Tonight's drinking game, Miliband "I have to tell you "

Thing is when Paxo goes first, like with Cameron, he's already asked things / touched subjects the audience have a thing about, by the time it gets to them.

Of course the questions will be vetted, otherwise you risk a complete farce like the referendum last year where there is a political imbalance. They'll have been vetted and split to try and be political from either side.

Let me say. DAMNIT, I want a let me tell you, is it too much to ask.
Let me say again!

LET ME TELL YOU LANDED :)

Let me say, it's hard and fast now :)

Let me say, 5x :)

I think it's when he's thinking about what to say he just spits it out to buy time.

oh dear ed

Some comedian the other day pointed out the Ed does this:
He's asked a question, he doesn't have an answer so he says "If you are asking me" and gives an answer to a completely different question.
He just tried it there and paxo took no sh*t :)

He's in trouble

They keep showing the audience giggling at him. they didn't do that to Cameron.

I cant pluck a figure out of the air because we are not going to do anything about it.

Let me just say. If I was drinking tonight I'd be off my face by now.

I bet CAmeron will want 10 more of these debates now

Looks like a naughty boy facing headmaster.

How many times has said let me explain now? I really backed the wrong horse.

Cameron managed to keep talking long enough without saying anything to neutralise Paxo a little, Ed's allowed himself to get drawn into a conversation

will there be a "who one the debate" poll straight after

good point

Let me explain ... He's not having a good time

Shall I explain x 2. It's a variation, he's showign he can mix it up a little :)

Let me make this point.

Can this ****er start a sentence without beginning with "Let me" ffs!

get in there frank!

let me tell you

Let me tell you ok let me tell you ok let me tell you ok :)

Paxo looking smug and greasy

Good use of "Hell" there,

Not convincing that he's tough enough

bloke on the tube

Paso always looks smug

Paxman being personal with Ed, was more about policy with Dave.

Nigel would be on his sixth pint and tenth **** by now and still be on the bridle.

Paxo...scared of the mansion tax

pint

Paxman is trying to rile Ed

Paxo....scumbag now

Agreed Paxo being a bit personal

I think a large diffence here is cameron didn't let himself be rattled.
Paxman was similarly .. paxman, but Ed has just been all over the place from the off and thrashing around.

slaughtered

Burnham and Umunna writing their post election leadership race declarations as they watch this...

Asked if he was alright

Paxman "You alright"?.....**** !

out of order to say " are you ok ed?" completely loaded question.

It's what I said, JC, we all see different things.
Nothing much changes really.

The "You alright?" was deliberate imo.

Fair enough from paxman, if Ed had decided to answer a question he would had faired much better.

Good answer by Milliband, mind you: "Yes, are you?"

so whats the predictions on Who one?

Ed should have said "How patronising !"

Let me tell you. Ok I have to tell you:.
Cameron has a track record in government to attack. Red Ed is the opposition, and weak link is few people can really imagine him as PM as he's a complete lighweight.

And I have to tell you, if you're asking me, "Are you making a cup of tea" I have to say, "Yes".

Ed was tearful, so Paxo just asked him if he was ok - there was no malice in the question imo

Paxo got stuffed!!!

he doesnt like it up him

I thought Ed got the marginally tougher time and was portrayed in a slightly less than serious way, although I would say he came across as (only slightly) a nicer bloke than Cameron.

But I very much doubt everyone would think the same as I did.

thought Paxo crossed the line calling Milliband a geek and insinuating he was a weakling

I don't think it was marginal I think Ed lost it big time Paxo was much tougher and more personal ... The audience were laughing

Newsnight, "clear win for Ed"

Allegra (on Newsnight) thought Ed won!!!

but almost reducing milliband to tears was a form of bullying by Paxo

You're forgetting the pattern was paxo hard audience not so.
So for cameron it was hard then easy, ed easy then hard, last thing you saw.

Paxo for example wouldn't let Cameron off the hook on contracts and so on, but differnce is he didn't loose his cool, Ed lost his from the off.

LOSE his cool.

FFS Ed is supposde to be our next PM, if a ****ing journalist can reduce a grown man career politician to tears he's right, he's not fit to be e.g. negotiating with Putin. Get a grip!

If anything paxo has just shown him for what he is, that's the point.

Just shows what we all see.

I thought that the audience were far harder on Milliband, than they were for Cameron.

It didn't look like either of them lost their cool to me.

Ed sluiced up..

Ed was very angry about how he was treated.....Paxman stepped way over the line.

I think it possible that people might think the personal stuff was a bit below the belt.

they will think it was a bit personal but he should know his public persona, and just has to throw it back in a calm way. It's only when you think there is some truth that it upsets you.

