Farage v Clegg
I watched the Nigel Farage versus Nick Clegg debate over membership of the EU on BBC2 last night (I missed their first one). Clegg had instigated these debates and I was expecting a clear message from him regarding the benefits that the UK derives from being part of an EU political entity. However, this message was not clear to me.
Clegg cited a House of Commons statistic that only 7% of UK laws come from the EU and then qualified his statement, saying he meant 7% of primary legislation and 14% of secondary legislation. (He did not define those terms.) He also implied it was a greater percentage of tertiary etc legislation. Farage claimed the real figure was over 50%. Is this figure so hard to quantify?
Clegg believes that in 10 years' time, Europe will be much the same as now. I thought that he should have been more positive or at least said three really good things about the EU now. He didn't answer the question about how our infrastructure would cope with significantly higher immigration from Europe.
Farage won the debate because he articulated his views clearly. Clegg made too many personal remarks, repeated himself and his intonation was grating. They both waved their hands too much.
My regret is that Spitting Image is no more. Remember the two Davids? I'd love to see a Cameron/Clegg spoof along those lines!
posted by Whispering Walls at 10:42 am
4 Comments:
Perhaps, rather like the independence debate in Scotland, it is easier to talk about the supposed benefits of separation rather than the tangible benefits of marriage ? As for saying three good things about the Eu, I'd have settled for one - jobs.
Hi Angus - EU unemployment is 10.6% so he couldn't really say jobs.
Farage will always win any debate set up along the lines of last night. Apart from the fact that Clegg is perceived as a conniving, coat-turning, manifesto ditching member of the establishment and a politician as well, Farage is seen as anti-establishment, "change" ( like Bepe Grillo)
Of course, whether that will eventually translate into anything resembling power is entirely another matter - but I have said since 2010 that if the Tories are to win next time, there has to be something done to draw the poison that is UKIP. An in/out referendum when it was promised before would have done the trick - now it is too late.
Vale Cleggers!
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