Debatable; Tories hold lead but always one ‘gaffe’ from disaster
- Liam John
- Nov 25, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 28, 2019
It’s been a week of narrative-heavy political debate, lavish announcements and lacklustre commentary. At the time of writing this election could go in any direction and all of the major parties have both released their manifestos.
At election time I think it’s important to encourage, not only participation but also informed opinions and contributions to British politics. So yes ‘register to vote’ but also ‘know who you’re voting for’. information on Manifestos here; Labour, Tories, SNP, Brexit, Monster Raving Loony, UKIP and the Lib Dems’.
Tuesday: ITV Leadership Debate:
Tuesday saw Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson take Leader of the Opposition ‘Commie Corbyn’ on head-to-head. Lib Dem Leader Swinson recently lost a court bid for sexism due to not being invited, as did Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The debate kicked off with pressure on Corbyn about what his position would be in Labour’s proposed referendum and when he refused to answer, the ‘rushed’ format meant Julie Etchingham had to move on.
At this point, the wheels appear to begin turning in the Prime Minister’s head. Boris de Pfeffel then adopted the same tactic of ‘appearing vaguely as you’ll eventually answer the question, relating the conversation to Brexit with your eye on the clock’ that we’ve seen over this Tory election campaign.
The Labour leader would later announce his neutral position Friday’s Question Time Leaders Special, which to be fair had a larger audience.
Corbyn talked more slowly than you’d expect, given the format. When asked about Prince Andrew, Corbyn stressed that we must think of the victims while Boris de Pfeffel said the Royal Family are ‘beyond reproach’.
At one point the leaders were asked to shake hands and end ‘toxic attitudes’ in politics. Shaking hands as a gesture, of course, here being confused with making actual efforts to use less divisive language. Of which there continued to be plenty.
a photo opportunity too good to turn down
Another stand-out moment, and honestly there were few, was when Julie asked whether the Tories had found a magic money tree and whether Mr Corbyn had found more than one.
Johnson began to answer, then muttered: “money forest he’s got.”
ITV then featured a slightly odd, second-tier leaders debate which had a sort of off-brand quality with quick-fire questions for Jo Swinson, Nicola Sturgeon and Brexit party leader Nigel Farage.
The Sun Politics blamed ITV’s formatting for Johnson’s rues in the type of victim-blaming that to be fair is pretty typical of The Sun. Saying ‘viewers’ described it as being ‘too rushed, too hectic’ and complained about candidates not being given enough time. One of ‘viewers’ quoted was none other than The Spectator magazine and BBC Politics Presenter Chairman Andrew Neil, who is already a bastion of unbiased broadcasting.
CCHQ Press Office made the headlines during the debate for changing their name to ‘FactCheckUK’ refuting Corbyn’s comments live. The strategic implications of this are unclear, it seems to have repulsed a lot of people who were voting Labour anyway and the estimation must have been made that the Tory voters would be too busy getting Brexit done to care.
Friday: Question Time Leader’s Special
The BBC Question Time Leaders Special saw Fiona Bruce host the ragtag band of hopefuls looking to lead Britain for the audience to ask them questions one at a time. Corbyn was up first and was immediately blasted by what seemed to be a consensus for a Scottish Independence referendum in the audience, Corbyn maintained he would not consider for at least two years of a Labour government.
Comrade Corbyn: Scotland need another mandate
Bruce eventually brought this to an end by asking for questions about other issues. He sped things up and played to the final whistle. A more impressive performance than Tuesday and a clarification of some of the more outlandish parts of the manifesto. But no election-winning moment, which the polls would suggest is what he needs.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was well-received and left many critics without a response. She immediately said the SNP would never put the Tories in government and dismissed Corbyn’s claims he would stop a second referendum; because if he wants No.10 then he needs to work with the SNP. When asked if Corbyn was lying, she said she understands the compromises politicians make.
At one point, Sturgeon compared a lot of what she had done here in Scotland to Corbyn’s election manifesto, free tuition and prescriptions, and that registered with this audience. The two appeared more reluctant to criticise each other and a deal between them is possible but unlikely, particularly without the Lib Dem’s.
Tune into Question Time tomorrow night as th
e other leaders finally go up against a #GirlySwot#GE2019https://t.co/qWoKJTOXcn pic.twitter.com/xHDI1RRjFy — Jo Swinson (@joswinson) November 21, 2019
Joe Swinson walked out in front of the Question Time audience blindfolded in a minefield. Not one person who asked her a question was a Liberal Democrat and it showed. She was confronted about her voting record and her party enabling years of Tory austerity, more so may I add, than Boris de Pfeffel.
She described Britain’s nuclear programme as a bargaining chip in disarming the rest of the world, despite saying she’d launch nuclear weapons if required before Julie could even get the question out on the ITV Special on Tuesday.
Generally, it was a bad night for Swinson. If this audience was representative of the wider view of her party, Swinson may have overstated her position.
Conservative commentator Iain Dale suggesting it was a suspiciously Labour audience
The Prime Minister gave the usual confusing performance where he batted off genuine criticisms by driving home the party message.
The most notable moment was when he was confronted about the racist comments he’s made in the past and tries to play it off as Feminism. Calling himself a ‘liberal’. Interestingly Jo Swinson also spoke favourably about liberalism, the last time these two ‘liberal’ parties worked we got the austerity project.
View this through any party political eyes you like, this exposes Johnson for what he is. Casual with the truth; casual about discrimination, tolerance & human dignity pic.twitter.com/AhUzzzGxDe — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 22, 2019
On The Spectator’s Coffee House Shots; NewStatesmen Political Editor Stephen Bush and The Spectator’s Editor and Political Editor James Forsyth and Frazer Nelson sat down with host Katy Balls to discuss Friday’s Question Time special.
The consensus was that Boris de Pfeffel won the debate because he didn’t say anything so bad that it destroys the campaign.
While I see the dystopian implications of saying the ‘FactCheckUK’ scandal and Islamaphobia to defend Feminism aren’t so bad they could ruin a campaign, I guess that’s where we’re at.
I have to concede we’re currently waiting on the big ‘change’ moment that would make it possible for anyone other than a Tory win at this election. It, once again, is Johnson’s to lose. Two election debates down, three to go.
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