Author: |Posted: 3:35 pm on 30/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
Interesting looking at some of the instant post-debate reaction polls. Some are weighted to match what the pollsters think is the profile of people who watch the debates.
YouGov have been very open, saying that means they tend to include more prosperous voters, more broadsheet readers, older voters, to be slightly more Conservative and sometimes more male-dominated than the voting population as a whole. ComRes doesn’t weight to viewers but to the voting population profile.
Author: |Posted: 9:45 am on 30/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
There’s been a nasty car crash right outside the venue where Labour is in the middle of unveiling its posters.
You could hear and see a serious write-off crash from where we the press are huddled – it happened in the middle of Peter Mandelson’s introduction speech to Gordon Brown.
Doesn’t seem to be any serious injury in car crash outside the Labour poster launch but it was a distracting loud bash in the middle of the presentation. read more
Author: |Posted: 10:14 pm on 29/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
So, Gordon raised his game and spoke in ways that cut through.
He only said “double dip” once I think. His fatal weakness for lists was temporarily overcome. I didn’t hear a single sentence that started with the word “thirdly,” not something you can always rely on him for.
But will it do him any good? Are people listening? Have they closed their minds? Can he pick up anything more than a couple of percentage points which, depending on which poll you are looking at, won’t get him very far? read more
Author: |Posted: 9:53 pm on 29/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
Gordon Brown is talking about people being “compelled” or “forced” to work. GB said “no life on the dole” and DC came back at him saying you’ve had a long time to achieve that. A good line from DC – I’m not sure which country
Author: |Posted: 9:39 pm on 29/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
Very sharp angry question about politicians not listening to the voters, particularly on immigration.
Hard for NC to pull ahead on this one, even if Gordon Brown can be accused of being in office when the questioner and many others presumably think it has got out of control. He tries to do it by saying the other two are old politics, created the problem or the chaos and he’s the guy who is honest on illegal immigrants already here.
Author: |Posted: 9:22 pm on 29/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
Gordon Brown has a clear two-pronged message – PERIL and FAIRNESS.
David Cameron’s equivalent is HE’S A DESPERATE TWISTER and HE’S A FAILURE…
Author: |Posted: 9:01 pm on 29/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
Gordon Brown is focusing on imminent danger, the Tory emergency budget, might just be getting better “cut through” than David Cameron talking about waste and National Insurance. Gordon Brown just said he wouldn’t go into coalition with the Tories because of their welfare policies which must’ve come as no surprise but was a jibe at Nick Clegg.
read more
Author: |Posted: 8:46 pm on 29/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
Everything he hasn’t done before. Clear, forceful, he looked passionate and warned of peril. If he can maintain that he will do well but that may not be possible.
David Cameron was low-key on being in rut and the need to start “making things”. Nick Clegg’s talk of this election is about “you” sounded a little trite. Time to put the people before the politicians sounded a little over-rehearsed.
Cameron’s team said they thought Gordon Brown would be pumped up for this one and at his very best. Could they be right?
Postal votes are already being received and though the election is a week today some people will put their “X” on the ballot in the immediate hours after this programme.
David Dimbleby, as all 3 leaders expected, just ripped up the rules. He put the first question back to them with specific emphasis to make a point. Not in the rules but the rules are daft.
Not sure about the BBC set – morphing colours look like hallucinogenic waffles in the close ups.
Author: |Posted: 3:34 pm on 29/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
Peter Mandelson just purred past our edit van at Birmingham University in an electric car saying something about being “warm as toast”.
Given the front page of The Sun today a word you might avoid. Gordon Brown had to be reminded a moment ago to take off his radio microphone. A technician, it seems, took mercy on him.
Workers I met at a Halesowen factory earlier said they felt sympathy for Gordon Brown after his Rochdale troubles. read more
Author: |Posted: 11:57 am on 29/04/10
Category: Gary Gibbon on Politics
Yesterday was yesterday. Today I want to talk about the economy.
With that Gordon Brown made his first reaction of the day to the Rochdale debacle. After this appearance in a Halesowen factory he will go back to his hotel to prep for the debate and his best last chance to speak at length to the voters.
No sign in his words here of a man who has found a new clear way to say, I protect you and the Tories won’t. (I should say Labour folk tell me people know what double dip means but I think it sounds like something from Santa’s grotto). read more