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24/02/2010

Michael Buerk chairs a debate on the moral questions behind the week's news. Melanie Phillips, Michael Portillo, Clifford Longley and Kenan Malik cross-examine witnesses.

How much should the personality of our leaders influence our vote? Politics has always been about making a connection with the voter, but with the prime minister and party leaders giving increasingly personal interviews and a US presidential-style TV debate on the cards, is politics turning into the X Factor? Have spin doctors destroyed politics or are we part of the problem? Are we increasingly unwilling to devote the time and intellect, to engage fully with political debate and the tough moral and ethical choices that poses?

Witnesses:

George Pascoe Watson, former political editor of The Sun, now partner at Portland Public Relations.

Mark Vernon, co-editor Citizen Ethics

Iain Dale, political blogger

Mehdi Hasan, senior editor The New Statesman.

45 minutes

Last on

Sat 27 Feb 2010 22:15

Broadcasts

  • Wed 24 Feb 2010 20:00
  • Sat 27 Feb 2010 22:15

The Evidence Toolkit

The Evidence Toolkit

Check out the claims made in news stories with this interactive tool.

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