I thought the debate went well for Clegg. Cameron was much improved, but still strangely uncomfortable. Brown didn't seem to be in the same room - he felt irrelevant.

I was surprised that barely a glove was laid on Nick Clegg about Europe. He did very well explaining his position, and perhaps his weakest policy area (in the electorate's eyes) was defended easily and with charm. In fact, it was Cameron who got completely skewered on European policy and looked isolated. In any country which wasn't paranoid about Europe, he would have lost the election there and then, but in the UK it will be a minor blip. His decision to join the fringe of EU politics won him the Tory leadership, but looks like losing him the premiership.

Clegg also did well enough on Trident, and once the debate got back to domestic policy, he shone again, even if one didn't agree with his policies. He was a bit more bullish (hence Furunculus' 'interrupting' observation) but this showed confidence and reflected, I feel, the audience's irritation with some of the baloney being peddled by the others. Cameron failed to explain his main policy idea, the Big Society, and barely even mentioned it. He sounds more like the leader of a tired government than Brown does.

The biggest surprise to me was the rather blatant interference from Murdoch's Sky News editorial team. They chose a question on Europe first, hoping that this would nail Clegg right from the off and give their man (Cameron) the opportunity to shine. Amazingly, later on, Adam Boulton the moderator, actually attacked Clegg and only Clegg by asking him directly about the morning's Telegraph story. I thought Clegg (who has dealt with the lies and slanders with some dignity) put him down like a mad dog, but the fact remains, the Sky News moderator deliberately broke the rules and tried to influence the debate. Shameful, especially alongside the Tory press gang attack earlier in the day. Mercifully, the British electorate don't seem to agree with the Mail and Murdoch that they are bought and paid for.