Matter of debate

Observers declared Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg the apparent winner of the first American-style political debate among British candidates to be broadcast on television.

A YouGov poll for the Sun newspaper found 51 percent of respondents thought Clegg bested Conservative leader David Cameron and Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Thursday night. Twenty-nine percent believed Cameron had won the debate, and 19 percent thought Brown had come out on top. Eleven percent of those polled said none emerged as a clear winner.

A separate poll conducted by ComRes/ITV showed somewhat lower numbers for Clegg, with 43 percent backing him, 26 percent supporting Cameron and 20 percent for Brown.

Simon Lee, a senior lecturer in politics at Hull University, told Reuters that Clegg was "obviously the clear winner."

"Right from the start he was the first to speak, he established his platform, he wanted to show the audience there was an alternative to the two old parties," said Lee. "His tactics throughout were to put the other two parties together as being roadblocks to change on reforming politics, dealing with urgent matters."

Clegg's Liberal Democrats are considered a third party, but they could find themselves in a powerful position if neither the Labour Party nor the Conservatives win a clear majority in the UK's 650-seat parliament.

The 90-minute debate held in Manchester was the first of three to be broadcast before the May 6 general elections. The next will focus on international affairs and the last one on the economy.

svs/Reuters/AFP/AP
Editor: Nigel Tandy