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Economic debate: Pre-match atmos

Robert Peston | 19:38 UK time, Thursday, 29 April 2010

Birmingham: Blimey. Talk about a trip down Memory Lane - or should that be Memory Alley? I've beamed into frenetic Spin Alley, the anteroom for tonight's prime-ministerial debate, which is filled with hyper hacks, pols and spinners from my previous life as an inky-fingered political editor.

First observation: the Lib Dems are everywhere. Front-benchers, advisers, funders. They outnumber the two "bigger" parties by a factor of three.

And that self-deprecating quality that was their hallmark when I knew them well some 10 years ago has been replaced by something more redolent of confidence.

Snippet number one: G. Brown is thinking of making a joke about his "bigoted woman" moment, to show that he isn't scared of his lapsus.

Frisson number one: G. Osborne unexpectedly pulls out of tonight's , supposedly to spend more time briefing the media in Spin Alley. Does that mean he expects Mr Cameron to say something tonight that will need to be elucidated by Mr Osborne? (See update below.)

All very intriguing.

Anyway, I'm here in the perhaps naive hope that we'll see an enlightening elucidation of the respective parties' positions on financial reform and fiscal consolidation.

Or, to translate: it's an economic debate, so maybe we'll learn something more about their policies on cutting the deficit and making the banks behave. Or maybe not.

Update 2010: For what it's worth, the Conservatives and the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ disagree about when George Osborne pulled out of Question Time.

The Tories tell me it was a week ago; ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ people tell me it was tonight, though they concede they were haggling with the Tories over his appearance for some days.

All a bit odd.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    The Conservative's main economics spokesperson would rather spin to the media than talk to members of the public following a debate on economics! Is he, one might ask, frit? Where are his priorities? With voters or with the media?

  • Comment number 2.

    We live in hope of honesty but I doubt we shall get it...

    I'd love to be proved wrong.

  • Comment number 3.



    Conservative 36.7% 6,990
    Labour 18.3% 3,482
    Liberal Democrat 25% 4,759
    Other 16% 3,055
    Plaid Cymru 0.5% 88
    Scottish National Party 3.6% 682
    Total 19,056

  • Comment number 4.

    The very latest opinion pole by Clear Books today 29/04
    Conservative 36.7% 6,990
    Labour 18.3% 3,482
    Liberal Democrat 25% 4,759
    Other 16% 3,055
    Plaid Cymru 0.5% 88
    Scottish National Party 3.6% 682
    Total 19,056

  • Comment number 5.

    All lack a fundamental grasp of how completely untenable the current situation is. Cutting spending and increasing taxes may solve one part of the problem temporarily but none have a robust plan to ensure social cohesion whilst the economy is fundamentally rebalanced. Only by shrinking the importance of the financial sector to the point where all future risk taking by the banks takes place abroad under foreign ownership will the UK have the opportunity to prosper long term. Best do it before the other nations realise what we are up - i.e. exporting the risk for good so that when the next collapse happens it is at least off of UK's (taxpayers) balance sheet.

  • Comment number 6.

    There will be statements tonight!!!!

  • Comment number 7.

    As Harry Hill would say...

    Which one's the best?...well there's only one way to find out...FIGHT!

  • Comment number 8.

    Good old Gordon, get in first.

  • Comment number 9.

    Technical Note, Gordon in a better cut suit British tailoring at its best

  • Comment number 10.

    I'm still wondering how Gordon has the front to claim the economy is his strong point when he ebayed off our "rainy day" gold stocks to prop up his massively excessive overspending in an attempt to fake fiscal stability.

    And when the "rainy day" arrived and there was no more stuff left for him to flog off he resorted to printing money a la Mugabe. He used this money printing to artificially brute force the economy out of recession early (just in time for the election, surprise surprise!). The damage of printing so much money will take decades to repair and is arguably bordering on treasonous!

    The Governor of the Bank of England said today that winning the election would be a poisoned chalice for whoever came in because of the mess the current government has left us with.

