2nd Leaders' Debate

Here we go again. This one's on foreign affairs.

8.02 - Gordon actually says "like me or not, but I know how to do the job".

8.03 - All three are doing what Clegg did to good effect in the first debate - looking directly (spookily?) into the camera. Clegg's in the middle this time, which is a nice place to be and looks terribly prime ministerial.

8.05 - The most Bristolian man in the world (the debate is in Bristol, to be fair) says he "can't see the point in being in Europe". Noone show him a map. Dave (I simply can't bear to call him Cam anymore), quite boldly, comes out as wanting to stay in the Union. The other two sing the same tune ("it's flawed, but we basically need it").

8.09 - Dave wins the hotly contested nicest tie competition.

8.10 - Gordon's giving Dave a kicking for his party's eccentricity on the subject. Dave replies, calling Gordon and Clegg "the other two", which was one of Clegg's most frequent refrains in the first debate. There's been some frantic coaching before this one.

8.14 - Gordon's at the old "the other two are squabbling like children" now. Shameless robbery of Clegg, but I suppose it was to be expected.

8.24 - Dave takes us into Trident territory. This could be rough for Clegg. Gordon directly advises Nick to "get real". Dave shocks himself by saying that he "agrees with Gordon". Doubleteam.

8.15 - The 2nd most Bristolian man in the world asks if the UK would go into another war along the same lines as the one in Afghanistan. They're all in a slightly difficult position, having voted for the Afghan War, but there are plenty of criticisms to safely make, which they all duly do.

8.18 - The inevitable troops love-in is just around the corner, I just know it. I feel pre-nauseous.

8.20 - I've been wondering whether Clegg will stick to Lib Dem policy on Trident, amongst other things, or whether he'll try to hide behind the "outsider" persona. He's not dodging the issues, though, to be fair to him.

8.21 - They're all on about their various photo ops in Afghanistan and their admiration for "our boys" out there and I want to shoot myself, I really do.