I watched the Channel 4 programme last night and thought that Paxman was quite clever in giving Jeremy Corbyn little time to answer any question before interrupting, and yet Corbyn did answer them, and giving TM the PM lots of time, and yet she couldn’t answer them. In some ways, and probably unintentionally, he helped Corbyn look good. But most of the credit must go to Corbyn himself.
It would be very foolish to base your vote on the choice between May and Corbyn because you are voting for an MP not a PM, and they aren’t candidates in the same constituency, but if you really want to do that then watch the programme and I think you will struggle to believe Theresa May or to like her. This was a car crash event for Theresa May, the car is not by any means a write-off but it will go through life dented and spluttering. She was laughed at and the audience did not warm to her.
Corbyn looked cool and calm whereas May looked flustered and lacking in confidence. There will be quite a lot of Labour Candidates who will be wishing they had put Corbyn on their election literature, and quite a lot of Conservatives who are wishing today that they didn’t have May on theirs.
The environment didn’t get a mention in the questions from the audience or Paxman, and May didn’t mention it at all, whereas Corbyn brought it in twice, and said that Labour would protect environmental protocols and laws after we Brexit.
Just a reminder of what the two manifestos say:
Conservative: ‘the rights of workers and protections given to consumers and the environment by EU law will continue to be available in UK law at the point at which we leave the EU. The bill will also create the necessary powers to correct the laws that do not operate appropriately once we have left the EU, so our legal system can continue to function correctly outside the EU. Once EU law has been converted into domestic law, parliament will be able to pass legislation to amend, repeal or improve any piece of EU law it chooses, as will the devolved legislatures, where they have the power to do so‘ – so no commitment to keep current levels of environmental protection or to enhance them. For me, this is a crucial test of the manifestos and the Conservatives have failed it.
Labour:‘We will defend and extend existing environmental protections.’ and ‘A Labour approach to Brexit will ensure there can be no rolling back of key rights and protections and that the UK does not lag behind Europe in workplace protections and environmental standards in future‘ – so important that this commitment is made twice. Yippee!
May called this election to get a stronger mandate for her Brexit negotiation – the Conservatives haven’t told us much about what happens to the environment after Brexit. In contrast, Labour has (and so too have the Greens and Lib Dems). If you care about the environment, you have to vote to keep the Tories out 0n 8 June.
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JC did well and yes, he managed to mention twice the keeping of EU environmental and workers’ protection laws.
Relaxed, humorous and, as one newspaper (didn’t catch the name) review put it, he appeared ‘comfortable in his own skin’ and came across like ‘a man on his allotment admiring his roses.’ (There’s poetry in politics.)
Best of all, he was passionate and positive throughout the session.
I didn’t watch the programme and in fact as a postal voter have already voted, what I would say is if you care about the environment, the NHS ( which the Tories are quietly privatising), education or social care vote to keep the Tories out.
And I would say that if you “care” about anything or anyone, vote to keep the Tories out. But especially our environment and our wildlife,some of which may simply nor survive 5 years more Tory rule.
Couldn’t agree more. Disappointingly for me, it lacked the impromptu feel of a head to head debate shunned by Theresa May and some of the points where a little laboured instead of covering more ground but basically unbiased, interesting and revealing. The BREXIT negotiations will need a good orator capable of sound negotiation skills, one of the candidates last night showed himself more than capable while the other stumbled through her dialog. Strength too, giving people the evil eye while adopting a dictatorial approach isn’t a measure of strength. The other thing that struck me is how we have been lied to by the media, no way is this man weak, nor is he stupid or incompetent. For my money the BREXIT negotiations are far safer in his hands, as is the country. The rational individual can easily see the reasoning for the constant attempts at character assassination but it is a measure of his strength and appeal that in my mind he will win this election. Let us not forget the issues so capably pointed out by the nurse lamenting the state of the NHS and so
much more.
I agree re Corbyn’s performance, he has the look of a man who is enjoying this campaign and is growing in confidence by the day. The opposite can be said of Theresa May. I’m sure Corbyn must be drawing a lot of energy from the Labour supporters who are enthusiastically attending his rallies across the country in their droves, again a stark contrast from the stage managed events that May is attending – basically consisting of handful of handpicked middle-class Conservative activists who stand there inanely holding up blue placards. Although for someone as uniquely boring as Theresa May (has there ever been a duller personality in Downing Street?) that’s her idea of razamataz!
I do think Corbyn missed a trick by not saying he would approach the Brexit negogiations as a ‘bloody reasonable man’.
“has there ever been a duller personality in Downing Street?”
Yes
Corbyn wasn’t so hot on the radio today.
Well no bias there in blog or comments.
We have a great young man a Liberal and I will back him.
One fact stands out that is if all the young people vote for him he would realise his ambition to be a MP.He is the only candidate in this area that householders get a visit from so good luck to him.
I find it difficult to understand that a high% of young people were critical of older generation taking us out of EU and yet a high% of them cannot be bothered to register to vote.How can they criticise they had the solution in their own hands.
“Well no bias there”.
Is this blog supposed to be impartial? I always thought that Mark set it up to provide a platform to express strong views on subjects of importance to him.
Jonathon,if is biased it cannot be accurate.
The Tories have been very sneaky and deceitful. They have given the public the false impression that they are just going to copy and paste EU environmental, health, employment and consumer protection into UK law. Whereas in reality they have given them massive leeway to change those regulations, without having to consult parliament, or it be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. No modern government of recent times has ever given itself such sweeping powers.
What is more most of the public is completely unaware that NGOs and charities have been silenced and are not allowed to criticise or scrutinise government policy during election campaigns because it will be seen as political lobbying. In other words the public hear no criticisms of what the Tories are attempting to do, and wrongly believe it’s because there is no criticism to be made, not that those who usually hold the government, the Tories and vested interests to account have been silenced by sneaky legislation.
As far as I am aware the copying and pasting of EU legislation into UK law was only ever intended by the government as a temporary arrangement that was needed simply to avoid a situation whereby, on the day that Brexit is finally completed, we would suddenly find ourselves in a legal vacuum with large areas of the law rendered invalid. The intention is to then set about revising, repealing and replacing the individual laws as the Government and Parliament see fit – a process that will potentially be time consuming and drawn out. Many of the arch Brexiteers are champing at the bit to get started with this process which they see as an opportunity to ‘slash red tape’ and create an environment where business is subject to minimal regulatory control and free to do pretty much what it wants in the name of generating profits. This does not bode well for the protection of wildlife, pollution control and prevention, the health and safety of workers or the protection of consumer rights.
Yes, I’m aware it was only supposed to be temporary. However, it is this very reason why I think the powers they have given themselves to substantially re-write this legislation as they supposedly copy and pasted is not only unnecessary, but outrageous. Unfortunately I’m more than aware that primary reason for Brexit by some of the right wing Brexiteers is to rid our country of this environmental and biodiversity protection. It is often the primary thing that motivated their hostility to the EU.