Will there be fireworks?

The prospects of tonight’s televised live leaders’ debate proved just too exciting for this volcano in Iceland

The debate

Ahead of tonight’s first-ever televised live leaders’ debate on ITV, everyone has caught the debate bug it seems. Who will come out on top? Will there be any knock-out blows? Will it make a difference? Which is ironic, because you can be sure that the one thing that will be largely absent from tonight’s debate will be, well, debate.

ITV have helpfully put together a condensed version of the 76 rules governing the debates into a slightly less cumbersome 5-page guide for tonight’s programme (available here). They provide for four minutes of ‘free debate’ on the theme (domestic policy tonight) with an additional four minutes of ‘free debate’ following the general Q&A with the audience. The programme lasts 90 minutes.

With the three parties having published their manifestoes, there is nothing new the leaders can announce and we can expect a PMQs-style ‘debate’ between Brown and Cameron. Clegg on the other hand will relish the exposure of the debates, and having won plaudits after his decision to do battle with Paxman will be full of confidence.

Elsewhere, Labour received a boost today on the ongoing battle over public spending cuts however with 77 (count ‘em) economists writing in The Times that the efficiency savings announced by the Tories “could even affect confidence to the degree that we are tipped back into recession”. Usually if you asked 77 economists a question you’d get 77 different answers… what is the collective noun for economists anyway? A ‘disagreement’?


QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I return to my hotel room to find a hamper of some of my favourite things – Turkish Delight, Twinings English Breakfast tea, strawberry flavoured still water and, nestling between shortbread and a “Keep Calm and Carry On” mug, two packs of Marlboro Light."

– Alistair Stewart of ITV certainly knows how to live it up ahead of arguably the biggest day of his career.


THE GREASY POLL
Lab 30, Con 35, LibDem 21 (MORI)