the Union and makes no defence of her hatred of the Tories. I do think she defines to the voter a clear choice, spend more, get rid of Trident, break up the Union, vote down a Westminster government etc. My problem with the SNP is I don't find it a Democratic party if all it wants to do is anhialate the opposition by any means including foul play.

Ed Miliband was all Mr Macho and I can't help but find it false. He did OK and he 'turned' awkward comments against Labour well. I think he is thicker skinned than some think. He was quite dominate with regard to the level of his voice and eye contact and hand gestures, my problem is I couldn't help but think he had undergone performance training and I didn't think it was totally natural. He shook his head so much it was annoying. He tried to put over policies but they were shot down by the others and went nowhere.

Can I just say with regards to Cameron and his family. I agree it can be annoying but Ed Miliband also used the birth of his children during the debate last night and Gordon Brown often spoke of his loss of his child too. I don't think any of them 'use' their children for self promotion nor playing the sympathy card as some elude to. I just think that they are trying to say look I do have first hand knowledge of what the NHS means to the voter.

Mishap

If you haven't watched it, you can't comment on it so it depends if you want to.

It wasn't a slanging match so you might be pleasently surprised.

Can you cut and paste posts?

What annoyed me was EM constantly saying "If I am elected Prime Minister". Has he forgotten how our electoral system actually works?

Yes mishap I think it is worth watching for yourself that way you will get a balanced view. I was going to buy a newspaper this morning until I read the front pages. It left me wondering whether the journalist had watched the same debate as me or even the same debate as each other. Needless to say I decided not to bother with a newspaper today.

I do wish I lived in Scotland or Wales then I would now know who to vote for. All three women on the panel were excellent.