The three stooges enter talent show tonight!

Tonight is the start of the auditions in reality TV show, it's tragic enough; to see the three of them standing there in their stupid red, blue and yellow ties!! We will feel like we're at a traffic light for the 90 minutes of this talent show and might end up wearing sunglasses.

The tie thing is a sartorial acknowledgement that, to most people, Brown, Cameron and Clegg are merely The Three Stooges, nothing left to chance and at least the stooges were very different men

Today sees this first public debate by indistinguishable suits and if it weren't for the differently coloured ties we will hardly know who pinched which manifesto.

Prepare for some boring stuff and if yoiu get bored simply try playing spot the most honest statement from the debate podium.

Yes we do all the Americans do and in this case we have waited 50 years for U.S style Presidential politics that arrive in Britain tonight as the three main party leaders put their personalities on the line for a television debate watched by millions of voters.

Do I really need to see this talent competition as this live debate takes place after hours of dress rehearsals that will continue up to the kick-off today, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg will take audition for a role of P.M. as we get into General Election spin and into the same realms as X-Factor or even The Apprentice

Hours of preparation with body language for all as a concern and Cameron has hired Anita Dunn, Barack Obama's ex-body language coach and I do hope she trains Mr Cameron not to waive his hands in that false Blair sincerity

Perhaps we should ask for a panel of judges including Simon Cowell and Sir Alan Sugar

“

"If your lifeguard duties were as good as your ............., a lot of people would be drowning."
Simon Cowell British Entertainer

"You're Fired"
Sir Alan Sugar The pantomime villain from the Apprentice TV show

Amazing our most closely fought campaign for a generation goes into uncharted waters and looks more like Andrew Lloyd Webber's talent search for Dorothy and Toto in The Wizard Of Oz.

Aides spent last night, and will continue much of today, preparing and trying to relax their candidates for the primetime showdown in Manchester in which a slip or a smart soundbite could prove decisive.

Polls suggest that 20 million voters will tune in to ITV, putting the debate on a par with an England football international or an X Factor final. David Cameron will take the centre podium, Gordon Brown will stand to his left — at the Prime Minister’s request because of his impaired eyesight — and Nick Clegg to his right.

Perhaps we need some new judges or even very old panel members to make sense of all this

"Most political leaders acquire their position by causing large numbers of people to believe that these leaders are actuated by altruistic desires"
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS , was a philosopher , historian, logician, mathematician, advocate for social reform, and pacifist

What about the contestants?

Gordon Brown seems to struggle giving answers and will be no doubt seen wandering off into a maze of statistics. Brown of course is fighting to avoid getting his P45 and being told to clear his desk. I wonder how he will deal with being interrupted or cut short?

David Cameron is prone to being riled so has backed out of an interview (Gordon also keeping his distance from Paxo) with Jeremy Paxman for Panorama next Monday and although many will criticise this I see is it making him an unusually normal human being for a politician! How will he deal with being provoked after being described as a a posh person pretending not to be posh or is really that 'diamond geezer'?


Nick Clegg speaks withdouble fantasy involved - first of all that he will become our Prime Minister later this year under the first Liberal Government since Lloyd George around 90 years ago. And secondly that today's deabte means that a Clegg Government would have any credible basis for balancing the budget.

We could call the THE C FACTOR or The Chutzpah Factor

Maybe everyone will call Clegg "Vince Cable". Maybe someone will call Brown "Blair". Maybe someone will call Cameron "Blair". Maybe Brown will call Cameron "posh toff". Maybe he'll just punch him and perhaps Cameron will punch him back!.

Will any of them will answer a question

Can they tell the truth

How will they stop us borrowing over £400 million a day and start paying off the debt instead.

What do they actually trully believe.

If they simply went through the above it would be well worth listening to.

I'll end up watching the debate is so that I can go online and post sarcy cynical postings here afterwards.

Clowns to the left of me?

This week saw the release of the three main parties' election manifestos and environmental commitments formed a central component of each. In fact, in many areas the manifestos hammered home the admirable political consensus that has developed around the low-carbon policies, with each party outlining broadly similar plans for a new low-carbon infrastructure bank, green home loans, ambitious renewable energy targets, and increased clean coal technologies investment.

