All UK party leaders to debate tonight, except May who refuses to attend and sends Rudd instead - Polidicks

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-40105324[/url] [quote]Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says he will take part in a seven-way BBC general election debate later. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, UKIP's Paul Nuttall, SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson, Green co-leader Caroline Lucas and Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood will take part. Theresa May has refused to take part in any debates, so Home Secretary Amber Rudd will be representing the Tories. Labour had said that Mr Corbyn would not take part unless Mrs May was there.[/quote]

This must be a complete embarrassment for the Tories, but I'm guessing they're going to go with the line that Corbyn is dishonest because he turned up. [editline]31st May 2017[/editline] And idiots will believe it.

Isn't Rudd the weird one that went against May in the Prime Minister election last year? I remember her being a moron.

Cowardly bitch.

[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;52295182]Isn't Rudd the weird one that went against May in the Prime Minister election last year? I remember her being a moron.[/QUOTE] Nah that was Andrea Leadsom [editline]31st May 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=DogGunn;52295175]This must be a complete embarrassment for the Tories, but I'm guessing they're going to go with the line that Corbyn is dishonest because he turned up. [editline]31st May 2017[/editline] And idiots will believe it.[/QUOTE] She probably hopes she will appear "above" all of the other bickering parties - strong and stable. We need to get to a point where it's not politically tenable to refuse these debates, and where they have a clear structure around who gets to participate/how many debates there are/etc

Imagine knowing your platform is so fucking shit you're too cowardly to actually debate about it. Jesus Christ.

I see May is being a strong leader as usual \s

funny thing is, the tories probably realize that sending may would do more damage to them because she's that shit a speaker

I hope they ignore Rudd because she's not the Conservative leader, as a way of really digging it in that May is fairly shit. [editline]31st May 2017[/editline] I hope they ignore Rudd because she's not the Conservative leader, as a way of really digging it in that May is fairly shit.

I'm not usually one for the whole "grrrr we need a [b]strong[/b] leader to arm-wrestle Putin and make my country look macho af!!" mentality, but I just can't imagine voting for someone that's too scared to show up for a bloody debate. I used to think that it was just the usual Tory scummy cynicism, as opposed to May being genuinely too scared to debate Corbyn. They seem like the kind of party that would win a one-on-one death-match in an FPS by picking the biggest map possible, getting a single frag, and then playing hide and seek until the time limit ran out. Why entertain any notion of fair play when you can just lay low, and scum your way to a win? But now they actually will debate, but they wont send their actual leader because she's too fucking useless? And this is who Conservatives want negotiating with the various heads of EU nations during Brexit?.

Corbyn has dropped the mic by going though, it is a very shrewd political move because Theresa May is between a rock and a hard place - if she goes it looks like she is caving into pressure from Jeremy Corbyn whereas if she stays away it looks like she is avoiding scrutiny. Though I think Theresa May staying away is the best move for her - if she turned up now it would further undermine her 'not for turning' image and would only open her up to further risks. Really pedantic note: the title not technically true - Nicola Stugeon of the SNP won't be there (Angus Robertson will be going instead) and Caroline Lucas is co-leader of the Greens. [QUOTE=BlackMageMari;52295210]I hope they ignore Rudd because she's not the Conservative leader, as a way of really digging it in that May is fairly shit. [/QUOTE] That wouldn't really work: see my pedantic note above.

Very good call from Corbyn after Paxman. Now is the time to get him out there, not hide him behind the manifesto.

Also: not gunna lie, but Amber Rudd is probably a better debater than Theresa May so it makes sense to send her instead of TM.

I understand that she's not showing up because she's terrified, has shitty policies and is a shit speaker but what was the official reason, if any, given by May for the no-show?

Let us hope that her no-show makes some people less confident in voting for her.

[QUOTE=Zoombini;52295550]I understand that she's not showing up because she's terrified, has shitty policies and is a shit speaker but what was the official reason, if any, given by May for the no-show?[/QUOTE] [quote=Theresa May]Theresa May has defended her absence from this evening's TV general election debate, saying she is taking questions "up and round the country" instead.[/quote] nothing new, just the usual transparent lies

I think May deserves some sort of award for managing to fuck things up so badly. I still think the Tories will win, but she has managed to wipe away her clear lead by taking the voters for granted and sheer incompetence. This is just the icing on the cake.

[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;52295645]nothing new, just the usual transparent lies[/QUOTE] There really needs to be a force in the universe that strikes out at those kinds of transparent lies. Like if someone tries to lie about something that is plain to see, a shoe materializes out of fucking nowhere and hits them on the head. No-one would need to even do anything, the universe itself would just be so appalled that it would break the laws of physics just to punish an insult to humanity's intelligence.

