Theresa May - Not up to the Job of PM?

[FairwayDodger]

Tonight's leaders questions.

May, 6/10. Spoke well but didn't really have a lot of substance behind her answers to the audience's questions. Too often reverted to we'll sort the detail after the GE. Sorry but I want to know what I'll be voting for, not what might happen.

Corbyn, 7/10. A better performance than May but all too often reverted to sound bite politics. "Ungoverned regions;" Sounds quite impressive when you hear him talking about it. In reality the debate about lack of governance is, to a large extent, a red herring. Do large swathes of Africa, the Middle East and South America actually need governing when nobody lives there?

Paxman; appalling interviewing of both candidates. Far too often he didn't let either finish answering, and often went off track himself. Very disappointing.

At least Labour's manifesto has concrete proposals, albeit I'm still not convinced they are costed. Bonds to renationalise industries is still borrowing, whatever Labour wants to call it.

Not sure which is the lesser of 2 evils.

I agree with this. In context where the tories and their ilk have been demonising Corbyn in attempt to portray him as unsuitable to be pm he was the winner last night showing himself to be at least as capable as May and certainly not the bogey man they've been making him out to be.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Tonight's leaders questions.

May, 6/10. Spoke well but didn't really have a lot of substance behind her answers to the audience's questions. Too often reverted to we'll sort the detail after the GE. Sorry but I want to know what I'll be voting for, not what might happen.

Corbyn, 7/10. A better performance than May but all too often reverted to sound bite politics. "Ungoverned regions;" Sounds quite impressive when you hear him talking about it. In reality the debate about lack of governance is, to a large extent, a red herring. Do large swathes of Africa, the Middle East and South America actually need governing when nobody lives there?

Paxman; appalling interviewing of both candidates. Far too often he didn't let either finish answering, and often went off track himself. Very disappointing.

At least Labour's manifesto has concrete proposals, albeit I'm still not convinced they are costed. Bonds to renationalise industries is still borrowing, whatever Labour wants to call it.

Not sure which is the lesser of 2 evils.

That combined with the fact I'd rather live in their version of society than the tories swings it for me.

 

[Hacker Khan]

I agree with this. In context where the tories and their ilk have been demonising Corbyn in attempt to portray him as unsuitable to be pm he was the winner last night showing himself to be at least as capable as May and certainly not the bogey man they've been making him out to be.

I think that may come as a shock to a few Daily Bigot/Express/Times/Torygraph readers.

 

[chrisd]

Paxman's interviewing was so bad that neither were going to answer questions properly.

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

I thought she came across very well. Just the leader we need to get a good deal from Brexit.

:rofl: I genuinely can't tell if you're joking? She didn't answer a single question, even the easy ones she knew were coming from the audience. She resorted to "stock" answers and phrases. Overall I would put her a couple of marks below Corbyn. I'm a traditional Tory but May (and her vision of Britain) scare me massively. It's clearly obvious why May wouldn't get involved in a head to head debate with other leaders, she would quite clearly be trounced.

 

[Hobbit]

That combined with the fact I'd rather live in their version of society than the tories swings it for me.

You highlighted half a sentence. How about the fact that it has been said that the renationalisation is not costed? Or how about the "garden tax" that has been found in the small print of the manifesto.

I don't doubt that the Tories have gone way too far in some areas of austerity but I, equally, would hate to see our economy end up as a basket case. Brexit is just around the corner, coming with a huge bill, and Labour want to go on a crazy spending spree. Financial suicide!

For choice, I don't want either a Tory govt nor a Labour one. Unfortunately that leaves either the SNP or LibDems...

 

[FairwayDodger]

You highlighted half a sentence. How about the fact that it has been said that the renationalisation is not costed? Or how about the "garden tax" that has been found in the small print of the manifesto.

I don't doubt that the Tories have gone way too far in some areas of austerity but I, equally, would hate to see our economy end up as a basket case. Brexit is just around the corner, coming with a huge bill, and Labour want to go on a crazy spending spree. Financial suicide!

For choice, I don't want either a Tory govt nor a Labour one. Unfortunately that leaves either the SNP or LibDems...

I hate to break it to you but neither of those will be forming a government.

 

[User62651]

I hate to break it to you but neither of those will be forming a government.

I get that - I live in an SNP held constituency where the Liberal Democrats/Liberals held it pretty easily for 32 years before 2015. That's the only 2 horse race round here.

I always vote but if I want to vote blue or red it's a waste of a vote and my time. Understand the apathy of voters in so many safe seats.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I get that - I live in an SNP held constituency where the Liberal Democrats/Liberals held it pretty easily for 32 years before 2015. That's the only 2 horse race round here.

I always vote but if I want to vote blue or red it's a waste of a vote and my time. Understand the apathy of voters in so many safe seats.

Fair point. I'm not a fan of the electoral system but at least I'm in a constituency where my vote might matter.

