The Leader's Debate - Performance Improvement Tips

Advice for DC.

What to keep doing. What to stop doing. 3 simple points in order of priority.

Keep Doing:

Avoid watching other questioners answering questions - it made Clegg look like he was looking to DC for answers at one point.

Look statesmanlike. Stance and Poise was Great.

Address Audience directly.

Stop Doing:

Drop the 'we' when talking about what the government has being doing. Use 'they'! Very important not to sound like the mistakes of government are your fault! - this was a repeated issue throughout. (No1 criticism).

Long pre-amble when answering question. Good for empathy but cut down a little otherwise insufficient time to deliver a real answer.

Letting Clegg get away with hijacking 'Change' positioning. Exploit Cleggs inexperienced look.

General Observations.


DC did well. Ran Clegg reasonably close. The horse has bolted as far as Clegg is concerned. He now has the exposure. DC notably did not interrupt or talk-over anyone in the debate. He was courteous. I am in 2 minds about this? Should he challenge more?

It's now a 3 party system. So DC needs to really rise above the other 2 in a much bigger way or a majority looks unlikely.

Why not use the debates to announce some new policy? That would really throw the opposition and knock them sideways. Perhaps a tactic to save for the last debate?