Just been watching the four LibDems on Sky News debating with each other. Interesting that Sky didn't feel it was worth doing a separate programme and only gave them 20 minutes. For the Cameron/Davis debate they devoted an hour to it and hired the Lewis Media Centre. There was also very little promotion of it. To be honest it was all a little tedious. Ming looked half asleep and someone had obviously trowelled the makeup on. Hughes performed reasonably well but I just can't see him appealing to swing voters in the same way that any of the other three might. Mark Oaten again came across as a lightweight and didn't score any hits at all. Chris Huhne, however, came across as likeable, intelligent, good looking with stature. Pity he's such a euro fanatic. He'd make a good Tory.The highlight, if one can call it that, was an exchange on the proposed smoking ban. Ming Campbell: "I'll vote for a smoking ban but not out of a sense of any kind of authoritarianism." Cue hollow laughter from Mark Oaten and a good intervention from Huhne quoting John Stuart Mill. End result: Oaten and Ming look faintly ridiculous. Huhne wins.
Any thoughts on why he's getting such bad press and reviews elsewhere? When I heard him first on the Today programme last week, I was struck by his clarity and lucidity, a stark contrast to that other figure of the future, Mark Oaten.
ReplyDeleteI see that Lynne Featherstone says that Chris Huhme ticked her boxes last night - the little minx...
ReplyDeleteWhich John Stuart Mill quote did he use?
ReplyDeleteI remember the (Lib Dem) leader of Liverpool City Council quoted Mill at their Party Conference in support of a smoking ban.
I thought it was 4 bald men fighting over a comb
ReplyDelete