The Third Debate - Cameron probably edges it ahead of another strong Clegg performance

Well despite Mandelson's spinning, it is clear that Gordon Brown failed to break out of the rut he is in and lost the third debate.

I felt Cameron had his best performance so far and probably edged ahead of Clegg this time, but I was pleased with Nick Clegg's performance overall and across the three debates, Clegg was the main winner, Cameron did himself no harm, and Brown did himself no good.

What will this do to the polls ? I expect it to confirm a further drop in Labour support, especially with ITV running a poll this evening showing that 40% of people who were planning to vote Labour were not so sure now.

No outright winner from tonight's debate.

Tonight's Prime Ministerial debate appears to have given no leader an outright win like last week.

YouGov had the results as Cameron 36%, Clegg 32% and Brown 28%.

ComRes had Clegg: 33%,  Brown: 30% and Cameron: 30%

Whilst Angus Reid have (in what is still a live poll) Clegg 35%, Cameron 32% and Brown 23%

So given the fact that there are three polls, guess which one the Rupert Murdoch owned Sky News are reporting ?

Yes, the YouGov poll paid for by The Sun.

I felt the debate was nowhere near as well run as last week. Sky seemed to abandon the remit which was that this debate was on foreign policy and Europe (why there was a question about The Pope was in this section is a mystery).

Adam Boulton kept interrupting Nick Clegg and started asking his own questions about The Telegraph headline today, which was outrageous.

Nick Clegg wins the first debate

An ITV poll of 4000 voters has Nick Clegg as the clear winner of the first debate.

All I can say is well done Nick. He was great, confident, relaxed and had the best body language throughout.

The figures are

Sun/YouGov poll result - Clegg on 51%, Cameron 29%, Brown 19%


ITV poll - Clegg 43%, Cameron 26%, Brown 20%
I am so pleased.

Prime Ministerial Debates will be good for democracy

It is good news for the electors and for democracy that Prime Ministerial debates have been agreed between the Lib Dems, Labour and the Conservatives with the BBC, Sky and ITV. However, I fail to understand why the SNP cannot accept why they will not be taking part.

The SNP is not standing throughout the whole of the UK and their leader could never be Prime Minister. So for them to moan about not being involved is just plain stupid.

I wrote a few months ago how the Cornish Nationalists could similarly moan about being excluded from the Prime Ministerial debates if they wanted to be childish, but unlike the SNP, the Cornish Nationalists seem to have a more mature attitude.