Final debate a boost for Tories
Source: Agencies |
May 1, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Conservative Party leader David Cameron is gaining momentum as Britain moves into the final phase of its election campaign, using an unflappable performance in the final television debate to galvanize supporters.
The 43-year-old Tory chief brimmed with the relaxed confidence that has characterized his exchanges in Parliament, flattening Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the subject the Labour leader has long considered his forte -- the economy. The 59-year-old Brown seemed drawn and tired, still reeling from the furor that resulted when he inadvertently broadcast remarks describing a retired woman as a bigot for her views on immigration.
Political wunderkind Nick Clegg, whose stellar performance in the first of the three debates catapulted his Liberal Democrats into contention, held his own and remained the wild card in the most volatile election in decades.
Clegg came out swinging yesterday, declaring that the race was now between his party and the Tories.
With polls still suggesting that no party may win the election outright, Cameron cautioned supporters not to be overconfident.
"I am just very focused on the next week, because this is still an election where we have to fight for every vote and every seat," he said.
Brown pledged to fight on.
"The time for debates is finished, the time for decision has begun," he told supporters on a campaign stop in central England. "We will continue to fight for the future of this country until the very last second of this election campaign."
Overnight viewing figures showed that 8 million people watched Thursday's debate, just down from figures for the first debate two weeks ago and double the audience for the last showdown on April 22. The debates have set the campaign alight, offering the element of unpredictability in a country where the race is usually a showdown between the two heavyweights -- Labour and Conservative.
The once heavily favored Cameron was surprisingly eclipsed after the first debate, when Clegg rocketed into contention with his affable and straightforward style. It seemed more likely no party would win a clear parliamentary majority, with Clegg becoming a sought-after partner in a possible coalition.
Britain faces mammoth economic troubles with the one of the largest deficits in Europe -- a 152.8-billion-pound (US$235.9 billion) sum racked up during the global financial crisis.
The final debate did little to explain details of economic recovery plans, but Brown and Cameron repeatedly traded blows over tax and potential cuts to welfare.
"What you are hearing is desperate stuff from someone who's in a desperate state," Cameron said of Brown. In response, Brown accused his rival of plans that were "simply unfair and immoral," referring to Cameron's proposed cuts and tax plans.
The 43-year-old Tory chief brimmed with the relaxed confidence that has characterized his exchanges in Parliament, flattening Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the subject the Labour leader has long considered his forte -- the economy. The 59-year-old Brown seemed drawn and tired, still reeling from the furor that resulted when he inadvertently broadcast remarks describing a retired woman as a bigot for her views on immigration.
Political wunderkind Nick Clegg, whose stellar performance in the first of the three debates catapulted his Liberal Democrats into contention, held his own and remained the wild card in the most volatile election in decades.
Clegg came out swinging yesterday, declaring that the race was now between his party and the Tories.
With polls still suggesting that no party may win the election outright, Cameron cautioned supporters not to be overconfident.
"I am just very focused on the next week, because this is still an election where we have to fight for every vote and every seat," he said.
Brown pledged to fight on.
"The time for debates is finished, the time for decision has begun," he told supporters on a campaign stop in central England. "We will continue to fight for the future of this country until the very last second of this election campaign."
Overnight viewing figures showed that 8 million people watched Thursday's debate, just down from figures for the first debate two weeks ago and double the audience for the last showdown on April 22. The debates have set the campaign alight, offering the element of unpredictability in a country where the race is usually a showdown between the two heavyweights -- Labour and Conservative.
The once heavily favored Cameron was surprisingly eclipsed after the first debate, when Clegg rocketed into contention with his affable and straightforward style. It seemed more likely no party would win a clear parliamentary majority, with Clegg becoming a sought-after partner in a possible coalition.
Britain faces mammoth economic troubles with the one of the largest deficits in Europe -- a 152.8-billion-pound (US$235.9 billion) sum racked up during the global financial crisis.
The final debate did little to explain details of economic recovery plans, but Brown and Cameron repeatedly traded blows over tax and potential cuts to welfare.
"What you are hearing is desperate stuff from someone who's in a desperate state," Cameron said of Brown. In response, Brown accused his rival of plans that were "simply unfair and immoral," referring to Cameron's proposed cuts and tax plans.
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