This afternoon, leaders from seven of the UK’s leading parties squared off for a BBC debate. The general election will be held on the 4th, and while everyone knows the details (a Conservative wipeout), nobody really knows the details.
I was listening to the debate this afternoon while cooking dinner, and really quite enjoyed it.
Having seven people with seven view points – some of which overlap – is so, so refreshing. In the US system, you have primary debates, where candidates say WILD stuff to attract the most committed voters. This isn’t a partisan point; the motto for most (all?) candidates is that moderation is for cowards. Roll on a few months, and the presidential debates can be hard to stomach. This year’s case will be particularly bad.
A few moments that stood out from the debate:
Nigel Farage is a natural. Love him or hate him, this guy has a proper gob on him. Compared to many other politicians who come across stilted and rehearsed; who don’t look like they’re enjoying their time, Mr Farage seems to relish it. Part of it is that he clearly fancies the sound of his own voice, but he knows how to work a crowd.
“Fishy” Rishi is toast. The current PM, Rishi Sunak, is finished. He didn’t make the stage, instead throwing one of his more talented apparatchiks, Penny Mordaunt, under the bus. Within the first five minutes, she had returned the favour, describing his decision to return home early during the D-Day commemorations as “terrible”. He’s gone.
The Lib-Dems are back?! (Full disclosure: I was previously a member of the Liberal Democrats while at university) After many years in the wilderness, the Lib Dems seem to be on the march again. There are a generation of people who will NEVER forgive their acquiescence during the Cameron years, but they have some good ideas, and they’re not afraid to share them. The thinking man’s party is back!
The UK has SERIOUS problems. All elections bring out the moaners, but you can get a grip on what people are thinking by listening carefully. On a seven person stage, you think you would have some disagreement, but the conclusions were unanimous on the following:
– The NHS is not fit for purpose
– Costs are way too high
– Crime, particularly violent knife crime, is a scourge.
The whole debate was interesting, and I think the needle moved a bit. As always, we will have to wait and see.