[QUOTE=Mythman;52295464] Nicola Stugeon of the SNP won't be there (Angus Robertson will be going instead) and Caroline Lucas is co-leader of the Greens. That wouldn't really work: see my pedantic note above.[/QUOTE] Why is Stugeon not going? Surely she'd realise this would be a good kick up the ass for May too.

[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;52295703]Why is Stugeon not going? Surely she'd realise this would be a good kick up the ass for May too.[/QUOTE] Robertson is the Leader of the SNP in Westminster, so it makes sense that he at least gets some time in the spotlight. Personally I don't mind some new faces on the debate floor.

[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;52295703]Why is Stugeon not going? Surely she'd realise this would be a good kick up the ass for May too.[/QUOTE] Haven't checked, but while Sturgeon is party leader, she's in the Scottish Parliament and isn't standing in the general election, so it arguably makes more sense for Angus Robertson to do the debate as he is their leader in the House of Commons

My staunch conservative mother and libdem sister are slowly coming round to Corbyn. There's a mood shift occurring.

[QUOTE=David29;52295672]I think May deserves some sort of award for managing to fuck things up so badly. I still think the Tories will win, but she has managed to wipe away her clear lead by taking the voters for granted and sheer incompetence. This is just the icing on the cake.[/QUOTE] I guess the real question is what happens if she barely wins. Is she disgraced? Does Corbyn resign? It's a reversal of the narrative of Corbyn being an absolute disaster but not enough of a reversal for Corbyn to be PM.

[QUOTE=SuperLoz;52295810]My staunch conservative mother and libdem sister are slowly coming round to Corbyn. There's a mood shift occurring.[/QUOTE] Any tips? My Nazi mother (sounds like I'm being harsh, but she recently said "Britain should be for White British people) despises Corbyn simply because he "wants to help the benefits scroungers".. I wish I was joking

[QUOTE=person11;52295901]I guess the real question is what happens if she barely wins. Is she disgraced? Does Corbyn resign? It's a reversal of the narrative of Corbyn being an absolute disaster but not enough of a reversal for Corbyn to be PM.[/QUOTE] I think she's disgraced in either of those situations. I doubt Corbyn is going anywhere considering the recent surge in his popularity among voters, particularly younger ones. She called a snap election while everything was going in her party's favour, in a blatant attempt to consolidate power. Anything less than a massive increase in her party's standing means her gamble was a failure. And that would be twice in a row that the Tories called a vote they were sure would go their way only for it to blow up in their face.

[QUOTE=person11;52295901]I guess the real question is what happens if she barely wins. Is she disgraced? Does Corbyn resign? It's a reversal of the narrative of Corbyn being an absolute disaster but not enough of a reversal for Corbyn to be PM.[/QUOTE] She will be disgraced. There is already severe grumblings within the party about how things are going. I don't think Corbyn will resign. He will lose, but not by enough to give his opponents good ground to call for him to walk. This is frustrating, because I truly think that the only reason that Labour isn't miles ahead of the Tories is because of the Labour leadership.

basically nobody is happy right now it's crazy how everyone is doing worse than they should be at the same time

[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;52295645][QUOTE] Theresa May posted: Theresa May has defended her absence from this evening's TV general election debate, saying she is taking questions "up and round the country" instead.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE] literally no time for a two hour long session of taking questions from a wide-range of british citizens, so she sends amber chodd instead who has the charisma of a brick. she claims that she's the only one who can sit before 27 other countries and get us the best deal but she can't take the heat from 7 national parties, most of which don't even pose a threat to her majority. if she really is negotiation master surely she'd be able to just walk all over the opposition but NOPE, if she doesn't know the script, tizzle may no likey, better slink off elsewhere to avoid doing her job. absolute shambles of a prime minister

She said Corbyn is more concerned on the number of TV appearances he is making. Like... The One Show... and The Battle for Number 10? The same amount as she has made? Says he should be preparing for Brexit. Instead of what? Calling an election? Weak. Fucking weak. [url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/31/theresa-may-nhs-lies-bollocks-voting-labour-jeremy-corbyn?CMP=fb_gu]Here are some words from "bollocks" man.[/url]

[QUOTE=Grizz;52296168]She said Corbyn is more concerned on the number of TV appearances he is making. Like... The One Show... and The Battle for Number 10? The same amount as she has made? Says he should be preparing for Brexit. Instead of what? Calling an election? Weak. Fucking weak.[/QUOTE] BBC News at 6 cut off her very awkward moments during that interview. They made her response look a lot better than it actually was. In reality, she crumbled.