Wavering voters meet the future prime minister
By David Thompson BBC Politics Show reporter |
Voters don't often get the chance to talk to the PM face to face |
All three came to Stourbridge to meet precisely the kind of people they need to win over - a roomful of undecided voters.
Why Stourbridge? It is the knife-edge marginal constituency the Politics Show has adopted as its own for the election.
Not only is it a key political battleground, it is also Britain in microcosm.
If it is happening in the High Street there, chances are it is happening somewhere near you too.
But it is not just that. People in the West Midlands are famous for telling it like it is - and they did not pull their punches with the party leaders.
Gordon Brown
She also said that in her hospital, targets were distorting patient care and an incessant round of changes had left staff tired and demoralised.
The prime minister promised to look into her specific concerns - but when asked whether he thought staff like Sally were on the front line, said that was a decision for individual health authorities - not him.
Mrs Probyn cut to the chase, asking Mr Brown: "Would you like your son to go out on a night patrol with no equipment?"
The prime minister expressed his condolences to the family and insisted that equipment was being upgraded all the time.
But he also said that if Mrs Probyn wanted her son's death to be investigated further, it would be done.
Nick Clegg
Brian Craddock wanted to know whether, if they lost their jobs there, they would be allowed to move. Nick Clegg said quite simply "No."
So would immigrants be given unemployment benefit? Would they be deported? Could Mr Clegg say whether regions like the West Midlands were full?
The Liberal Democrat leader said he could not go into that kind of specific detail - but insisted his party's plan would give Britain the benefits of immigration while reducing the demands it made on the country.
After some sustained questioning, he appeared to say he thought it should go up. However a few minutes later, Danny Alexander, his Chief of Staff, called for a freeze on the Politics Show Scotland.
David Cameron
What most people seemed to want from the Tory leader was clarity - what would his cap on immigration be, would he scrap the rise in National Insurance contributions, how deep would Tory cuts in public spending be?
Single parent Sam Billingham wanted to know whether plans to recognise marriage within the tax system would leave her at a disadvantage.
Mr Cameron said no, but also said we would all have to wait until the election campaign proper before he would spell out exactly how the system would be reformed.
Mr Cameron took that one head-on, admitting he had a very different vision from his questioner, but insisting that his plans to generate choice and competition would create huge improvements in the education system.
Mr Cameron, Mr Brown and Mr Clegg came to Stourbridge, they saw, but did they conquer ?
That's for the voters there to decide - but for all of us, make-up-your-mind time is getting ever closer.
The Politics Show broadcasts on Sunday at 1200 GMT on BBC One and for seven days after on the BBC iPlayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment