The Dilemma
So Mr Brown, Mr Cameron, tell us - how do you deal with the big pants dilemma?
Hang on, you know you've got a big problem to solve here in the shape of a Mr Clegg but you've never heard it described in those terms?
Before I explain, a thought that will do nothing to cheer the three of you up. As posted yesterday and is suddenly - but glaringly - obvious to anyone watching this campaign, time is fast running out for you to combat the surge in Lib Dem popularity. Yes, election day is a fortnight and a bit away but as James Macintyre points out here on the New Statesman blog, time's running out rather faster than that.
If some three million people vote by post and if, as has become the norm, around half return their voting forms early, then they could be in the post very soon. How many of those will reflect the current can't-get-enough-of-Clegg mood?
But back to those big pants. Bridget Jones fans will know what I'm getting at but to all others, stick with me here.
The dilemma, as spelled out in her diary, is this: to get a date with the man of your dreams, your chances are much enhanced if you wear big pants - big, ugly, unforgiving pants. However once you've got where you wanted to be - in his arms - then you wish you hadn't gone down the big, ugly, unforgiving route at all. By then though, it's too late and in your heart you know that if you hadn't gone the big pants route, you wouldn't be where you wanted to be at all.
See now? Big pants can be a necessary evil but make life a whole lot more difficult further down the line.
So Mr Cameron, Mr Brown - do you go down the big, ugly, unforgiving route now? Do you go on the attack against Mr Clegg, try to tear his every utterance and his policy statements apart in the hope that that gets you to where you want to be - winning more seats than the other one? And then, of course, it looks like your date will be Mr Clegg, whose party might not be so keen to talk to the leader who went down route of ugly, grim necessity?
Meanwhile Mr Jones is taking the fight to Ofcom. Having seen last night's YouGov/ITV Wales poll result Plaid Cymru have written to the broadcasting regulator to complain that their exclusion from last Thursday's Prime Ministerial debate on ITV was in breach of the Broadcasting Code. I quote:
"Whilst until now, we relied upon anecdotal evidence to confirm the view that this debate would influence the outcome of the election, we now have hard facts in the form of an opinion poll which shows a spectacular rise for the Liberal Democrats".
Plaid and the SNP are expected to meet with the BBC Trust in the next week to argue their case for involvement in the BBC debate scheduled for April 29.
Meanwhile: Mr Brown, Mr Hain, Mr Cameron, Mrs Gillan - your move.
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~47~RS~)
Comments
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Some of us like change and some don't. The conservatives (small and big c) among us will stick to what we know come Thursday 6th May: business as usual, no change there, you might say.
Chances are in this election that most people have already decided how they are voting, and the latest Welsh poll results will be pretty much reflected in the Westminster outcome on the 7th. So, now it's time to think what next, stabalising the Welsh economy for the long haul? My guess is we'll see a divide between those 'realists' with their feet on the ground of Wales and the more reckless opportunists who see Wales as just another place to be exploited, both people and place.
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The debates are a big mistake.
They have turned the election into X-Factor, great if you get a Leona Lewis but not if you get a Steve Brookstein, Leon Jackson or Shayne Ward (Remember they ALL WON x-Factor!)
Nick Clegg is the standing as the party of change, aka the Conservatives and Labour. So as everyone is for standing for change lets stop looking at their faces, hands, style etc. and start looking at their policies.
If Nick Clegg's policies are not popular ( which polls show is the case ) why is style winning the day? Stop this Nick is a breath of fresh air rubbish and start talking about the policies.
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Well, obviously Nick Clegg has stirred up something good, for us in Wales as well as the rest of Britain. What really makes me sick is to see Plaid making a song and dance about being on the debate. Even in Wales their support pre-debate was only a paltry 14% (post-debate 9%). Since Wales represents only a 20th of the UK population, it would be a travesty to allow them anywhere near the national UK debate. I think the Welsh electorates attitude to Plaid was made quite clear in the European elections. Even as a protest vote, UKIP was preferable to Plaid. Plaid should realise that everytime they winge on like this, they will just turn off more and more voters.
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Have you updated the picture of the pants. I thought they were brown this afternoon ? A more appropriate colour perhaps and more in keeping with Bridget Jones' pants
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'Plaid and the SNP are expected to meet with the BBC Trust in the next week to argue their case for involvement in the BBC debate scheduled for April 29.'
I agree that both parties have been unfairly treated. The level of their electoral success deserves proportional exposure in their respective nations. The problem is that the three unionist parties have a grossly disproportionate exposure in Wales and Scotland in comparison to Plaid/SNP. The Tories hold only one Westminster seat in Scotland, yet Cameron is seen on every news bulletin in that country. That can't be fair, or democratic. There is no level playing field.
Its a difficult problem to address given the pig's ear of the devolution mish-mash which Labour has created.
Possibly the best solution, although maybe impractical, would be to not broadcast the unionist debates in Wales and Scotland, and to hold separate ones in those countries, featuring Brown, Cameron, Clegg, Salmond and Jones. That still wouldn't resolve the inbalance in news and current affairs programmes broadcast throughout the UK.
One caveat. Its one thing to achieve parity in coverage/exposure, its another to persuade voters. Capable and charismatic leaders are essential, else more harm than good could ensue. A poor performance can lose votes. I'm sure Alex Salmond could more than hold his own.
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#5
Well Bryn, even in Wales Plaid support in the westminster elections is insignificant: currently 10% if the polls are accurate. You may not have noticed, but Wales (and Scotland) are still part of the UK: we still have a common foreign policy, policing etc. Most Welsh people are keenly interested in the UK political scene and would not want the sort of paternalistic censorship you seem to be suggesting of not broadcasting the UK debate.
Even in a Wales-only debate, it is a moot point whether Plaid should be represented: if there are three in the debate, then certainly not. If there are 4, then probably yes. The Plaid (and SNP) leaders are not on the same footing as Cameron and Brown (who lead their parties in the whole UK): as in the ITV debate last night, they should be having the debate with the respective leaders of the Welsh conservative, labour and liberal democrat leaders.
It is up to Plaid to persuade voters by arguing and putting forward policies that Welsh people support. The Welsh population has repeatedly rejected what Plaid has to offer. I trust they will have the common sense to do so again in the coming election.
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