CRI听力: LibDem Support Jumps after Historic TV Debate

Support for Britain's third biggest party, the Liberal Democrats, has jumped after a historic TV debate in the run-up to the general election in May. As our London correspondent Tu Yun reports, the battle of the campaign begins to heat up.



The Liberal Democrats have long been regarded as outside the UK's political mainstream. But its leader Nick Clegg is doing what he can to try to change the status-quo.

"You are gonna be told tonight by these two the only choice you can make is between two old parties who've been running things for years. I'm here that there is an alternative."

On Thursday, Clegg locked horns with the two other main candidates on Thursday for the first of three televised politcal debates, which included Labor Party Leader Gordon Brown.

"We'll protect your police, your national health service, and we will protect your schools. I know what this job involves. I look forward to putting my plan to you this evening."

And Conservative leader David Cameron...

"Not everything Labour has done in the last thirteen years has been wrong. They've done some good thins and I will keep those. But we need change. And it's that change I want to help to lead."

The issues in the first debated included the government deficit, law and order, and reestablishing the credibility of Members of Parliament after the expense scandal.

And after a 90-minute battle of words, Lib Dems' Clegg garnered the approval of more than half of an estimated 10 million Britons who watched the debate.

Over the weekend, support for the Liberal Democrats jumped about 10 points in polls by research firms including YouGov and ICM to nearly 30 percent, putting the party virtually at par with Labor's numbers. Meanwhile, support for the Conservatives has dropped to below 35 percent from the nearly 40 percent support it held prior to the TV debate.

Professor Patrick Dunleavy from the London School of Economics and Political Science suggests the inclusion of the Liberal Democrats into the TV debates is working not only in favor for Clegg's party, but for Labor as well.(www.hXen.com)

"Gordon Brown has not been very well as the Prime Minister. He's been the underdog in the current election. David Cameron's the person everybody is looking to see winning. He wanted to take the debates to try and take the shine off David Cameron. But he arranged the leader of Liberal Democrats to be included because he's younger, he's less well know. More Liberal Democrat voters may come from the Conservatives."

There are two more televised debates planned among the 3 party leaders.

Tu Yun, CRI news, London.