[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Well I don't think so. He settled into it well and actually hit back pretty strongly against Paxman a couple of times

No.... Miliband had the look of a frightened animal caught in the headlamps... He almost had a pleading look in his eyes at Paxman say don't ask me anything more.

What a relief for Ed when that finished

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

i think Ed got more of a tough time than David, but overall Ed didn't come across as a future PM

I did feel sorry for him on a couple of occasions,but as you say he really isn't leader material

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

No.... Miliband had the look of a frightened animal caught in the headlamps... He almost had a pleading look in his eyes at Paxman say don't ask me anything more.

What a relief for Ed when that finished

Heh well your view is your view, I've never been a fan of him but I do think Miliband came across quite well tonight

[Kizzy]

Oh,,, you're here haha what a joke :/

[billy123]

Next to nothing between them. The only people in here pretending there was any kind of landslide are those that wouldnt give Milliband the time of day before the debate anyway.
Pretty much as you were after the first round.
If anything i think more people appreciated Millibands honesty rather than Camerons slipping and sliding.

[arista]

David Cameron won the ICM /Guardian Poll


http://www.theguardian.com/uk

[James]

I'll just move this topic into Serious Debates.

[Kizzy]

Gah!!! I'm so annoyed he was absolutely trashed there it was so unfair! I'm shocked those questions about his brother and other personal comments were even allowed!

[joeysteele]

I loved Ed Milibands strength of character with so much personal nonsense and not enough on policies in his interview with Paxman.
he certainly wasn't the one who seemed caught in headlights in my opinion, that was David Cameron on the zero hours and food banks questioning.

I would say fairly even but Ed Miliband for not allowing Paxman to walk over him,just edged it for me.

I absolutely loved his retort to Paxman,as did the audience too, when Paxman asked, don't you read what is said about you, Ed Milband answered no, do you read what is said about you.
Paxman answered, no I don't, to which Miliband got the winning blow with, 'well there you are, you have answered your own question'.

A lot of applause for Ed Miliband and not a lot forthcoming for David Cameron.I liked how also Ed Miliband admiited right off that Labour got immigration wrong, whereas David Cameron fiddled with his answers to the same issue.

Ed Miliband showed strength tonight, no doubt,I think he will have won some over too.
I doubt anything will have changed for David Cameron after tonight.

[the truth]

kay burley is a joke

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by the truth

kay burley is a joke

I cannot stand her at all.

[MTVN]

It was strange with the applause that it only seemed to start half way through and was always tentative as though the audience weren't sure whether it was appropriate or not. I think they should generally be told not to applaud, makes it all far too populist and partisan

[MTVN]

Also I think Andrew Neil would have done a much better job than Paxman with the interviews, would have been forceful but also fair and well informed

[arista]

[billy123]

Originally Posted by the truth

kay burley is a joke

She was ridiculous. At one point when Milliband was about to start answering somebodys question she started repeatedly shouting "Theres a man there shaking his head look that man is shaking his head at you" and completely derailed the flow.
She acted completely different towards Milliband and barely shut her botoxed face with her waspy comments compared to how much she spoke with Cameron but that comes as no suprise when 40% of the company she works for is owned by Murdochs News Corp.

[the truth]

burley has long been an absolute disgrace. ignorant shallow tabloid and she gets away with more than Bolton because shes a woman.
as for the debate it was shallow drivel. daves biggest regret? not reforming pmq's? bog off Cameron.....and miliblands? the millennium dome? 2 trivial shallow answers from 2 trivial shallow politicians

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Also I think Andrew Neil would have done a much better job than Paxman with the interviews, would have been forceful but also fair and well informed

Definitely he would have.

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Gah!!! I'm so annoyed he was absolutely trashed there it was so unfair! I'm shocked those questions about his brother and other personal comments were even allowed!

Yes,I thought that a bit cruel and not needed,I think he struggled with Paxman,but I think anyone would struggle with him,he is brutal.

[DemolitionRed]

Originally Posted by smudgie

Indeed, not a good speaker either, such a shame this is all labour can offer.

He's not a good speaker, in fact he's a dreadful speaker but then so is Cameron. Cameron sounded like he was giving a scripted sales pitch and Milliband sounded like he was trying to avoid the naughty step.

[DemolitionRed]

Paxman's body language with Milliband was fringing hilarious.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I cant stand paxman as he seems just to want to trip people up rather than try and delve into what they stand for.

Its revealing that people refer to them and Dave and Milliband, even heard this on 2 radio stations this morning.

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by DemolitionRed

He's not a good speaker, in fact he's a dreadful speaker but then so is Cameron. Cameron sounded like he was giving a scripted sales pitch and Milliband sounded like he was trying to avoid the naughty step.

It's hard to defend the indefensible, both the PM and Ed Miliband were always going to struggle to defend their records.

Mr Cameron's lacklustre 5 years in Govt where he promised so much and delivered almost nothing the only bright spot I guess is the fall in unemployment but even that has probably been achieved through massaging the way the numbers are counted coupled with the rise of zero hour jobs which in my mind are not really proper jobs at all.

