Cameron versus Brown on ITV1

ITV1's Sunday Edition programme won something of a coup this morning when they secured campaign trail interviews with both David Cameron and Gordon Brown.  Below are some observations from the interviews but they will probably be remembered for Gordon Brown's clear indication that he has no indication of calling an early General Election.

Location, location, location: DC was interviewed on a farm; GB on a train.  The train location meant that GB kept being shrouded in black as his carriage passed through a tunnel.  He turned in a lo-energy performance compared to David Cameron's engaged and charismatic interview.

Thursday's elections: DC was pressed again and again on winning in the north.  He emphasised his hope for progress in Greater Manchester, Bolton and Bury.  He said that the Tories were putting up more candidates than Labour in the North West and Yorkshire.  Introduced by Andrew Rawnsley as Britain's next Prime Minister GB conceded that Thursday's results would partly be a judgment on his performance.

Party change: DC (paraphrasing): 'I've put Tories back in the centre ground by reforming candidate selection, changing the Tory position on NHS opt-outs and putting the environment at the heart of the party's agenda although the necessary changes I have made are not on the scale that was necessary for Labour. I have a big idea - social responsibility.  I've never had a grand plan to become Prime Minister from when I was at school.  Greg Dyke would have been a good mayor and the LibDems had suffered "a failure of imagination" on the issue.  GB gave little clue as to how his leadership would be different from Tony Blair.  He said that Labour had achieved much in the last ten years - the end of stop-go and investment in public services being the highlights - and now needed to tackle today's challenges.

Main line of questioning: DC was mainly asked about the environment and said that conservation is a central part of Conservatism.  Six out of the top ten councils for recycling are Tory - none are controlled by the LibDems or Labour.  I "bitterly regret" the fact that my government car followed my bike - it will never happen again, he said.  Without Conservative campaigning there would not have been a Climate Change Bill in this current parliamentary session.  GB was mainly asked about the NHS.  People who use the NHS do think it is getting better, the Chancellor said, and voters won't support the Tories when they see that David Cameron won't match Labour spending.

The biggest challenges: The big question in today's politics is the breakdown of society said DC.  Security and terrorism, global economic competition and climate change were today's great challenges said GB.  On security he said that more needed to be done to win 'hearts and minds' - in order to separate the extremists from the moderate mainstream. This is a battle primarily within religions, he continued, not between religions.

An early General Election: David Cameron said that the Conservative Party was ready for a General Election if Gordon Brown called one this year.  He said that policies on police reform, in favour of marriage and on the environment meant that the Tories were ready.  GB says the Labour Party was elected for a full term.  Throughout British history Prime Ministers have taken over in the middle of parliaments and David Cameron did not call for an immediate election when John Major took over from Margaret Thatcher.

Comments

[chrisblore]

The issue about Blair is not the same as that over Thatcher. He promised us he would serve a full third term. It would appear that he will not, adding yet another lie to his catalogue. It is for that reason that an election should be called when he leaves, in my opinion.

[Richard]

For a second there I thought you meant they were going head to head on live tv. Now that would be worth watching!

[VOTE FREEDOM]

Thwy are both liars and that is why more and more people are voting BNP to save this country.

[David Belchamber]

If Brown is promising to continue implementing Blair's policies, then the electorate already know what they are in for and an early election is unnecessary.
However, as Brown has appeared to be at loggerheads with Blair for most of the last ten years (except for being best friends for a couple of weeks or so just before general elections), it appears very likely that he will produce a very different manisfesto, about which the electorate should have a say.

[Umbrella man]

I would have agreed with David Cameron ten, even five, years ago that social breakdown was our biggest challenge. I would put terrorism and nuclear proliferation at the top of my list now.

[Richard]

"Thwy are both liars and that is why more and more people are voting BNP to save this country."

And why should us Tories vote for a party that has been telling Labour voters "The BNP are the Labour Party your grandparents voted for"?

[Jonathan]

So why aren't I more stirred.
The leader of my Party has laid out his stall and issued a clarion cry for support. Look what great changes he will achieve once he is elected to office - look what will change
Europe - No
Taxes - No
English Parliament - No
Death Duties - No
Pension Theft - No
Hospital funding - No
Education dumbing down - No
Immigration - No

So why aren't I more stirrezzzzz?

[malcolm]

No idea Jonathan. Why aren't you mre 'stirrezzzz'. It sounds pretty bad to me!

[Peter Hatchet]

"Gordon Brown's clear indication that he has no indication of calling an early General Election."

This is no surprise to me at all.

Gordon Brown - despite his huge ego - clearly suffers from chronic insecurity and regular pangs of self-doubt.

He fears rejection by the electorate, very deeply.

He is not as confident as people believe him to be. And I do not expect him to be as bold in government as some (think) he will be.

It will be interesting to see what moves he tries to make to try and "break" a change when he takes over - his options are very limited.