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Cameron is really confident and looks at ease despite both the other two giving him eyes from both sides

Started well with all 3 leaders not as nervous as i thought.

Did you see how Cameron was standing at the opening? He thinks he's an officer in the Hussars.
But they're all GOOBERS.

Gordon Brown is much more convincing than the other two so far, and he seems very confident. Nick Clegg seems that he is under pressure, as does David Cameron.

Although as a Scottish person, it doesn't matter much to me as we will be independant soon anyway!

Already Gordon looks out of his depth with Cameron slick and commanding. The PM looks tired and out of touch.

Why is Gordon Brown constantly standing tip toed when speaking? Just a point?! :)

Even though he is in the middle Cameron is trying very hard to blank Brown. He is almost turning his back on him.

Cameron is winning the arguments, with Gegg a poor second. Forget Gordon, he is totally out of the running

Whenever I see Gordon Brown on the TV I feel almost suicidal.

There must be millions of people out there who just can't take any more of Gordon Brown's misery speeches.

Please Labour get a new leader.

Cameron is on the back foot from the start for me. And looks uncomfortable,
will Brown and Clegg gang up on him?

what fun

8:43pm on 15 Apr 2010, Emma-

Emma- nothing would make me happier that for you to be independant.

With your own powers of law...

Powers to raise taxes...

And we can stop paying for you.

Ah well, at least 6 very sad people watching this pantomime. And the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ reckons it doesn't advertise? It's the biggest advertiser in the UK - of itself!!! Over the last few days the main headlines have all been about the 3 leaders and this 'historic' debate. What a load of tripe - the people of the UK are sick and fed up of these corporate politicians.

Gordon Brown has been more convincing than I thought he would be and seems like he has a more detailed plan for what has been discussed so far. I don't like the way Clegg and Cameron speak only towards the questioner, not as much to the country, but I can see Clegg will gain from the bickering between the other two by saying 'them two parties' are the problem and we need something different.

They have all met electors so far, and all with good stories to be repeated....

Lets blame drugs for all our ills now.

Gordon is already showing his bully boy tendencies by trampling on the others and interrupting them - typical.

Gordon's body language is interesting. He looks so uncomfortable and appears to be blanking his opponents. Cameron is a good communicator and looks in control

ChrisW What are you watching?

Cameron winning so far just by being confident, simple and straightforward, even if I disagree with what he's saying. Clegg has the best ideas but is tripping over his words through nervousness. Brown is answering out-of-turn and out-of-context, this just is not the platform for him.

I am for mr Glegg so far

Until any of the speakers can tell the difference between the usage of 'amount' and 'number' and between 'fewer' and 'less' I'm not holding out much hope for future literacy development policies!

People still use this user-unfriendly site eh.. just thought I'd check.
I may give Clegg a chance but those Tories.. long time before my memory fades.. not a chance for them.
As you were :)

Every answer Brown gives makes me want to grab him, shake him and say 'You've had thirteen years! Why haven't you done it yet?'

David Cameron is unconvincing and wears too much make up. He looks like a poorly constructed android, latex skin, nylon hair and glass eyes.

Nick Clegg has some good workable ideas. Gordon had his shot at it but basically failed. Cameron.. he comes over like a salesman.. saying whayt he thinks people want.. Never voted lib dem but its looking possitive for him

To #16, Gordon Brown is the only one on the stage who DOES look comforterable, he is definetely on the attack on David Cameron, who is looking very worried. Only an hour more to go, Mr Cam!

On a technical note I don like the set, sorry but it is a bit Blue Peter or Crackjack

why can people not clap ?????

Oh dear. Our PM is arrogant and so bad mannered, What a bully boy interrupting constantly. What is happening to free speech Gordon??

David C seems to be offering the world with no real foundation, horror stories about the world today, almost daily mail comments... we all know some of these points are true.. any ideas David on how to fix them??
Pleasantly suprised at Nick C's practical policies..

