Live Blog: Ask the Chancellor's debate - MSE reports live

ninky_2

MSE_Dan wrote: »

Cable wants smaller banks, Darling doesn't think it matters. What do you guys all think? It's a tough one

is this something a single national government can control anyway? most (if not all) banking institutions are international in practice / structure. the near-miss collapse of the banking system was due to the nature of this international reliance and operation.

the sooner that national governments start talking about the limits of their powers and the reality of the power of global corporations and banking structures the better. they talk around it by saying things like "it was global".

MSE_Martin

Interesting read - thank you Dan and folks (sadly I wasn't able to watch the debate live due to important prior engagement)

Errata

Will the debate make any difference to the great British public ? My guess is that those with a deep interest and understanding of politics will have quickly discovered no meat in such a bland telly debate, curious people would take away an impression of the telegenicity of the contestants and not much else, others will have turned over to the football, others wouldn't watch politicans groaning on unless a loaded gun was held to their heads, and the rest will get their political info and have their prejudices confirmed from their morning paper.

I'll continue to watch the election debates as I'm interested to discover which party can bore on at the greatest length with their POV from the Dept of the Bleedin' Obvious. We can look forward to more Nights of the Living Dead.

JimmyTheWig

vangirl wrote: »

I think maybe Vince feels he can speak a bit more freely knowing full well he wont be in chrage of the purse strings.

I wouldn't be too sure. I wonder if this will be the sweetener to entice the Lib Dems into a coalition with one of the big two in the event of a hung parliament...

hallmark

The adulation of Vince Cable is way way overdone.

meher

not to miss :rotfl:

his_vinciness wrote:

"I sometimes use the visual image that it is a ship that has sailed out of the harbour. There is no point in jumping into the sea and swimming after it... there are various things that we have learnt about euroland, and about the eurozone, which are clearly problems that need to be resolved."

Yes, what a lovely image, O great seer of visions. Have another Werther's Original. But what is the Lib Dem policy on Euro entry now? In, out, or shake it all about?

I'd like to return to :rotfl: comment on what I think of this bunch :rotfl: who only ever manage to indulge some cheap banker bashing rhetorics, when I've recovered :rotfl:

Errata

meher wrote: »

not to miss :rotfl: I'd like to return to :rotfl: comment on what I think of this bunch :rotfl: who only ever manage to indulge some cheap banker bashing rhetorics, when I've recovered :rotfl:

I think the Libs gave up the in, out, shake it all about, sometime during their Leader Jeremy Thorpe's trial

PhylPho

hallmark wrote: »

The adulation of Vince Cable is way way overdone.

Oh really? Care to expand on that?

I've watched Cable's performance since autumn of 2008 and haven't seen him wrong-footed yet compared to Darling and Osborne.

Biggest mistake the LibDems made was in failing to elect him Party Leader. I've never voted LibDem before but will do so now -- though with the thought at the back of my mind that a party which can get so much wrong when it comes to electing a leader doesn't exactly look infallible where the national future is concerned.

Still. As neither the Tories nor ZanuLabour look, or are, fit for office, it'll have to be the best of a bad job. The way democracy works, as usual.