    Sorry Gordon, epic fail.

  • Comment number 11.

    Excellent, on the spot article!!

    To educate yourself on the BIG picture DO read this article!!

    To educate your ... Ignorance on Greece read this: /blogs/haveyoursay/2010/04/how_can_the_financial_crisis_i.html

    >> 272. At 11:13am on 29 Apr 2010, Alan Butler wrote:

    There is a lot of ignorance being displayed here about Greece.
    I have lived and worked in Athens for thirty years.
    During that time I have never once felt obliged to offer a bribe, or a 'present' for services rendered.
    I have often paid in cash for services, knowing full well that the recipient would be avoiding tax, but that happens just as often in other European countries, including Britain.
    The great majority of Greeks are hard-working people living on lower wages and paying higher prices than most Europeans.
    They have just been badly let down by one self-serving government after another.

  • Comment number 12.

    Having so damaged the economy of Britain, Gordon Brown is trying to persuade the live and television audiences that he knows best how to regulate the economy. What happened to boom and bust - he said never again!!!

  • Comment number 13.

    I would strongly recommend that G. Brown does not make any remarks concerning his bigotry.

    His arrogant belief that economics is his strong suit is just not born out by the facts.

    I have no idea what planet this man inhabits but it is not Earth. If he has the answers then the questions can only be very simple.

  • Comment number 14.

    "it's an economic debate, so maybe we'll learn something more about their policies on cutting the deficit and making the banks behave" - The 'deficit' is only the 'Government' Deficit, the Consumer Deficit and the Deficit of Foreigners has actually gone down by £644 Billion Jan-Sept 2009 - (last figures I have), Gov Deficit went up by £88,300 Million
    so overall total Deficits have dropped by 1/2 a £ Trillion Hurray ! but as "Deficits Fund Profits" UK Business looks to be on for a matching Loss of 1/2 £ Trillion as well - Boo !- What a silly game.
    "making the banks behave" is the thing to focus on - by using . Banks can be made to do more than 'behave' they can start acting like the simple bookkeeping service they should be - rather than the Kings Makers they now are.

  • Comment number 15.

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

  • Comment number 16.

    Keep going Robert.

    Perhaps somewhere amongst all that hot-air and frenzied spin - you may find a nugget of truth from someone.

  • Comment number 17.

    Surprisingly I actually enjoyed it, even more surprisingly was imo GB came out best on the question of immigration, I wished at least one of them could have been brave enough to start talking of the positive impact of immigrants or that immigration can also be for humane as well as economic reasons, but of course knew they wouldn’t. How GB must still be ruing yesterday

    Please, please, please ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳; stop treating people as if they are stupid. There is no need on the news 2 minutes later to interpret for us what had just happened or try and tell us how we should have been thinking. In depth (ironically nearly typed in debt) analysis and critique of the substance of the matters debated would have been a lot better

  • Comment number 18.

    #12. dav-123 wrote:

    "Having so damaged the economy of Britain, Gordon Brown is trying to persuade the live and television audiences that he knows best how to regulate the economy."

    Our tragedy is that he probably is the best we have - Cameron is just not up to par.

    We need a National Government to fix the economy/banks etc.

  • Comment number 19.

    Balanced Economy like a USSR 5-year Plan?

    Did any of those work?

    Toldyouitwould

  • Comment number 20.

    Please excuse my ignorance on this matter, BUT we are in a rather big hole, yet still we give billions of pounds in overseas aid. Why ??
    I think all overseas aid should be stopped, then there would be little or no need for the savage cuts in public spending we are going to have to endure whoever wins the election.

  • Comment number 21.

    [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]The Fusty's main economics voice would rather spin to the media than blab to members of the unrestricted pursuing a moot on economics! Is he, one might ask, frit? Where are his priorities? With voters or with the media
    thank you
    """"""""""""""
    jhon smith
    """""""""""""""

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