ITV Leaders Debate Review and Analysis

The leaders of the UK’s seven major parties have gone head-to-head at ITV’s studios in MediaCityUK in Salford.

Conservative leader David Cameron, Labour’s Ed Miliband, the Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage for Ukip, Nicola Sturgeon for the SNP, Leanne Wood for Plaid Cymru and the Green Party leader Natalie Bennett have all represented their political parties and attempted the woo the electorate into voting for them live on ITV in the second of a series of tv debates.

The format was well structured and host/compare Julie Etchingham did a good job of maintaining order when the odd bit of fractious behaviour broke out.  Time was noticeably limited though due to the sheer number of candidates, though to be fair to Julie, she did a great job of maintaining pace and order.

Natalie Bennet (Green Party)

Natalie Bennet of the Green Party kicked of proceedings and seemed visibly nervous.  There’s no doubt that she was sincere though when she talked throughout the debate about removing any private profit from the NHS and Green party plans for the reversal of austerity.

Natalie also performed well throughout the two hour proceedings by reiterating core green policies of raising taxes on multinational companies and rich people in order to pay for decent public services.  Natalie also spoke about poverty and the need to be a fair, humane and decent society that benefited everyone.  Natalie also said that the economy at present wasn’t creating jobs that you can build a life on ‘which is what jobs are supposed to be’ and that she’d set the national minimum wage at £10 per hour as well as reducing university tuition fees to zero.

On the subject of Eu membership and immigration Natalie memorably stated that low wages, housing problems school places are not caused by immigration but failures in government policy.  Natalie also said the her party would be campaigning for Britain to stay in the EU.

The Green party leader also stated that she wanted to increase the aid budget to 1% of GDP in addition to removing the NHS from any type of market system and that ‘we are as a nation racing towards’ an American style health system with disastrous consequences.  Natalie then went on to reiterate core green principles of encouraging healthier living and saving the planet as we’re consuming resources way too quickly in a system that was not working.

Voting for the green party would lead to a peaceful political revolution.

“If you want a fair economy, a public NHS, a stable climate, vote for change, vote Green.

Natalie Bennet.

 

Nigel Farage (UKIP)

Nigel Farage seemed relaxed, self assured a bit Jeremy Clarkson’esque in his desire to court controversy.  He reiterated core UKIP policies such as an Australian style points system to control immigration, leaving the EU, slashing the foreign aid budget, saving money from the nation’s budget by no longer having to pay £10,000,000,000 (ten billion) a year in membership fees.

He also used his legendary ‘everyman’ appeal to state that we’re experiencing ten times the level of immigration today that we’ve historically been used too and that ordinary people are paying a very high price for the wants of corporate employers.

Nigel also said that he’d end vanity projects like HS2 and revisit the Barnett formula for the people of Wales and England that do poorly out of it at Scotland’s Expense.  Nigel also promised to end health tourism and repeatedly claimed that we can’t control immigration whilst still in the EU.

He made it clear however that he doesn’t blame migrants for wanting to come and live in the UK and better themselves but considering that 77% of people in the UK want something done on the volume of immigration to the UK the only people able to offer a clear option on this was UKIP.

He also said that Labour got it wrong on immigration and interestingly that life is good for ‘young rich people’.  Nigel also stated that he wanted to see a brownfield building revolution as more houses were desperately needed and that one house needed to be built every 7 minutes to cope with the demands placed on the system by immigration and that 60% of the 7,000 people diagnosed with HIV every year in the UK were born abroad (to be fair to him he didn’t present this in an unsympathetic or dismissive way, stating ‘that it was not a good place for any of them to be’ and later that it was a ‘fact’) using this to reinforce his point that HIV drugs were expensive and that health tourism was a drain on the country that could easily be tackled.

“You can come to Britain from anywhere in the world and get diagnosed with HIV and get the retroviral drugs that cost up to £25,000 per year per patient. I know there are some horrible things happening in many parts of the world, but what we need to is put the National Health Service there for British people and families who in many cases have paid into this system for decades.”

He finished the evening by attacking the ‘politically correct political class,’ stating that ‘most haven’t had a job in their lives,’ which seemed to go down well with the studio audience.

“What can we do to control immigration while we are in the EU? Nothing. Nothing. We have an open door to 10 former Communist countries. I don’t blame immigrants for coming here but we need to take back control of our borders,”

Nigel Farage.

