Who got all the laughs

As debates go the whole thing seemed more than a little sterile. The 3 would-be holders of the purse strings post election kept their points so tightly focused it almost had the air of people running through checklists. Although there was a little back and forth between the candidates, usually totally unrelated to the actual question asked, the debate was cut off quickly by the moderator. I'm not blaming the moderator as the rules agreed by all the parties are pretty specific on the format.

I'm not sure if the rules for the chancellors debate precluded the audience from applauding and cheering but it only happened a few times over the whole hour. Vince Cable's robust performance certainly got the most positive audience reaction. If this was against the rules then maybe there is hope for a more lively audience come the main events when the leaders go head to head.

Next time I'll be watching with my social media feeds on as I suspect that's where the real cheering and jeering will be taking place.