Alistair Stewart losing control, and the leaders switch to talking about the economy again - even though that isn't the topic of the debate today. Very revealing experiment so far, if only for the fact that, unlike the chancellor debate, the party leaders can't follow some simple rules.

no 27
why can people not clap ?????

They have had their hands cut off in the past and no sharp intakes of breath either

Rules eh?

Cameron does seem slightly uncomfortable. Possibly because he's taken stick from both sides on almost every issue.

Loving Brown's little digs at Lord Cashcroft and Airbrushing!

Go Clegg! Dave looks like he is going to melt under the studio lights as he has too much makeup on. Gordon clunking along as usual, however looking a bit like a Cheshire cat which is a bit disturbing.

So far I cannot see this insipid nonsense being a game changer

Nick Clegg has already managed to convince me. This is not a two party system. Lib Dem's can get in if people don't tactically vote labour in just because they feel they have no other alternative. In the last half hour, I have changed my mind about a tactical vote which I planned to make. I'm going to vote for what I believe in. And that is the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Brown makes his first personal strick, perhaps only a glancing blow. A slightly bruised Cameron looks away from the Lord Ashcroft paying for pictures of Gordons smiling face comment

Alistair Stewart is a terrible moderator.

Nick seems the most relaxed and the other two are at the usual pinch and Judy Oh didnt Cameron say that was over?! 13 years is irrelvant the world changes so quickly remember the days before broadband laptops you can afford wireless internet 99p air fares. Not so long ago eh. Just wish government would take less of our money and let us take care of ourselves.

Not watching it, it's of no interest to me since they prevented the Scottish leaders from participating.

Prime Ministerial debate: Your reaction

My reaction is that there is no such thing as a "Prime Ministerial debate". It is a constitutional nonsense being promulgated solely for the sake of trying to turn this farce into a showbiz event.

Gordon Brown does not understand - money and police on the beat are not the same thing.

The question is about numbers of police on the beat. Gordon Brown talks about continuing expenditure at current levels. If they are all in the back office, then investment means nothing.

Gordon's three step plan, what a line! how are any of these three steps accessible to the average British person?!

Gordon Brown is looking very weak and nervous, Nick Clegg looks like he's trying to hard. David Cameron is doing the best job as far as I can see but not one of them has convinced me to vote for them so far

No 35

No real solutions yet. Law and Order is not a small problem to be solved on TV

Expenses now that is a good one

Thirty Minutes into the debate. It does not seem a fair reflection on the population. As yet there has been no working class person asking a question. In the old class structure (which allegedly no longer exists) I would say that all questions were asked by Middle Class people? Fair reflection?

David Cameron hasn't got a hair style. He has about 4. He was so angry about expenses claims he decided to repay his own overclaiming.

"Cut the size of Whitehall by a third" -- wow. What goes? Spell it out.

So David Cameron says when talking about the 400 Uniformed Police Officers working in HR, he called HR workers form fillers, well cheers Davie boy as an HR worker I dont sit around filling in many forms-out of touch Posh Boy!!!

Plastic Cam isn't getting his voice heard, mabye it's because they have no policies? I expect the Liberals do go up in the polls after Cleggs performance...

We are going for a hung parliament on tonights show

Ian Sawyer, couldn't have said it better myself.

Interesting debate - Pity the cameras are not following the speakers - All 3 faces have been cut while talking - No sure about these camera angles........

The expenses question has changed things, now Clegg can use facts from the recent past to sound dominant. Cameron sounds lightweight and weak mentioning the duck islands and Brown is spouting rhetoric. This is more like it.

Gordon going on about peers etc.....so why do we have unelected peers a la Mandelson/Sugar to name but 2....in the government with no public mandate (and thats not even mentioning Gordon Brown as PM)

i notice Brown has gone from saying I to saying we....has he finally realised he is the problem!!

I think this will backfire on all three of them if they continue to attack each other we see enough of this during pmq's, it just isn't working like the US style debates. The only thing missing is Mr Speaker.

Cameron looks like what he is - inexperienced and a chancer! Gordon looks like what is he is, a Prime Minster!! I know who gets my vote!!