 

Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats)

‘I agree with Nick,’ seemed to have visibly lost his shine at the start of proceedings his rhetoric seemed empty.   He reiterated that the Lib-Dems had done good things in government balancing the economy in a fair and just way and that the work must go on.

Touchingly he volunteered that he’d both made mistakes in the past and had learned from them.   When asked about the NHS he promised an extra 8 billion, stating that it needs hard cash.  On living standards he’d raise the minimum wage and take steps to stop bad immigration.

He further reiterated that Britain must remain open spirited and generous and that only the Lib-Dems offered a balanced approach to spending and taxation in which wealthier people would be asked to pay more so that his government could invest in public services and that they would cut less than the tories.

Nick then asked Ed Miliband to apologise for crashing the economy when in office and talked about the Lib-Dem policy of ‘Rent to Own’ designed to allow young people to eventually own the property they live in, making you become an owner over time as a portion of rent is set aside to purchase the property.

“Ed Miliband, why don’t you say I’m sorry for crashing the British economy,

Nick Clegg.

On Europe Nick stated that he thought that Britain’s membership of the European Union was essential to our nations interests and that we were better placed within the union than outside of it and that as a nation we must welcome people. He passionately stated that if we turned everyone away the NHS would collapse overnight and that Britain should be open for business not abuse.

Throughout Nick attempted to claim the centre ground with use of rhetoric such as ‘stable, strong and fair for all’.

“Not every problem can be solved with an EU referendum.”

Nick Clegg.

 

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party – SNP)

Nicola is clearly a consummate politician and a force to be reckoned with, she cleverly addressed her pro Scottish policies and soundbystes to the nation as a whole clearly stating the benefits that the SNP would bring to the national government and whilst she and her party would like to see Scotland as an independent country she could still benefit the people of Britain as a whole and at one point even promised to ‘keep labour honest’.  Clearly working in Coalition is on her mind.

Nicola reiterated throughout that she was seeking positive change in the rest of the UK and that her party would work hard to support the NHS as a public service (no private profit), get rid of the bedroom tax and dump nuclear weapons.

Nicola also stated that there was a planned 21 billion in cuts coming in a future tory government and stated that the present government had totally missed it’s borrowing target and that as a result of their polices one million extra children were now living in poverty.   She then backed Ed Miliband and Labour’s plans on taxation stating that he country needs a spending increase.

On the subject of the EU and immigration Nicola stated that ‘Diveristy is a strength’ and that ‘David cameron is taking us dangerously close to the exit door’.  Nicola was also very convincing when talking about the Scottish Government’s record on fighting for free education for all having successfully kept access to universities free north of the border.

The SNP leader stated that austerity was pushing people into poverty and that policy needs to change, she seemed genuinely enthusiastic when talking about proposed plans on investment in skills, infrastructure and public services.  Nicola also promised to put an end to the exploitation of zero hour contracts.

“…most immigrants work and they are a net contributor to the economy.”

Nicola Sturgeon.

 

David Cameron (Conservative Party)

The present Prime Minister is clearly a very convincing and statesmanlike performer despite his apparent reluctance to enter the Tv debates in the first place.  David reiterated that the plan is working and that it must go on.  David Cameron pledged to put more money in the NHS funding it by tackling aggressive tax avoidance and tax evasion.

He criticised Ed Miliband for weaponising the NHS and lay the blame for NHS scandals firmly at the Labour Party’s door due to a target obsessed culture that had ‘run rampant’ under the last Labour government.

Drawing on his own experiences of the NHS, he said that he’d had ‘unbelievable care’, pledged more money for NHS and stated that throughout his first term as Prime Minister, his government had took out twenty thousand bureaucrats and used that money to fund front line staff such as doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.

On the subject of immigration, David said that he wouldn’t allow immigrants to claim benefits until they had lived here for four years and that they would not be able to send money out of the country to families and children living abroad.

David also offered a balanced plan on the economy and deficit reduction stating that they would find cuts in public services of one pound in every hundred and that he doesn’t want to put up taxes because he doesn’t want to hurt working people.

On Europe his party would be the only one to offer a genuine in-out referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union and that he personally thought that Britain was well served in the European Union but there was a strong case for reform of the institution and that staying in would guarantee Britain’s best chance of getting a better deal.

