...And the Telegraph Entertains

7 leaders answer 7 questions

6. Setting aside your differences, which one of your political rivals has impressed you most and why?

Natalie Bennett: It took some guts for Ed Miliband to stand up to Murdoch - most leaders wouldn’t have done that...

So looking for a seat (singular probably) in a Labour coalition are we Nat. ?

..., and David Cameron stood up to many in his own party on gay marriage.

Hedging yer bets much ?

Leanne Wood: Nicola Sturgeon. She is tenacious and determined and an advocate for her country.

Uh...

Nicola Sturgeon: Leanne Wood, the leader of Plaid Cymru – she was fantastic in the debates, quite rightly putting Nigel Farage in his place.

...huh.

7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

David Cameron: I wish I’d worked harder at speaking another language.

Sure, Dave.

Ed Miliband: I would always like to spend more time with my wife, Justine, and our children Daniel and Sam.

Uh, then why the hell are you campaigning to be PM ?

Nigel Farage: I'm too tolerant, sometimes. When it comes to loyalty, I often offer too much, even to people who have let me down repeatedly. Maybe I need to be more cutthroat.

And there's the headline...

Nick Clegg: I’d be Prime Minister.

No comment.

Just...Really ?

Wasn't intending to post anything else re: the debates, but just WTF is this from the Independent ?  I thought maybe someone would be harping on about the lack of handshakes for Farage (which did seem petty to me), but this ?  On the front page ?

So, the three female leaders on stage hugged apparently, not that I noticed.  If you want to read something into that as in say the three female leaders celebrating the historicity of the event, then sure, great.  It is cool to see more women coming to the fore in British politics.  But what, somehow Ed was crushed by not being invited to join the hug ?  And this is somehow symbolic of a crushing defeat for Ed in a debate in which the consensus seems to be that he at least met if not exceeded expectations ?  While the other contender to actually be prime minister didn't show up ?

Hey Matt Dathan, would you have hugged Ed on that stage ?  Didn't think so.  Think Nicola et al. would have hugged you in Ed's place ?  Didn't think so.  Is this significant of anything what-so-the-fuck-ever ?  Didn't think so.

Were you desperate to come up with some unique angle on the debate so you could get paid by the Independent and couldn't manage any better than this ?  Ah...thought so.