Please Answer The Question...

By TOMMY HOLGATE

Hust good friends . . . political rivals have verbally slugged it out for yonks [pic: election.demon.co.uk]

I attended my first live political debate last Friday night. 

It felt like a particularly tee-total way to enjoy the arrival of one's 30th birthday.

But satisfying, nonetheless.

There were four candidates on the panel - Green, Conservative, Labour and Ukip.

I don't ever want to pick on individuals during this political period, but some observations I made from the event - by way of a 'personal do & don't list' - are as follows:

- Answer the question(!)

Over 70 questions had been submitted to the event (organised by campaign group 38 Degrees) from which 10 were chosen to be put forward. The candidates received the questions the day before, so had time to construct well-thought responses.

Half the time, however, the key words of the questions were overlooked. Such as 'What/how'. 

Instead of detailing plans for what we can do to improve situations and how to go about doing it, responses came across as though they were answering the question 'What do you think about said topic?' or 'Please, tell us more about which government inherited which mess from which government over the past 3 decades'.

- Don't have one hand in one pocket(!)

Nigel Mills, Conservative MP famed for getting caught playing Candy Crush in the House of Commons, could barely look anybody in the eye [fair play to him for attending as it was organised by a campaign group who would always be against his ideas] and had one hand in his pocket like a disinterested schoolchild.

- No personal or party digs

On the odd occasion, that old fashioned 'Labour-Tory' chat resurface, as alluded to above. The talk of which government inherited what is boring.

- Look people in the eye

Something crucial to good public speaking. I had to close my eyes or look at the floor when Nigel Mills was talking as his unease was too uncomfortable to deal with.

Still, fair play to him.

- Respond to the person asking the question

I like to think of there being five 'people' present.

There is the asker, the listeners, the candidates, the host, and I.

Then it reduces the event to a little chat round a table and all is well.

I'm saying all this and I've not even sat on a panel yet.

A political panel that is. I once sat on a wooden panel in between two old railway sleepers that was a customised garden bench during Euro 96.

Simpler times.

Speaking of wooden panels, I've heard people say: 

"Hoping for honesty prevailing in the House of Commons 

is like banging your head against a 2x4."

I know, let's do something about it.

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