Jeremy Clarkson calls Gordon Brown a c**t...

[max_tranmere]

Lots of interesting comments there. One this question of weather we vote in parties or the leaders of that party, then I suppose technically we vote in the party but people make their choice on which party to vote for based on its leader. For those people thinking of voting Conservative next year, a lot of their decision will be based on David Cameron, what he is like, and weather he will do a good job. People will look at weather he is centre-right, mid-right, or whatever, and then decide. People will look at whether he will be able to cope well under pressure and be able to quell any near mutinies in his party (like Harold Macmillan was good at doing for example) and they may be less inclined to vote Tory if Cameron seemed like someone who could NOT stop a mutiny within the party (like John Major for example). So it is all largely based on the leader. If it wasnt then we may aswell have Cameron as leader right up until the next election, say the Tories win, then he might as well resign 7 days later and ANYONE from within the Tory ranks takes over. That would be crazy. Of course people vote for a party based on its leader. There are people in the Labour party now who want to get rid of Brown as he is an election liablity. But if the leader was irrelevant and it was only about the party then that wouldnt matter because whoever led the party wouldnt matter for anything and it would be only the party that people look at. Therefore you may aswell just give the job to one of the cleaners at the Labour party offices and they could run it. Of course it is about the leader!! Also, look at terms like Thatcherism, Blairism, and so on. If the political ethos and direction of the leader didnt matter, then it would be Conservatism or Labourism - but people view how things went for a certain political period based on the thinking and political stance of the person who ran the party and the government at that time - not just on the party in general.

[WigBilly]

Errrrrr...yes. Clarkson calling Brown a c**t is simply the pot calling the kettle black, end of.

[Sam Slater]

So you base your vote on how you feel about one man/woman and not about party policies?

So if you're a Cameron man you'd vote Labour if he defected?

[max_tranmere]

Sam, I base my vote on the policies of the leader because that means the policies of the party. If Cameron jumped-ship I would assess his replacement and see whether I like his/her policies and ability. The snag when they change horses mid-race is you just have to endure the new person and you don't get the opportunity to have your say.

[Sam Slater]

So you'd vote for Cameron if he joined the Labour party as long as his policies didn't change?

[max_tranmere]

Yes, because it would then be the Conservative Party.