Let me tell you, when I started this thread even I didn't expect the sheer volume of "Let me tell you"/"Let me just say" sentence beginnings. I'd noticed he does it before but tonight he just went for the world record, and broke it without breaking a sweat.

it's a win win for all the rival parties if this is the best these two can do

Lets blame Ed's failings on paxman questioning technique.

Question Time time now.

Up the Woolfe man

Guardian/ICM instant poll says Cameron wins 54% to Miliband's 46%

They should just employ a load of robots to do these jobs.
Fukkking career politicians, just saying all the same old crap at EVERY interview, 2 insincere bints doing so on Newsnight now.

The only outcome to be drawn from tonight's debate is that the British public will not vote Ed for PM

Aren't Burley and Paxman both Conservative supporters, btw?

He gave cameron a hard time but Cameron didn't show he was rattled, Ed fell apart from the off.
He drilled Cameron on contracts, spending, cuts, tried to portray hims a posh boy who would't lower himself to a poorly paid job, grilled on broken promises on imigration etc.
You're just forgetting it already, and he didn't fall apart.

This is like a job interview to run the country.

I'm not forgetting anything.

The audience questions and treatment of milliband was far tougher.
Paxman was hard on both of them.

Paxman cast barbs about Clarkson, Lord Green and Coulson - Cameron said let me take these one by one and never got to Coulson...

I'd have preferred to see a proper debate between them both.
Why won't Cameron do it?

hes chicken

I watched PM's questions on budget day. Cameron is light years ahead as an orator. But he has had a fair bit of practise at the helm of the ship.

It's like a close football or boxing match - everyone watching sees the one they prefer or want to win as being the better.

(As predicted)

Because a debate is a battle of personalities and on that measure Cameron is so far ahead of Miliband, he'll probably lose share even if he wins it. Also the general theory is the debates are harder on the incumbent, he's in a no win scenario from the minute he accepts.

Blair refused to do them, it's not like we didn't have TV a decade ago.

Not sure I understand the "even if he wins, he'll lose" argument.
If his personality is better and his policies are better and so on, he'd be an idiot not to jump at the opportunity.

Maybe the reason you think Paxman was so hard is because Ed really is like a wimpy schoolboy, Paxman was like a man grilling a naughty schoolboy not a man interviewing a man.

Paxo is a Tory...explains all.

If he's ahead by a large margin, and he wins by a little or draws, I think the argument is it'll still pull things towards the average.

Ed has had a torrid week. I think his confidence has gone.

Paxo sticking the boot in won't help either. No wonder he was tearful.

Paxo got personal near the end and that almost pushed Ed over the edge but he just about held it together.

Paxman was just insulting and not really on topic at the end.
I do, however, think Paxman was hard on them both.

I very much think the audience questions and way of addressing Milliband were harder than what Cameron had to deal with.

We differ in 2 areas;

1. I didn't think Milliband was as rattled as you did. (nor was he tearful).
2. I seriously doubt Cameron's personality is miles ahead of anyone's. Comes across as too sleazy.

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said Miliband had clearly given a better performance, giving him 7/10 against Cameron’s 4/10, Rowena Mason reports.

“It was not what I expected at all,” Farage said. “In terms of personalities, he fought back more, was more human and got the audience clapping. Cameron was nowhere near that. Cameron looked discomfited.”

Farage will murder the air of them in open debate.

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said Miliband had clearly given a better performance,

Milliband (and his supporters) will not want to be endorsed by Mr Farage

Ed was more personal but came across as weak. Cameron more slick but not as sincere. The telling point is the Guardian poll, of all polls, say 54% to Cameron and 46% to Miliband. That poll should be telling.

There was better news for Miliband when it comes to the crucial question of shifting votes: 56% of the sub-sample who said they might change their mind will now plump for Labour, as against just 30% for the Conservatives.

David Cameron retains his lead as best prime minister in this survey - but by a smaller margin than in many past polls – he is preferred on this count by 48% as against just 40% for Miliband

Great result for milliband I would say,improved his rating from nothing in one night,worrying times for the torys...

56% of undecided voters say they may change their mind & now vote Labour, compared to 30% for the Tories.

Miliband  wins the undecided by quiet a bit

snap

the broadcasters missed a trick, should've planted Gillian Duffy in the audience and got her to ask Ed about immigration...

Paxman's bullying of Milliband has worked in Labour's favour, the great British public love the underdog.

Bit surprised by overall % in favour of Cameron,i thought milliband came across quite well it just shows how the media can influence thought without doubt anyone who watched that milliband would've gone up in estimations.

Both are almost suited to the audience questions but struggle with the grilling as it would be too big a change in tone to treat paxman with the contempt he deserves.

Obama could have shmoozed his way through both formats imo. Someone like Putin would have been a bit false and awkward in front of the audience but plastered paxman all over the walls.

looking for the guy who shot paxman, whilst putin enjoys two week vacation