My problem is that I'm away on Election Day and my postal vote hasn't arrived

 

[SocketRocket]

I think that may come as a shock to a few Daily Bigot/Express/Times/Torygraph readers.

Here you go again categorising people by Newspaper, pathetic really pathetic.

 

[SocketRocket]

:rofl: I genuinely can't tell if you're joking? She didn't answer a single question, even the easy ones she knew were coming from the audience. She resorted to "stock" answers and phrases. Overall I would put her a couple of marks below Corbyn. I'm a traditional Tory but May (and her vision of Britain) scare me massively. It's clearly obvious why May wouldn't get involved in a head to head debate with other leaders, she would quite clearly be trounced.

Yes She did, She answered all of them. They may not have been the answers you wanted though.

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Yes She did, She answered all of them. They may not have been the answers you wanted though.

But she actually didn't. And i'm aware Jeremy didn't do it either in some cases, but Theresa was much worse. If you go back and watch again (or if you prefer, read some fairly neutral commentary), it is obvious she never actually gave an answer. And just so I'm clear, reading a set of prepared quotes/responses that are kind of linked to the question, do not count as an answer.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yes She did, She answered all of them. They may not have been the answers you wanted though.

So tell me her answer on the 'will you walk away with No Deal' because all she said in response that she'd get a deal and you have to make clear you are willing to walk away. Was that the same as Yes - No Deal. It seemed like it but she didn't say it. So I'm guessing that she won't as she knows that - in her own words - 'failure would be dire' and I can only work out that in her mind No Deal is failure - but she can't explicitly state that until after the GE and she has a larger majority than she has now.

And - oh yes - the cap on Dementia Tax. How can anyone worried about losing their house simply accept a consultation Green Paper as an answer. The Cap could be £200,000! And that could mean most needing extended home care would lose their home. And how much will the cap cost in the context of their manifesto income/expenditure calculations?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Hard right Tory supporters seem to have gone into flat out denial mode now.
Quite amusing after all the waffle they have been spouting.
Their arrogance tank is now running on empty.

 

[Hobbit]

So tell me her answer on the 'will you walk away with No Deal' because all she said in response that she'd get a deal and you have to make clear you are willing to walk away. Was that the same as Yes - No Deal. It seemed like it but she didn't say it. So I'm guessing that she won't as she knows that - in her own words - 'failure would be dire' and I can only work out that in her mind No Deal is failure - but she can't explicitly state that until after the GE and she has a larger majority than she has now.

Well, after reading your post I've just listened to Paxman's interview again. Sounded very clear to me when she said you have to be prepared to walk away from a bad deal.... But like Paxman, you're focussing on, and wanting, "yes I'll walk away." She reiterated "No deal is better than a bad deal. And you have to be prepared to walk away from a bad deal."

Is that really too hard to understand?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Well, after reading your post I've just listened to Paxman's interview again. Sounded very clear to me when she said you have to be prepared to walk away from a bad deal.... But like Paxman, you're focussing on, and wanting, "yes I'll walk away." She reiterated "No deal is better than a bad deal. And you have to be prepared to walk away from a bad deal."

Is that really too hard to understand?

I agree - but she wouldn't directly say Yes - I will walk away with No Deal. And she would not even when pressed. If it is so clear why did she not just say so.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Well, after reading your post I've just listened to Paxman's interview again. Sounded very clear to me when she said you have to be prepared to walk away from a bad deal.... But like Paxman, you're focussing on, and wanting, "yes I'll walk away." She reiterated "No deal is better than a bad deal. And you have to be prepared to walk away from a bad deal."

Is that really too hard to understand?

She very deliberately avoided saying she'd walk away if she couldn't get a good deal. she obviously did that for a reason - she knows she'll have to get some sort of deal no matter how bad. She'll get a rubbish deal and try to sell it to the country - as Cameron did.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

She very deliberately avoided saying she'd walk away if she couldn't get a good deal. she obviously did that for a reason - she knows she'll have to get some sort of deal no matter how bad. She'll get a rubbish deal and try to sell it to the country - as Cameron did.

...and she has told us all that failure will be dire...so what is failure? Clearly in her mind, and the advice she has received, is that failure is No Deal so she cannot say she would walk away with No Deal.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Wouldn't failure be a bad deal rather than no deal? Success would be a good deal. Anything less than that would be a degree of success. Failure would be to agree to a bad deal.

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Wouldn't failure be a bad deal rather than no deal? Success would be a good deal. Anything less than that would be a degree of success. Failure would be to agree to a bad deal.

When you say a "bad deal", do you really think that the EU would be so hard in their negotiations they would offer terms worse than the WTO? Why would they do that, when clearly if they do, the UK would say "no you're ok, we'll have WTO". That would be a completely nonsensical negotiation stance. Which clearly makes what May says a nonsensical argument. No?