It’s all coming to a head as party leaders Gordon Brown (Labour), Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats) and David Cameron (Conservatives) complete the last of the three televised election debate. Hosted on the BBC as a part of a series of three televised election debates for 2010, the final debate saw all three trading blows fiercely, leaving the election outcome wide open.
The overarching theme of the debate was the economy and while it’s been a tough few years for the UK, you’ve got to ask yourself the question is now the time to rock the boat. David Cameron would certainly be in favour of this and Nick Clegg is probably just looking for a chance to get his hand on the wheel for a bit, but overall, Gordon Brown is the economical heavyweight of the three having been the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his previous role.
The battle on immigration was probably the most interesting with Clegg coming under fire from both Brown and Cameron for his amnesty on illegal immigrants. However, his points on the fact that illegal immigrants and the criminal exploitation of illegal immigrants are a reality of life in the UK, so they shouldn’t be swept under the carpet. David Cameron’s alternative, the cap on immigration, was also met with dual pronged backlash from Clegg and Brown who both highlighted the stupidity of the idea and the reality that is would not impact EU immigration.
In terms of the economy, perhaps the biggest decision is whether or not to buy into David Cameron’s economical stance on public spending; initiating cuts to shore up the deficit. However, both Brown and Clegg criticised taking money out of the economy at such a crucial time in the economic recovery in the UK. Another point that came under fire from both apposing sides was Cameron’s proposal to cut local development agencies’ wings, potentially leaving businesses without the support needed to continue a strong recovery from the global recession.
With only a matter of days to go now for the election, the reality is that the debates haven’t necessarily seen one leader outstrip the others convincingly, leaving the potential for a hung parliament a distinct reality. The big question is which side of the fence will the party alliance fall.
