I will be covering the #BBCDebate in this thread, but with a little less sarcasm than usual. This is an evening for measured debate.
Caroline Lucas makes a passionate case for immediate action on the environment: "Children can't vote. The planet can't vote."
Rishi Sunak: "We have a new Brexit deal ready to go. We'll bring it back to Parliament before Christmas, and leave the EU before the end of January." He also repeats the "get Brexit done" lie the Tories are pushing as hard as they can.
#BBCDebate
#BBCDebate
Nicola Sturgeon: "In his rush to do a deal with Donald Trump, Boris Johnson cannot be trusted not to put the NHS on the table." #BBCDebate
Richard Tice: "We have to restore trust in politics with major political reform." Sounds alarming. #BBCDebate
First question is about keeping people safe, prompted by this afternoon's attack. It seems relevant to remind ourselves of what has happened over the last decade. #BBCDebate
Nicola Sturgeon: "The government in Scotland has maintained and increased police numbers, and I think it is such a shame that hasn't happened in the rest of the UK." #BBCDebate
Jo Swinson pays tribute to the work that has gone on in Glasgow to successfully tackle knife crime, and says the lessons learned should be applied elsewhere. #BBCDebate
The debate format is changing, after a careful and respectful opening centred around today's attack.
Should be much more free-flowing beyond this. At least in theory. We'll see if it works. #BBCDebate
Should be much more free-flowing beyond this. At least in theory. We'll see if it works. #BBCDebate
Rishi Sunak plays the "Labour wrecked the economy" card.
But of course the Tories have been in power for 3,494 days so that's hardly a credible line of reasoning at this point.
But of course the Tories have been in power for 3,494 days so that's hardly a credible line of reasoning at this point.
Jo Swinson: "What the Conservatives and Labour don't tell you is that their plans don't add up. Why? Because leaving the EU will leave us poorer." Talks about Government estimates. She's right about this. Neither of their manifestoes account for the effects of Brexit. #BBCDebate
Caroline Lucas: "Every single analysis shows that Brexit will trash our economy. It will put people out of work." #BBCDebate
Adam Price points out that Wales has 11% of rail infrastructure but only gets 1% of funding. #BBCDebate
The children are squabbling. Neither the Tories nor Labour are covering themselves in glory. #BBCDebate
There is a wider point/problem: Labour's spending plans *are* massive. But even so, the Tories have made up a lot of *fake* figures that are if anything even more eye-watering. So it makes discussion nigh on impossible.
Jo Swinson, on Brexit: "We're in episode 1 of a 10 season box set." Great metaphor. Might pinch that. 😉 #BBCDebate
Rishi Sunak: "Let's just get Brexit done." Like a stuck record. #BBCDebate
Nicola Sturgeon: "'Get Brexit done' is the biggest con of the election. Boris Johnson's deal only covers withdrawal."
Richard Tice: "17.4 million people" Drink!
Reminder: Boris Johnson got a "new" Brexit deal by folding, and going back to an outmoded position that Theresa May had once walked away from because it was so bad. The EU bit his arm off as far as the shoulder because it was so one-sided. #BBCDebate
Richard Rice misrepresenting "no deal" as "walking away". But of course in a no deal situation, unlike in a normal negotiation, everything changes. We don't just walk away and keep the existing status quo. (I covered this at length in my book.) #BBCDebate
Nick Robinson: "Over Jeremy Corbyn's long career, can you think of any other policy [other than Brexit] on which he has remained neutral?"
Rebecca Long-Bailey: "Not off the top of my head, no."
🔥
#BBCDebate
Rebecca Long-Bailey: "Not off the top of my head, no."
🔥
#BBCDebate
Rishi Sunak is obviously there for one reason, and one reason only: to keep repeating "get Brexit done" until his voice gives out. #BBCDebate
Parliament has declared a climate emergency. But so has the EU. If we stay members, we get to work together to tackle the problem. Strength in numbers. Global warming doesn't end at our borders, so multinational solutions are vital. #bbcdebate
Planting trees is important, but it's not a substitute for emitting less to begin with.
Rishi Sunak gives "practical examples" of turning off lights when you leave the room as a green action people should take. Do many people leave them burning in empty rooms?
Adam Price reminds Rebecca Long-Bailey that Labour's in power in Wales, but is not doing enough on the environment. #bbcdebate
Now they're onto the NHS, so let's remind ourselves what the Tories have done to it over the last 10 years... #bbcdebate
Reminder: we rely on importing 37 million packets of medicine every single month from the EU. We do not have domestic production capacity to replace them locally. #bbcdebate
Rishi Sunak dismisses 600 pages of leaked documents covering detailed negotiations with the US as "scaremongering nonsense". #bbcdebate
Jo Swinson: "We are already down 5,000 nurses from the EU in the last 2 years."
Watching this debate, it's clear how lucky we were to have two blocks of ice instead of the Tory and Brexit Party wreckers in the climate change debate last night! They are tag-teaming to derail every discussion. #bbcdebate
Rebecca Long-Bailey fumbling badly by not having any detail of the failings in Wales under a Labour government. #bbcdebate
Ah, another sad example of the paucity of choice on offer, as Labour and the Tories trade exaggerations at ever increasing volumes. #bbcdebate
Caroline Lucas: "I am very proud to stand up for freedom of movement." 👏 #bbcdebate
"We should proudly say 'immigration is a good thing. Immigration is a brilliant thing.'" Jo Swinson makes a passionate case for looking at immigration in a more positive light. #BBCDebate
Rishi Sunak: "Everyone who wants to stay in the EU has to be willing to extend freedom of movement to everyone in the world." Not sure how he leaps to such a wild, unfounded assertion. #BBCDebate
Nick Robinson sabotages proceedings by introducing a wild claim that polls show most people want to see immigration controlled.
But as Caroline Lucas clarifies, as soon as people understand freedom of movement is reciprocal they're broadly for it.
But as Caroline Lucas clarifies, as soon as people understand freedom of movement is reciprocal they're broadly for it.
"What would you like to say to Donald Trump?"
Rishi Sunak: "Happy Thanksgiving." Chocolate teapottery at its finest.
#BBCDebate
Rishi Sunak: "Happy Thanksgiving." Chocolate teapottery at its finest.
#BBCDebate
Adam Price (on what he would say to Donald Trump): "Resign, and take Boris Johnson with you." Gets a sustained round of applause and a few cheers from an audience who seem to have been generally told not to react much. #BBCDebate
That's a wrap. If you enjoyed my coverage can I cheekily drop a plug for my book in at this point, just in case you're interested...
amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Z1FTRQW/…
amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Z1FTRQW/…