Throughout the proceedings he did a good statesmanlike job of defending his government’s record stating that difficult decisions had been made and that whilst they were painful it was working.  He also stated that it would be foolish to stop this now and hand the country back to the people that had caused the mess in the first place.

David managed to capture a lot of airtime and twice mentioned that a vote for UKIP would lead to Labour getting into power.  A point that Nigel Farage unsuccessfully tried to challenge being overruled by the chair (Julie Etchingham).

David closed by stating that work must be rewarded and that changes to the system could be used to make Britain less attractive to immigrants.  David repeatedly reiterated his government’s record on job creation and asked the country to ‘stick with the plan’.

“The choice of this election is sticking with a plan that is working or chaos of the alternative. Let’s not go back to square one. Britain can do so much better than that,”

David Cameron.

 

Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru)

Mentioned jobs and public services and a ‘no more cuts’ agenda for Wales and her hope for a decent future stating that Plaid Cymru can win for Wales in an appeal for more Welsh voters.  Unlike Nicola Sturgeon she was less clear regarding how Plaid policies would help the people of England though did state that she would work in partnership with the SNP.

She did seem genuinely proud when she mentioned that Wales gave the world the NHS and that she’d like to see greater funding for wales to allow the recruitment of an extra 1000 doctors in the NHS in wales to bring it in line with the NHS in England.

On the subject of the EU she stated that Wales benefits a lot from Britain’s membership of the EU and as such Britain must treat European citizens well.  Leanne stated her goal of providing free tuition in Wales.

“Plaid Cymru believes we need to invest in our young people – particularly in education, as that is the best route out of poverty.”

Leanne Wood

Under her plans the deficit would be cut and completely removed by the year 2020.  Leanne clearly marked Plaid out as an Anti austerity party stating that the banks got bailed out, but now the people should have a bail-out.

Leanne criticised the previous labour administration for the usage of PFI schemes within public services like the NHS, and stated that Plaid does not want to see any private profit within the NHS.

Leanne was highly critical of Nigel Farage when he stated that 60% of people diagnosed with HIV were born abroad, accusing him of scare mongering, she finished by stating that her party would create the conditions for everyone to do well.

“Plaid would offer hope for a decent future for Welsh communities.”

Leanne Wood.

Ed Miliband (Labour Party)

Stated that if elected he would raise minimum wage,  put an end to unfair zero contracts and would improve the NHS, promising a future for all young people in a deliberate attempt to appeal to young people who have often been left marginalised and disenfranchised by the policies of the other political parties.

He pledged to cut the tuition fees from 9,000 pounds to 6,000 pounds a year alongside other ‘progressive’ policies such as the mansion tax levied on properties over two millions pounds in value.  Ed also stated that he’d levy money from tobacco companies and hedge funds and put it into a ring fenced pot to support the NHS and an ageing population in a joined up care initiative that would turn the NHS around.

He was, as expected very critical and damning of David Cameron’s and Nick Clegg’s record on the NHS, citing that David Cameron had previously promised ‘No top down reorganisation of the NHS’ and now as a result of this broken promise the NHS is creaking at the seams and that the NHS is going backwards.”

Ed further stated that work doesn’t pay in this country and that zero hours contracts, linked to immigration had forced down wages to the detriment of all.  On this subject he seemed to have a really good grasp of the difficulties faced by the very poorest in society and seemed genuinely passionate in his desire to put it right.

A future Labour government would guarantee all young people access to a good education and increase homebuilding, giving everyone a fair deal in the rental sector.

Ed was dismissive of previous Tory policies and remarked that the ‘trickle down effect doesn’t work’.

The Labour leader then promised to crack down on energy companies and stated that ‘when working people succeeds Britain succeeds’ which to his credit is a powerful piece of party rhetoric that encapsulates his ideas around the squeeze felt by many working families within the cost of living crisis.

He accused David Cameron of failing to act on tax havens and promised to ring fence education and the NHS budgets, making  cuts elsewhere.

 “…the NHS is going backwards.”

Ed Miliband.

 

The Winner!

We rated each candidate on key attributes such as presentation, knowledge of issue, delivery and how well they answered each question, unsurprisingly it seemed that David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nigel Farage dominated the night’s proceedings, but Nicola Sturgeon unexpectedly came out on top.