The BBC 1 'Prime Minister' debate

[Dave2002]

...Laura Kuenssberg, another vote for Katya Adler, Jon Sopel (the BBC "Editors" in other words...), Orla Guerin, Lyse Doucet.... The one the politicians fear most is Andrew Neil.....

I am gettting very tired of Laura Kuenssberg - day-by-day, hour-by-hour speculation. I don't believe it helps much, and as for the Brexitcast programme ...!! If it were left to me, I'd go and live somewhere many miles away, and not have anything to do with the BBC commentary - or perhaps even the UK - it seems to be going toxic. As it is, I live with a news/politics addict, so apart from tennis (I'm not addicted to that either, but ... it's preferable) - which makes a slightly welcome relief - when it's not raining - I get far more than my fair share of updates, many of them biased. I'd be interested to know how much LK gets paid - presumably it's public knowledge**.

**in 2017 one of the tabloid papers suggested she earned between £200-250k. I don't know what the latest details are.

[teamsaint]

I am gettting very tired of Laura Kuenssberg - day-by-day, hour-by-hour speculation.

Thats how it goes with 24 hour rolling news. A substantial amout of the “ news” coverage is indeed speculation.

[french frank]

Labour's stance seems more to be about uniting the country rather than party.

As I see it, we have a very 'mature democracy' in that it has existed for a very long time, but a very immature populace - and that includes the politicians as well as the voters. Stewart seemed to me (in the clip I saw) to be almost in tears at the fact that telling harsh truths was not what anyone wanted to hear. There is an easy way out if you're clever enough. And that is intended to lead back, logically, to the current subject.

[ardcarp]

But who do you (or anyone on this thread) like or admire, as a current affairs presenter/interviewer etc..?

Bring back Paxo...or Robin Day (from the hereafter).

[muzzer]

I’m a big fan of brexitcast but i recognise we are saturated with rolling news. That is one effect of the current hell out of which we are not ;) PS I think Katya Adler is admirably holding the European line, she must be sick to death of repeating herself but so far that’s been exactly the right thing to do imho.

[Dave2002]

There is an easy way out if you're clever enough. And that is intended to lead back, logically, to the current subject.

So are you intending to stand - or at least advise - the next PM? I don't think there's anything easy about this - with the current state of affairs, the very flawed logic and sets of assumptions that many are making - and the rather dubioius beliefs held on so many sides - in and out of government, and in the populace at large.

[french frank]

So are you intending to stand - or at least advise - the next PM? I don't think there's anything easy about this - with the current state of affairs, the very flawed logic and sets of assumptions that many are making - and the rather dubioius beliefs held on so many sides - in and out of government, and in the populace at large.

No, I don't think there is an easy way . I should have put "There is an easy way out if you're clever enough" in inverted commas, as being what all the remaining candidates seem to think is the case. Rory Stewart was the one who - from his own point of view - was stating unpalatable truths: there isn't an easy way, however 'clever' you are, or think you are. And he was disappointed that his message fell on deaf ears. Or at least, I presume the ears were working. But as with many contemporary situations, people aren't willing to accept facts that conflict with 'what they think'.

[Richard Barrett]

So are you intending to stand - or at least advise - the next PM?

I think there are many thousands of people in the country who would make a better prime minister than the actual next one (whichever of the candidates is chosen)!

[cloughie]

He'd be fine there, they all voted for austerity, increased tuition fees etc etc etc.

But they have never received the praise they deserve for curbing the extremes of the right in the austerity coalition, and of course they were stabbed in the back in true tory fashion in 2015. Then the right wing again in due fashion stabbed Theresa and their own party in the back, when all were blaming and none of them doing anything!

[Dave2002]

I think there are many thousands of people in the country who would make a better prime minister than the actual next one (whichever of the candidates is chosen)!

I'd certainly vote for ff, or several of the people round here. Chance would be a fine thing. Is it time to quote Private Frazer?

[DracoM]

Agreed.

<< But they have never received the praise they deserve for curbing the extremes of the right in the austerity coalition, and of course they were stabbed in the back in true tory fashion in 2015. Then the right wing again in due fashion stabbed Theresa and their own party in the back, when all were blaming and none of them doing anything! >>

[ardcarp]

Widening out the topic to appointing people to whatever post (head-teacher, chief exec....same thing probably) the candidates' main asset is the ability to perform well at interview. In other words, it's talking the talk not walking the walk.

[MrGongGong]

I think there are many thousands of people in the country who would make a better prime minister than the actual next one (whichever of the candidates is chosen)!

My vote goes to

[Serial_Apologist]

Nick Robinson lost any trust I might have had in him when he did a big piece on income tax a few years ago, which failed utterly to address the core issue, which of course is income inequality.

Well said, TS - I may have even commented on that programme, back then. "Bug Eyes" wins out every time for hectoring, not allowing the repondent time to reply type interviewing - I shudder every time he's announced on Today, and ridiculously parading his "objectivity" on College Green.

[Conchis]

But they have never received the praise they deserve for curbing the extremes of the right in the austerity coalition, and of course they were stabbed in the back in true tory fashion in 2015. Then the right wing again in due fashion stabbed Theresa and their own party in the back, when all were blaming and none of them doing anything!

It’s an old and probably fruitless argument, but I think the Liberal Democrats made a bad tactical errror in agreeing to join the Coalition government. They should have known that, whatever their efforts, they would be seen as the co-arichitects of austerity, regardless of their protestations to the contrary. The mind of the average voter does not allow for much subtlety or nuance and Clegg and co never really found a way to be in government while being in opposition at the same time (in fairness, probably an impossible task for anyone). I would agree that austerity was on the cards whoever won in 2010, but Clegg was surely disingenuous in suggesting that the LDs were somehow the ‘least austere’ of the three main contenders. You reap what you sow.