Overall the National debt is still rising we are still borrowing huge amounts of money each year just to survive as a country, meanwhile Big Banks and Big Business continue to make billions in profit but your average person in the street is no better off just look at the number of people visiting Food banks.

So Mr Paxman did not have to try too hard to pull Mr Cameron's record in office to pieces.

As for Mr Miliband well he is still tainted by the last Labour Govt call it guilty by association, Ed Miliband is well meaning and probably quite passionate about helping the GBP especially the ones who need help the most, but like countless Labour Govt's in the past they are guilty of reckless spending to achieve these aims and not understanding that this money has to be paid back eventually.

You cannot keep giving people more and more and asking for less and less in return, and the policy of uncontrolled immigration in an effort to boost productivity has been nothing short of a disaster for this Country.

So Mr Paxman had plenty of ammo to throw at Mr Miliband.

As a footnote to the debate I was surprised Mr Paxman chose to go after the man (Ed Miliband) in such a personal way, the questions about his brother and his appeal are quite frankly just bitchy , Mr Paxman should have attacked his policies or proposed policies NOT Mr Miliband.

Credit to Ed Miliband though he did defend himself and I think all in all did himself no real harm albeit after a shaky start.

All to play for now as they move on to the next debate.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Yes paxmans personal questions to milliband were tiresome

[Livia]

I think the questions about Miliband's brother were relevant. It's a concern that pops up regularly and I wanted to hear what he had to say about it.

I thought Cameron came off on top, he was much more polished and able to bat back Paxman's questions. Ed Miliband looks so uncomfortable when he does that pre-planned, well-rehearsed "owning the stage" thing, where he walks around and approaches the audience. He should think less about the staging and more about the content.

Ed struggled throughout and the most curious thing about the whole show for me was when Paxman asked at the end "Are you okay, Ed?" It reminded me of the Doctor Who episode where the Doctor ended the career of the Prime Minister by posing the question "Don't you think she looks tired?"

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

I think the questions about Miliband's brother were relevant. It's a concern that pops up regularly and I wanted to hear what he had to say about it.

I thought Cameron came off on top, he was much more polished and able to bat back Paxman's questions. Ed Miliband looks so uncomfortable when he does that pre-planned, well-rehearsed "owning the stage" thing, where he walks around and approaches the audience. He should think less about the staging and more about the content.

Ed struggled throughout and the most curious thing about the whole show for me was when Paxman asked at the end "Are you okay, Ed?" It reminded me of the Doctor Who episode where the Doctor ended the career of the Prime Minister by posing the question "Don't you think she looks tired?"

Aah, hate to disagree but I think David Cameron came across as anything but polished in this.
Okay, I don't like him but he had really no answers for Paxman and probably the best thing he said was when he revealed his children were not impressed with PMQs.
He did make valid points,he was right on some issues but he again had no answer that either made sense to me or justified what he had done to the NHS in answer to the NHS worker who asked the question,saying she felt betrayed by his govt:
Or why anyone should belive his word on the NHS again this time after last time.

I would guess Paxman asked David Cameron if he was okay at the end too, however I think being the end of the show the cameras stayed on Miliband and Paxman to see if anything else was said.

I agree the issue of Ed's Brother is relevant, even though it is 5 years ago now, also had David won, and not been doing much better than Ed at present, the same questions would have been likely fired at him too as to the same issue.

I discussed this with my Mum and Dad who were with me watching last night, my Mum said she wouldn't like to see 2 of her sons in comeptition with each other but would not try to forbid it.
My Dad, says if they both thought they were the best for the job,they were right to go for it.

He reminds me that in football Jackie Charlton played for Leeds and his Brother Bobby played for manchester United, 2 teams that hated each other and a lot of bad feeling between them 'but' he stresses, they were their careers.

I admired Ed for saying Iraq was wrong, that he would not risk getting involved in conflicts such as that where there was no plan as to the outcome or what to do afterwards really.
He and Labour did lead the way not only in stopping any involvement in Syria but also not leaving the door open to do so later for the govt; either.

I still say it was very close and probably nearer a dead heat between them but I liked the way Ed Miliband stood up and took on Paxman,showing he would not be easy to walk over.
Sometimes he answered a question and then should have left it.
However instead he went on and on a bit and opened up more tricky questioning.
Having said that, it is something I am guilty of too, going on and on,so cannot moan at him doing that really.

The general majority view does seem to be this morning listening to people on the news and TV, after seeing how Ed Miliband took on Paxman and didn't let him walk over him at all,even getting applause for his comebacks to Paxman too.
It is perceived clearer why David Cameron would not take on Ed Miliband in a head to head direct debate.
Somehow I think that may now stick more negatively against Cameron too.

Even on 'question time' last night, comments were made that Ed Miliband was liked more than some thought they would like him in the interviews and q and a sessions.