http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/ ... 626639.stm


Only for the rich, tax cuts for the rich are their first priority and getting reelected. Nothing else matters to them.

I think there's a typo in there.

No he had just seen Avatar when he was asked about it.

Alternative headline - "Cameron fretting over possibility of the Tories not winning the election."

Or "Tories start to cry and throw toys out of the pram shouting "not fair" after beaten by Clegg in TV debate".

Yes it looks increasingly likely that the Tories will not win enough seats to get a Majority. If he loses this election I can see the Tories trying to find a new leader.

Yep, will be interesting to see if they elect for another "nice face" of conservatism, or just elect an outright right-wing nutter.

Yes but many will still think of them as the nasty party no matter who they have running them because they have not changed that much, just a bit of gloss, and a few choice caring words and we will fall for it again.

All you have to do to shatter that illusion is listen to some of their backbenchers speak in the Commons, or even read their comments in the press (the Telegraph being a prime example).

There will a few who will not fall for it. Being cynical helps. Though as you say it will get reported on.

Actually, all you have to do is see who they've aligned themselves with in the EU.

It could be Nick Griffin!

A few years ago the membership of the tories was as low as 50 000 and there was talk of a subversive take over of the Tory party by the BNP.

Frankly, I'm amazed and not surprised at the same time.

First, I'm amazed that people appear to be voting based on how the front-man comes across on a worthless TV debate that was frighteningly short on substance. They should have renamed it "Britain's Got Politicians" and got Simon Cowell to host it.

Some wag referred to it as "I want to Prime Minister".

I also worry that first time voters will be confused when they don't find the leaders' names on the ballot. This is the problem when you try to bring US-style politics into the UK system. Our general election is not electing a president, but a representative.

Still, it'll all come out in the wash. Current thinking is if the Lib-Dem upsurge converts to votes, we'll still have Labour in power. People will be so annoyed by the unfairness of the "first past the post" system, there could be a national sense of being mildly peeved. Not sure if we'll see outright dissent and revolution, but we can hope.

TBH I'm not, I'm voting LibDem becasue I want Vince Cable as Chancellor. He's the only one who warned about the Economic Crisis several years ago, nobody listened.

That and their stance on Iraq pre-war.

The debates, I agree, a bit of a damp squib. I like the idea this time around purely so the 3rd party get some air time to those who don't watch the Parliament Channel from time to time...