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Last Night's Debate

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Deskdiary | 07:32 Fri 17th Apr 2015 | News
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So what are people's verdicts?

For the first time ever I have a grudging glimmer of respect for Milliband. The way he slammed the door in Sturgeon's face was very entertaining. Sturgeon then came accross as a needy just chucked ex-girlfriend begging for a second chance. I await with interest the vote in Scotland, which I think will be a significant contributor to the final result this year.

Milliband isn't PM material, but for my money he was the outright winner last night.

Farage shouldn't have criticised the audience, but not for the first time I found his points to be grounded in common sense - its a shame his party attracts, and is therefore tainted, by too many nutters.

Leanne (let's make unions more powerful, stop austerity and spend spend spend) Wood and Natalie (wibble wibble wibble snork fish wibble bicycle) Bennett are non-entities who can pretty much say what they like but will always be irrelevant.

For me, last night's loser was Sturgeon - but perversely I think Milliband breaking off the engagement will galvanise the Scottish vote which will result in Labour really struggling in Scotland.
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The loser was Farage as he always will be : because for every person cheering him there will be several more throwing things at the TV. That is the inevitable consequence of his position. And insulting the audience is not a clever move, especially from the party that claims to be 'different' from the others and standing up for 'the people'
I thought all the others had their moments. It was lively and interesting. I don't think there was a 'winner' as such. Does there need to be? Ed Miliband I thought performed best but then I am a Miliband supporter so I am biased.
I hadn't realised that the LibDems had been barred from taking part because the Tories rather disgracefully had run away. Bizarre
I am looking forward to the Question Time with the three main party leaders
retrocop

/// on a point of order I didn't post the original link did I? ///

Those obvious points don't matter to the 'certain suspects', they will take all manner of chances to have a dig.
Again on Farage, watching that 'snake' thing or whatever it is during the post match analysis where people register their likes and dislikes, his comment about restricting housing to 'British!' citizens saw a big dip in appreciation. Which is heartening if nothing else
I'm sure some of UKIP's policy points attract more support than the party gets. Of course. But the set as a whole won't appeal to a majority. A significant majority, too. Farage's task was to appeal to this majority. He even seemed to be making some progress, with the various suggestions that he is picking up even the disgruntled Labour voter as well as just ex-Tories.

Last night's performance has risked at the very least a chance of making even more progress, and has probably hurt his chances too. But we'll see. A snap poll afterwards suggested that something like 30% thought Farage had won, which if so is about double what the party is polling -- but then since Nick Clegg did well in 2010's debates we know that such strong performances don't translate into votes at the election booth; and also demonstrates that 70% of the country didn't rate him so highly.

Farage does not command majority support, and can only do so if he respects his opponents rather than insulting them.
I think there are a lot of people of all political persuasions who agree with pretty much everything Nigel Farage says - but they won't vote for him.
following milliband's performance/treatment to Nicola Sturgeon. he has ensured tory's will be back in no. 10.
The thing was Farage didn't just accuse the audience of being left wing, he accused them of being stupid to begin with and you could feel the bristling even on the TV.
When he claimed that he would be saying what a sizeable proportion of people at home would be thinking I was reminded of the disastrous 2005 Muchael Howard 'Are you thinking what we're thinking' slogan :-)
But no he never then actually said 'I'm a prat' so that was another vote lost I'm afraid lol
I agree with mikey ( 07.54) to me the most interesting politician to speak was
Nicola Sturgeon who seemed to have the best grasp of the whole situation & left the rest of them standing. Please as a born & bred Englishman am I allowed to vote for Nicola Sturgeon ?
naomi @1017

That is very true. I cannot disagree with anything his manifesto sets out.
I cannot waste my vote,however, and let Labour back in the door again.
A lot of the electorate may have short memories but I am not one of them.

Naomi, very true, I did that Quiz yesterday, expecting Tory, and got UKIP a long way ahead, however couldn't vote for them as want to keep Labour out if possible. As Retrocop says, long memories ... .. .
It was like your school days wasn't it , on the tv debate last night ; with Nicola Sturgeon , pleading with Ed Milliband , to go out with her ; and Ed spurning her advances .

I think the tories should be worried ( i'm sure they are ) that no other party wants to be in a coalition Government with them ( apart from possibly the Lib Dems - and they , it's looking , will be wiped out , after the election )

They have been drumming on about vote labour and get SNP - it doesn't seem to be convincing the electorate
I thought Miliband did very well.
Sturgeon.. begging for power was embarrassing
Wood... er
Bennett... definitely green.
Farage...said it as it is.

I was puzzled by the reaction to Farage pointing out that we basically haven't got the infrastructure to accommodate the net migration said to be 300,000 per annum.

Why was he pilloried for pointing out a fact?
ichkeria

/// his comment about restricting housing to 'British!' citizens saw a big dip in appreciation. ///

So such as you would like to see foreign nationals have equal access to our limited housing stock would you?

When he referred to 'British' citizens he included all, not just white citizens, so you can put away your racist card, because it is not eligible to play it.
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To mirror a couple of other posters, I like a lot of what Farage says - I don't think we should treat the world's poor and sick, I am concerned about immigration and the impact it has on housing and services (having concern about immigration is not bigoted as the Scottish Green woman suggested on The Today Programme this morning....why do some people mistakenly believe it is?).

But.

I could not vote UKIP.

I suspect there are many like me who, whilst agreeing with some of UKIP's ideas, will continue to vote Conservative in the hope that we can keep Labour out.....I genuinely believe the Tories need another five years, and if after that time its 'broken' then perhaps it will be time for a change. But to change now would be a huge step backwards and would be damaging to the country.
deskdiary. if the tories deserve another 5 years. who will they 'get into bed' with to retain power ?
anneasquith
UKIP would be a sweet dream for me.
//The way he slammed the door in Sturgeon's face was very entertaining. //

He hasn't slammed the door in her face - but he wants Labour supporters to think he has.
tory/ukip . not going to happen is it ?
ichkeria

/// his comment about restricting housing to 'British!' citizens saw a big dip in appreciation. ///

So such as you would like to see foreign nationals have equal access to our limited housing stock would you?

Yes I would as a matter of fact, but the point I was making was that that statement which he made did not go down well generally with the watching public.
The is a constituency outside UKIP-land you know :-)

Sturgeon was the biggest loser for me last night, she performed well in the first debate but put herself across last night as bossy and needy almost 'touting for trade' with Milliband. Farage won last night for the very fact he actually meant what he said,which sometimes doesn't go down to well. If you watch the end the three other debaters have a group hug while Farage stands at his podium,seemingly ostracized but more than likely stifling a wry grin. UKIP have no chance of a majority, but if only people who agree with what he says vote UKIP then there could be a Tory/UKIP coalition.

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