The Conservative leader took questions from an invited audience during a debate here at the MEN building this lunch-time.
The topics covered were wide-ranging – getting people off benefits, the future of regional development agencies and what to do to address the current financial system among them.
On the subject of benefits, Mr Cameron said there would be reform of the system, especially incapacity benefit, saying: “People are more likely to die on incapacity benefit than come off it. We need a system which says if you can work, you should work. If we gave those peopel help, encouragement, and the necessary stick, we wouldn’t have that problem” he added that the State isn’t always very good at dealing with individual people.
When asked about his view of keeping the pound (£) he was equally forthright giving a simple “yes” answer – for as long as he is leader (or PM).
You can get a flavour of the debate via the three clips below or recap on the live commentary here. Further analysis of the debate will also be blogged by David Ottewell as well as screened on Channel M tonight (5pm) and in the MEN print editions tomorrow.
See here for some of the audience’s hopes from Mr Cameron which I captured before the debate began.
Dim Sum Digital 