UK Election Debate 2 - tonight 8pm Sky News

redout

Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are preparing for their second head-to-head prime ministerial TV debate, focused on global affairs.
The three leaders campaigned in the south west ahead of the event in Bristol, hosted by Sky from 2000 BST.

Mr Clegg, whose party enjoyed a poll boost after last week's debate, faced newspaper attacks on Thursday.

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2040

Clegg ftw.

G-Money

I watched a bit of that debate last week and I admit, Clegg seemed the better of the three. He was the only one who seemed like he genuinely offered something different. David Cameron looked very nervous and uncomfortable when the camera's went on. Whereas Gordon Brown seemed to ease into it after a while.

BroomBurner

Clegg has a lot to lose, but I hope he does well again.

The biggest bonus of these debates has been the spike in numbers registering to vote, which is great news for democracy. I hope that all the newly registered make it out to vote.

Foreign affairs is an intersting topic, and one where Gordon Brown may make some inroads. If he doesn't, the last debate on the economy migt just finish him off.

Marshy

Will be interesting to see if the Lib Dem plans for a UK at the heart of Europe will freak viewers out...

But then again actual policies probably won't really matter to a lot of people, judging from last week's. Good cartoon skit here...

kev9100

Clegg will be attacked from the start from Cameron but if he holds firm and does'nt back down, he'll do ok. Here's to a good few more "I agree with Nick" moments.

Flamed Diving

When is the actual "head-to-head" bit? They don't seem to be debating, to me.

redout

Foreign Affairs you would think Brown should really dominate as the other two have next to no experience although Clegg was in Europe for a short time.

efb

Clegg to be attacked by Cameron from the off I reckon.

BroomBurner

Good use of an example of the bonus of Europe there from Clegg.

I think most people are realistic enough for the UK to not leave the EU.

redout

Did Cameron say leave the UN security council!

efb

Cameron failed on EU part, Brown seemed strongest.

BroomBurner

Brown definitely the strongest on the EU question.

Very sneaky of Cameron bringing up Trident to try to bring down Clegg.

Oohh, intersting... Climate change! I think Brown is doing very well tonight.

redout

30mins in and the Guardian live tracker has:

1) Clegg
2) Brown
3) Cameron

Cameron is doing quite bad if you believe the tracker

dreamer_ire

For me Brown performing best closely followed by Clegg and I just don't buy Cameron.

Guardian tracker here http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/apr/22/leaders-debate-live-blog

BroomBurner

He didn't just bring in the Polish president, did he? Clown.

efb

Cameron uses dead guy to score points!

redout

Tracker has put Brown in front for the first time in the two debates thus far.

He seemed to do well on the Catholic church.

BroomBurner

On the religion issue, Brown is the only one answering the question in full. He's definitely the strongest so far.

The open session has started with a very pro-Lib Dem question.

redout

robinph

I wish Brown would give up trying to do his fake smile, it's just creepy.

efb

Brown, Clegg,..., Cameron IMHO

2040

I'm all for Clegg but i think Cameron is dominating.

BroomBurner

Cameron is finally finding his voice on the pensions topic. He might actually win that question.

Brown is not faring too well on this question, he's coming across as a bit petty.

Clegg's mentioning of the fuel payments shouldgo down well, in particularly bringing in the disabled, etc.

redout

efb wrote: »

Brown, Clegg,..., Cameron IMHO

I would agree with that.

No way Clegg is doing as well as last week.

Brown hitting him with the anti-americanism a couple of times didnt seem to impress him.

Euro_Kraut

Brown in response to the old lady Grace, who asked the pensions : "Women, and are one of them..."

Well spotted. Good to see his proper eye is still holding up.

efb

Pensions was Camerons strong point

Euro_Kraut

efb wrote: »

Pensions was Camerons strong point

What points do you think were particularly good?

steelcityblues

Brown 'wants' to see this and that happen, but behind those eyes tells the story of a man who can't think of anything to achieve those wishes!

Flamed Diving

Brown is doing an awful lot of off-topic finger-pointing.

banquo

None of the is especially strong. Well, they're all ok. But nobody is stealing it outright. Browns "get real, Nick" was probably the best line so far IMO.

BroomBurner

Both Brown and Cameron have now used the "look at the two of them bickering" a la Clegg of last week. A bit pathetic really.

Cameron looks like a small child who's toy train has just fallen out of reach down a drain.

Clegg is holding his own. Reminding people that a change in politics is possible, offering a change. Usual stuff for LibDems at this stage.


Ahhh, immigration. Watch them all fall...

Denerick

Clegg is neither good nor bad. Brown looks impressive; strong, astute, knowlegable. People want a dour, professor in chief in charge of foreign affairs. Brown has a PHD in history. He's a fountain of knowledge and people will be assured by that.

Cameron looks like a typical public schoolboy prat. Clegg really nailed him on his nazi EU friends.

Overall not too bad. Brown might see a poll boost IMO.

Flamed Diving

Clegg looks a little weak, to me. He seems a little naive.

Denerick

Flamed Diving wrote: »

Clegg looks a little weak, to me. He seems a little naive.

Do you think so? I think he's doing OK. He'll maintain his position in the polls until the next debate I'd say.

2040

Flamed Diving wrote: »

Clegg looks a little weak, to me. He seems a little naive.

He does, but i don't think he is in reality. The Europe bit had to be dumbed down. The reality is that Clegg understands Europe more than any of them. He didn't get the opportunity to show this though. Brown is using facile bullying tactics, doing well in the process.

BroomBurner

Flamed Diving wrote: »

Clegg looks a little weak, to me. He seems a little naive.

I don't think the Brits will like Clegg's plan, but it does sound very fair. A bit like the undocumented Irish in the States.

Cameron's popularity has been increasing on the Guardian poll recently.

steelcityblues

Clegg's playing it very cute on immigration.

2040

BroomBurner wrote: »

I don't think the Brits will like Clegg's plan, but it does sound very fair. A bit like the undocumented Irish in the States.

Cameron's popularity has been increasing on the Guardian poll recently.

That's the Guardian though. They've seized the opportunity to champion Clegg. I'm sorry to say i see Cameron winning this and the election. People ove here will lap this up. Watching Question Time later on should be useful in finding out who won, because it's very hard to tell.

Inquitus

You have to remember the leanings of Gruaniad readers, Camerons having a stormer relatively if they are only polling him slightly poorly!

For me Clegg has the best debate manner, followed not far behind by Cameron and then Brown comes a million miles back.

efb

Brown, Clegg, Cameron

BroomBurner

2040 wrote: »

That's the Guardian though. They've seized the opportunity to champion Clegg. I'm sorry to say i see Cameron winning this and the election. People ove here will lap this up. Watching Question Time later on should be useful in finding out who won, because it's very hard to tell.

I don't think Cameron will win the election (I hope not anyway), they can be vey class-orientated in some parts of Britain and they will never vote Tory. They might change from Labour to LibDem, but never to Tory. It would be like a democrat in the US voting for the Republicans.

Overall, I think Gordon Brown did very well tonight.

BroomBurner

Inquitus wrote: »

You have to remember the leanings of Gruaniad readers, Camerons having a stormer relatively if they are only polling him slightly poorly!

For me Clegg has the best debate manner, followed not far behind by Cameron and then Brown comes a million miles back.

Oh God, I hate when people comment on the Guardian using this word! Any chance we could keep it off Boards?

For me tonight - Brown, Clegg, Cameron.

2040

Cameron, Brown, Clegg - Very close between Cameron and Brown. I'm not happy about this though. I was beginning to get hopeful that Clegg would pull off a coup.

Inquitus

BroomBurner wrote: »

Oh God, I hate when people comment on the Guardian using this word! Any chance we could keep it off Boards?

For me tonight - Brown, Clegg, Cameron.

You can't judge the outcome of it as an intellectual who reads a decent paper, follows the news etc.

These debates are about how these 3 come across on camera and microphone to the mass numpty Sun readers of the UK, and Brown utterly fails at that, what they say is ultimately very secondary to that imo.

Grauniad it is

2040

YouGov poll says Cameron wins.

shinny

Brown 29%
Cameron 36%
Clegg 32%

Yougov instant poll

steelcityblues

Can't believe i'm saying this, but at least both Cameron and Brown both gave relatively concrete answers to the final question of immigration (didn't see earlier half of the debate). Both have crap ideas IMO but at least they are at out in the open.

Clegg, by comparison, looked like a first-class opportunist eloquently dodging the question just because he may lose the newly acquired 'cool' peoples' votes.

Willl he say anything more on this before election day? Maybe not!

efb

Sky just laying into Brown, so biased!

BroomBurner

I think it's very unfair to say that these debates are for the benefit of Sun numpties. Nearly 10 million people in the UK watched the frst debate, possibly more watched it this time.

These debates have been really good due to:

• People are interested in how they are each presenting themselves, which is needed seeing as the UK PM has a world role
• They are also interested in how they handle pressure, which you cn tell from such a debate to a point
• Watchers are listening closely to what each candidate are saying and then reading about it after to see how much truth was in what they said

The YouGov poll from the Sun is never to be trusted - Tory bias.

ComRes poll - Cameron 30%, Brown 30%, Clegg 33%

Several polls have Clegg leading

banquo

Comres poll:

Brown: 30
Cameron: 30
Clegg: 33