Technical note again
Vison mixing done on party grounds?
could be

Feel Clegg repeated himself a little during immigration debate. Obviously the least rehearsed of the three!! because thats all it seems at the moment rehearsed readings, no real debating

Waiting for Brown and Clegg to gang up on Cameron seen glimpses but not to the level i expected.

Will also be interested in seeing the change in delivery from the three leaders next week after they have had their practice tonight.

Already they are talking about devolved matters without acknowledging the fact. This is plainly dishonest. And let us not forget that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ has colluded with the other broadcasters and establishment parties to foist this dishonesty upon us.

On Immigration - Cameron does not know the difference between race and immigration by referring to his conversation with a black man who has been here since the age of six. Nick Clegg , firm on his policies on immigration but not practical . G Brown practical on his policies on immigration

I began to watch the 'show' from the beginning but started to feel that the whole thing was stage managed and a bit artificial. To begin with, the three leaders knew in advance what the questions would be. That might not be a bad thing but it seemed as if they were following a script.

Some things are glossed over. For instance, net immigration, I think, equals the higher number coming into the country than the number leaving or the number leaving is higher than those coming in. Which? All right some of those leaving the UK came from abroad in the first place but why do these leaders not ask why indigenous Britons are leaving? So much in the UK (apart from NHS, education, benefits etc) changes with people from other countries (ANY other country) coming. Some effects of immigration that have not been mentioned are increased use of landfill, increased demand for oil, gas and electricity, increased use of sewerage ..... It doesn't matter how many more people come here, whether they are 1,000 or 100,000, there will be too much strain on how this country can cope.

Bobs Brown looks like what he is .... correct.... a chancer and a bully

Park 254 - you don't arrest people either.

There should be a debate with the four main parties...no more two party polititic which is responsible for this political mess...!!What about the chance to put forward real questions from real people..I am partially sighted and cannot get any chance of asking a real question!!I would like to ask a question please!!!!Who regulates MP's? Where is our written contitution?

I wouldnt trust the tories to get us out of the economic mess. The tories seem to want everyone else to do their work for them - who's got time to run schools or hospitals as well as everything else - its clear to me they've got no idea what my life is like. I'm scared about what will happen to schools or hospitals under them. I dont know much about the Lib dems policies but Clegg seems to be doing ok in the TV debate, not sure I'd want him running the country though - seems a bit identikit politician to me.

Half an hour in and this debate is like Blind Date without the love interest. I think things were better when these so called leaders were being toasted by Paxman. I'm switching off to watch some cars rust.

@56 (³ÉÈËÂÛ̳123) - Very good point. Without Stewart having the authority to direct the conversation, it's turning into a PMQs slanging match. Dimbleby, your country needs you.

I don't believe that 1 minute for each answer is enough. It is stopping a full argument or debate from taking place and also means that everyone is just using little soundbites instead of proper information. As well as this, the questions asked so far seem to be ones that have been asked hundreds of times before and the leaders are giving answers they've given before. Surely, if this is such a big debate, more should be allowed to be said?
I cannot pretend to know everything about politics, I do not have enough experience in it. I am a new voter and to be honest nothing has made me desperately want to vote.

Well i wasn't going watch it but so far.
1.GB
2.NC
3DC

totally agree, Nick C has almost convinced me, practical policies, no waffle, has he got the party to back this up? we can only hope.
David C is coming off as terribly shiny, lovely vague ideas, nothing solid to believe in.
I want to believe in Labour, Gordon is no shiny politician, but he does seem infinitely more honest.
Torn? I suppose that's why they're so good at their jobs!

Pr for votes i the UK, well england

Maybe after a vote

There is no way Gordon Brown can come out of this favourably; the debate is based on everything that is wrong with the country at the moment, - everything that Gordon Brown has allowed to happen!

David isn't going to come out of this well either in my opinion; too much scabbling between him and Gordo! Also their policies really are so similar that they're trying to argue about things that they actually agree on...

All Nick has to do is keep his head and not get dragged down into the mire by D&G and this WILL give his reputation a massive lift!!

