The Big Debate

So the first debate is out the way, and reaction is mixed. The clash between Brown, Cameron and Cleggy may have been somehwat stilted, with pre-arranged questions and dozens of match rules limiting the scope for ad lib and reaction, and the three protagonists threw pre-arranged attacks at each other.

On the other hand, it seemed a lot more real and honest than a Parliament's worth of PMQs and a book bin full of manifestoes. Consensus is that all three did ok, that Clegg was the star of the show and if anything Cameron underperformed.

That's as may be, but it misses the point. Stick Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank in the ring and it is obvious what's at stake - the first man to lay his opponent on hs back for more than ten seconds gets a nice new belt to wear. But Clegg, Brown and Cameron were all playing for different reasons.

Gordon Brown knows that there is, barring massive electoral fraud, no chance of Labour getting anything like a working majority, so his strategy was to undermine his principle opponent and woo his most likely coalition partner in the event of a hung Parliament. He stuck to the attack-Cameron-suck-up-to-Clegg strategy fairly consistently, if somewhat clunkingly, at times.

Clegg, by contrast, knows that Brown cannot do without him and so felt free to attack both Cameron and Brown for their parties' records. He knew that Brown would have to swallow the insult. It also gave the impression that the LibDems will be willing to deal with either party, which is a fiction given that he pretty well ruled out setting up shop with the Tories a few weeks ago. Apart from one dog-snapping-at-spaghetti moment, when he struggled to answer one point (about the economy, if I recall), he seemed full of vigour and vinegar.

Cameron knew that the election is his to lose - stick to the script and don't cock it up and he may squeak a Commons majority. Screw up and he lets Gordon back in as head of a LibLab coalition. So his strategy was to charm the audience and not to take the inevitable bait (Eddie Izzard's pathetic performance on tonight's Party Propaganda broadcast shows how Labour plans to fight this election) while trying not to look too tight and controlled.

So nobody really made a tit of themself, apart from Clegg's waffle moment, Cameron's cringemaking anecdote about how he spoke to "a black man" and Gordon's quite frightening gurning attempt at smiling.