In America the election TV debate starts 18 months before polling day. This is because both major Parties use them to whittle down the number of politicians vying to represent either the Republican or Democratic Party before the primary season.
Since 1960 the candidates selected by each Party go head to head. In 1992 Ross Perot took his place as a strong Third Party candidate next to George Bush and the eventual winner, Democrat Bill Clinton.
It took until 2010 for TV debates to land in the UK.
The strange fact is this. Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg was declared the Debate champion. But on polling day the Liberal Democrat’s lost five seats, and their share of the vote barely changed, up by just one percentage point.
The Debates in 2015 were skewed by Prime Minister David Cameron’s baulking at having head to head conversations.
2017 definitively moved the dial. Theresa May sent her Home Secretary Amber Rudd to speak for the Tories. She had a stinker. Jeremy Corbyn, 20 points behind at the start of Campaign pulled off a surprise. Rudd was left floundering. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron similarly failed, succumbing to nerves.
The final result saw a swing to Labour of 9.6%. They gained 30 seats. Theresa May’s premiership was forever doomed as 13 seats were lost. Farron’s career as Lib Dem leader was sunk as they lost 21 seats.
Corbyn set out a vision which included abolition of student fees, and taking the transport and other utilities back into Public ownership. He came over as clear, honest and relatable. Crucially he treated the other debaters with respect.
This election, possibly due to the dire state of Rich Rishi’s Government and Labour’s play it safe tactic has led to a sterile debate season.
Labour has the ultimate opportunity to provide a step change as in 1979 and 1997 respectively. Thatcher and Blair both identified the calcification of the country and were prepared to risk all in pursuit of a vision to turn the UK around.
The fascinating part of this campaign; and it is radically different, is that the public place issues ABOVE the qualifications of the Leaders.
IPOs/mori have been polling general elections since 1987 and this information comes from a 5th June poll.
Whilst 47% of voters think Labour is ready for government, an astonishing 53 say they don’t know what Sir Kier Starmer stands for. A record for a leader expected to take Office.
Friday’s debate showed UK politics at its absolute nadir. Tory Penny Mourdant used it as her pitch for post annihilation Conservative leader. Although it was fun to see her stab Rich Richi in the front, it was unsettling to hear a Cabinet Minister tell a lie about tax that had already been squashed.
Mourdant was just attempting to ape Thatcher but without a plan, a vision or 1% of the Iron Lady’s undoubted intellectual ability.
For Labour Angela Raynor blew a golden opportunity to define how the Party would transform the UK. It all felt a bit underwhelming for me.
Daisy Cooper for the Liberal Democrats was just unmemorable and vanilla. I have no idea what she was trying to outline.
Green Leader Carla Denyer was by far the politician with a vision. Clean energy which would create thousands of well paid jobs. In addition she spoke sense on the need for immigration. The decimation of apprenticeships in favour of University courses of little intrinsic value to the economy has left us with no skilled and highly qualified construction workers
But like the Scottish Nationalists and Plaid Cymru, the Greens will never be in government.
This election, even more than 1997 is the easiest to predict.
All the more reason for Labour to be brave, to dare to dream, to provide priceless hope for our young people and most of all to tell a story and deliver a vision of ending the descent into oblivion that the Tory years have put rocket boosters on.
Site Title 