Neither Cameron or Brown has anything new to say - all dogma from them. I like the cut of Clegg's jib. He could be the fresh start we need.

This is embarrassing. Why don't they just fight it out with conkers?

I think that people will side with Cameron here - I think they will think he is being picked on.............the Nick Griffin effect?!?!

Anybody watching the rigged TV "debates" in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should bear in mind that these three men and their parties have declared that you are irrelevant. That is how much respect they have for you. Remember that on polling day.

Gordon blundering about, Clegg answering questions by telling us stuff we've already read in the papers. Cameron seems to be doing the best so far...

Highly entertaining.

No adverts on ITV???
What will the shareholders say?

I thought I was missing something

Good point by Clegg. If you want constitutional reform why haven't you voted for it before!

Electric Hermit - don't worry, this will always be an elective dictatorship of sorts, still it could be a LOT worse, so fight for what ever you feel is best (even if it is the lesser of 2 evils)

The body language is by far the most revealing aspect of this debate...just look at Gordon's feet. I think that David Cameron is coming across the best, self assured and not over confident without blundering over his words. Alistair Stewart however is appaling, as is the ITV set and camera work, and being able to see the countdown clock for how long they have to answer each question is laughable. These should all have been on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ chaired by Paxman

For me so far:

1) Clegg 2) Brown 3) Cameron

Browns point on removing hereditary peers was good, not so sure about his constant comments about Clegg being in agreement with him.

It's quite obvious now that Clegg and Brown have done some sort of shady deal, perhaps with a coalition government in mind.
The debate rules specifically state that there must not be collusion but it's looks it from here.

Gordon's comment about lower immigration in the last 2 years.....I don't suppose any of that is down to the value of the pound being so low so people going home of their own accord....when the pound rises again...we'll see :)

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

No 75

No

Can somebody please tell Gordon Brown that the stupid grinning when the others are speaking is really transparent, oh and David Cameron really should have worn less make-up.

The expense issue is overrated in my view. Every politician has to be strongly upset by it. It is an easy point in a media democracy but does it really matter. Doesn't everybody fiddle their taxes? Why should politicians be saints?

Surely, even after only 40 minutes of this debate, no one can seriously be thinking about voting for Cameron? Less convincing than Clegg. Brown landing blows on him like a champion boxer.

Ooooh, was that a repetition gaffe from Clegg?

Not being Lib Dem, however, I'm impressed that Nick Clegg seems to be the only leader who's actually answering the questions.

All 3 candidates seem to think that police officers can spend 80% of their time patrolling the streets. I have carried out detailed activity analysis on police officers, and as things stand there is absolutely no way that a police officer can spend 80% of his time patrolling. There are a number of reasons for this, but the two main ones are firstly all the other activities (both incident and non incident related)that a police officer must carry out and secondly police officers just don't want to do it! They would rather sit in the station. There is another problem as well. The leaders of police forces across the country (ACPO ranks) can't agree on a definition of "patrol" does it mean foot patrol or does it mean driving around in a patrol car? They (ACPO that is) also think that they can achieve the target of 80% by making sure neighbourhood officers and PCSOs are patrolling. They don't think it applies to any other police officer role.... the debate goes on.

every school has to be a good school says Brown..... if only that was the case
His lot have had 13yrs to do that and they have failed miserably

Could Corrie not have been on for a bit longer?
This is dire.

Schools take 20 years to see the results
politics take 20 days

discuss

GB is cringeworthy. Desperately trying to smile and throw in impromptu(!) jokes. The other 2 are winning hands down on the night so far.

To listen to Gordon Brown talk about tackling immigration was just unbeleivably laughable. He claims immigration is going down. He hasn't a clue how many illegal immigrants, student overstayers, bogus foreign spouses are in the country so how can he claim a reduction! And there are no immigrants living in Downing Street. This is interesting TV. A kind of celebrity "Question Time". It would have given a much better impression of the candidates abilities if the questions had not been known in advance.

Cameron just wants to jail everyone. I can remember the Tories trying the same stunt last time they got the chance and it didn't work then, won't work now.