http://bracknellblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/david-cameron-direct-in-reading.html

Thanks fot the Links to Nick Clegg’s visit. Interesting reading the thought that we are going into recession back then

Whatever happened to “Let sunshine win the day?”!

I asked the first question(s) about his changed stance on drugs policy and he did not really answer it. I wanted to know why he had changed his mind and instead he talked about the “message” that drugs policy should send out. I expected he would have his pre-prepared response for this but it is disappointing when politicians do not properly answer questions and I felt this was the case with quite a lot of his responses.

I tend to think we did learn something in the way he was evasive and utterly insubstantial on various matters. For that is the way he wants to work – we have to research the Tories ourselves if we want to be better informed about their intentions.

I apologise if I was too differential. I wasn’t there to either praise him or talk my way onto the local news in some way by some kind of frontal assault. But his answer spoke volumes, confirming Obama’s “lightweight” assessment of him.

Thanks for your thoughts. I see your point about the “elevator pitch”, but to me it felt like that was his best chance to sum up what he’d do differently. If I’m honest, I came away thinking that if the next few years are going to be tough whatever, then what’s the point in voting at all?

As for the Labour activists, well, I was given a leaflet by a chap I later realised was Naz Sarkar, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Reading West. It had a list of questions to ask Cameron on it. I’ll dig it out later.

As protests go, it’s fair to say it wasn’t exactly high profile…

Cheers,

John.

Pretty much agree with your thoughts about the session. Although I do think the “elevator pitch” question is a no-win for any politician, particularly in tough times. Realism is depressing, yet we claim to want political honesty? And regardless of what caveats are made, any hint of a plan will be treated as a firm commitment by the media. Tricky!

Glad I made the effort to go, despite feeling ill yesterday. Definitely the kind of thing we want to see more of from politicians!

Oh – according to one article there were Labour activists handing out leaflets outside who claimed they weren’t allowed in. Did anyone else see them? I certainly didn’t…

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/articles/1/5981/

Good point- apparently he visited Reading in 2008:

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2037401_chance_to_meet_lib_dem_boss

Good on him. Not sure how I missed that.

To me, 1997 felt like an amazing moment of new hope, although Labour haven’t been a complete success of course. 2010 feels like the start of a number of years under a government I have nothing in common with and disagree with about almost everything. Bad times ahead…