Yesterday’s political poser was:
The Swedish election of 1956 saw a political first. What was it?
The answer? This was the first election to feature a televised debate. Forget Kennedy, Nixon and 1960: it was the Swedes in 1956 who led the way.
Congratulations to Bernard Salmon for being first with the answer.
(By the way, the 1948 US Presidential election had a set of pre and post surveys to gauge why people voted the way they did, which is why Oranjepan’s and Toby were both wrong.)
I’ll search further in the recesses of history next time to try to fox you all…
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
From Norman settlement to a civic square
Northern Ireland debates the future of its railways in 1957
Church Green video
Thinking of standing for election or re-election next year? Helpful questions to consider
Peter Martin
expats
Alison C
Steve Trevethan
Kira Collins
4 Comments
Funnily enough I was reading about Swedish leaders’ debates the other day. They’ve already started the debates now when the election isn’t due until September, and they include the minor parties as well, so that involves five different people: http://www.thelocal.se/24714/20100201/. Although I suppose the difference between Sweden and the UK is that all of Sweden’s parties are national rather than any that are specific to a geographic area.
A-ha! I’ll give youth as my defence!
Have you got any info on how widely watched they were and how big an impact the debates had on the outcome?
Sorry, no
Presumably on the then new state broadcasting channel and funded by the new TV license?