However, there were also crucial differences in the Parties' philosophical approach to delivering a low-carbon economy, and clear dividing lines around some high-profile policies, nuclear energy, Heathrow expansion and environmental taxes.

BusinessGreen.com wades through the manifestos (so you don't have to) and offers an at-a-glance guide to the three main parties' low-carbon commitments:

Philosophy:

"Labour's environmental agenda reflects our values. Only active government can shape markets to prioritise green growth and job creation. Environmental sustainability cannot be left to individuals and businesses acting alone. We believe that people have the right to a healthy environment. That means giving everyone access to the beauty and amenity of natural places; we want to make it easier to live in a sustainable way whatever your standard of living."

Politics:

While all the main parties share many green policy proposals, Labour's manifesto accuses the Tories of adopting an approach to the environment that is "all about image".

The manifesto explicitly argues that Conservative reluctance to support renewable energy projects, proposals to reverse planning reforms, and opposition to the government's interventionist industrial policy would "put Labour's low-carbon revolution in jeopardy".

It argues that only an interventionist government can drive the development of low-carbon industries, but also positions Labour as pragmatic environmentalists who are still willing to support the expansion of Heathrow airport.

Policies:

• Achieve about 40 per cent low-carbon electricity by 2020 and create 400,000 new green jobs by 2015.
• Introduce "pay as you save" green home makeover scheme and require landlords to insulate rented homes.
• Move towards a "zero waste" Britain, banning recyclable and biodegradable materials from landfill.
• Push for strong and binding international climate change treaty, and lobby EU low emission target for 2020 to 30 per cent below 1990 levels.
• From 2013 provide climate assistance for developing countries that is additional to commitment to provide 0.7 per cent of UK national income in overseas aid.
• Develop new high-speed rail network.
• Roll out smart grid and smart meters for all homes.
• Ensure 15 per cent of UK energy comes from renewables by 2020.
• Make decision on Severn tidal barrage plans early in next parliament.
• Roll out new fleet of nuclear reactors.
• Develop at least four CCS demonstration plants.
• Ban unabated coal-fired power plants.
• Promote community-scale renewable energy and district heat schemes by making it easier for community organisations, co-ops and social enterprises to provide energy services.
• Introduce "recycle on the go" schemes.
• Link together new protected areas of habitat; maintain the Green Belt; increase forest and woodland areas.
• Continue to push for reform of common agricultural policy and appoint supermarket ombudsman to protect interests of suppliers.

Why can’t the Government make [small-business loans] available directly to small business owners?

My thoughts are British Government lent directly to the city, subsidised the motor-trade with an allowance to scrap (many built outside the EU) cars, Government took the taxpayers money directly to the banks — why can’t the Government make [small-business loans] available directly to small business owners?

I'm astonished how many people are still being directly affected by the snow... The 'up-to-the-knees' snow has been gone for weeks ... businesss still slow to get going this year...' and 'we're seeing companies in the S.M.E sector off to a slow start and some even calling in the liquidator.' http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Business-loans/

Going for Growth

Going for Growth

The Government has published its strategy for how to return the economy to strong, sustainable, long-term growth.

• Read more about Going for Growth

The plan focuses on increasing employment, raising incomes and supporting an improving quality of life, while restoring public finances and preventing cuts to essential public services.

During a speech in London today, the Prime Minister said that ‘going for growth’ is the government’s number one priority.

“The plan we are launching today - ‘tomorrow’s prosperity’ - shows how we will do everything we can to support and unleash the entrepreneurial, innovative and dynamic talents we know we have in Britain.

Gordon Brown said as part of the strategy, the Government plans to boost support for knowledge-based industries in sectors like life sciences, medical research and pharmaceuticals.

He said the Government will invest £70 million in the three state-of-the-art manufacturing research centres to help UK businesses develop products of the future.

The Government will also invest in modern, low-carbon infrastructure and support British businesses by ensuring easier access to credit and creating a new growth fund.