Foreign Correspondence

[fuagf]

10 million watched historic election debate
Times Online .. April 16, 2010


Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Gordon Brown during
the debate .. (Ken McKay/ITV/EPA)

Patrick Foster, Media Correspondent

Around 10 million people watched Britain’s first election debate between the leaders of the
three main parties according to unofficial overnight ratings figures released this morning. [...]

Peter Fincham, ITV's Director of Television said: "This was a moment of broadcasting history - a television first... [..]

“We're delighted that so many people tuned in to watch - it is a clear signal that there is a real appetite for the public
to see and hear those vying to lead the country debate the big issues. Televised election debates are surely here to stay.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7099488.ece

Surely is about time .. from a link in that one ..

Poll says Clegg is runaway winner
From The Times ,, April 16, 2010


Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg and David Cameron
(Ken McKay/ITV)

Peter Riddell

Nick Clegg was the runaway winner of the first British televised debate
between party leaders, according to a special online poll by Populus for The Times.

Three-fifths of those questioned (61 per cent) said Mr Clegg was the winner.
This compared with 22 per cent naming David Cameron and 17 per cent Gordon Brown. [...]

After the debate 41 per cent said they would most like to see Mr Clegg as prime minister, against 36 per cent for Mr Cameron
and 23 per cent for Mr Brown. As many as 68 per cent say it makes them more likely to vote for the Liberal Democrats.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7099182.ece

One more inside the top one ..

‘We’ve been conned for too long’ - trial by TV has drinkers frothing
From The Times April 16, 2010


Watching the first ever 'Leader's Debate' on ITV at
the Commercial Hotel (pub) in central Manchester

Martin Fletcher

“Clegg — 3-0. He’s more truthful than the other two lying toerags,” said Ann Cash, a retired secretary, at the end of last night’s debate

“Brown — 1-0. I don’t trust the other two,” said Gemma Harris, 27, an administrative assistant with Manchester City Council.

“Cameron — 3-2. I don’t think he made a mistake,” said Bernard Slater, the landlord.

The Times watched the debate in the real world of the 200-year-old Commercial Hotel in Liverpool Road, a few hundred yards from the studio and five minutes from the original Coronation Street. It is a last redoubt of the working class, where rooms cost £20 a night, is one of just two pubs left in a road where there used to be 12 and which is now full of loft apartments, yuppie restaurants and the Museum of Science and Industry.

At first it was hard to persuade the customers to watch at all. A few minutes before the debate one television was showing Spanish football, the other darts. “We don’t want to watch lies. We’ve been conned for too long,” said a man called Terry who intends to vote BNP. It took the offer of free drinks for the duration to change the customers’ minds, and soon they were following it intently.

Related Links
* Nick Clegg seizes his moment in historic TV debate

Here, unlike the audience in the studio, people could cheer and jeer — and they did, vociferously, from the very first question on immigration. “What a f***ing liar,” shouted Ted Cash, a disillusioned Labour voter who runs a scrap business, as Gordon Brown talked about how net immigration was falling. “Accountant jargon,” snorted Bernard Slater, the landlord. “He’s covering up. We [whites] are in a minority,” said Mike Waugh, 48, a manager with Salford council and union shop steward.

Soon we had the debate on both televisions, and quite a crowd gathered. When it came to MPs’ expenses there was uproar, with drinkers shouting at all three politicians.

On the economy the pub split over Gordon Brown’s record. “He’s ‘maxed’ our credit cards out and now he wants to borrow to take out even more,” said Mr Slater. “Brown got us into recession but he got us out,” countered Phil Arnold, 22, a football coach.

After 90 minutes there were still as many opinions as drinkers, with no concensus on who had won or lost. But the debate did achieve one thing. After ten days of largely sterile campaigning, the election had finally engaged the customers of the Commercial Hotel.

Meanwhile,



in one of several million living rooms, three members of the Young family were watching.“We’re moving from recession to recovery,” said Mr Brown. “Oh no we’re not,” said Michelle Young. Her husband, Ian, 49, a chartered surveyor, has been made redundant twice in the past 18 months. Unemployment is high even in their comfortable suburb. Her son Max, 17 recently got a shelf-stacking shift at Waitrose, beating nearly 3,000 applicants.

All were undecided at the start of the debate but by the end, Mr Young felt Cameron had “the edge” on the other two. “But that’s because Cameron knows what he’s doing on camera,” said Max. “The best out of them is Nick Clegg.” He liked Clegg’s joke about civil servants’ pot plants. Cameron took an early lead, in Mr Young’s book, when he spoke of “transitional controls” on immigration from new EU countries. “Oh yes,” said Mr and Mrs Young together. “Mr Brown just looks a bit tired,” said Mrs Young, 48. “You would be, wouldn’t you, after 13 years. Cameron doesn’t quite seem real, which is a shame. You need more Margaret Thatchers. I lived in the Rhonda Valley. I remember the miners’ strike. I remember when people had no food. But one thing about that woman, she stuck to her guns. I don’t believe any of these three would.” “We’re all going round in circles like these three do,” says Mrs Young. “For the last thirteen years.”

Back at the Commercial Hotel, when the debate ended the pub, so sceptical to begin with, actually applauded.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7099255.ece