I will freely and happily admit that Nick Clegg won the debate on Thursday by a country mile. In retrospect, I guess it was the result that anyone remotely tuned into politics should have expected. The consequence is a surge in Lib Dem support which, if sustained, gives rise to the real possibility of a sea-change in British politics and the emergence of a genuine three-party system.
Personally, I was a little surprised at the effectiveness of Clegg's technique; not looking straight down the camera was one of the first things I was taught in a media-relations course a couple of years back. However, it must have struck a chord with the British public and combined with his approach to win over large chunks of the electorate.
The big question now is how long that effect will last.
What the Lib Dems will be hoping for is a permanent shift in public sentiment (or until May 7th at least!) which has thrust their party into prominence and has seriously increased their chances of being able to act as king-maker in a hung Parliament.
What Labour and the Conservatives will be hoping for is a short-term fluctuation, which will subside within the next few days.
Should we head into next Thursday's debate with the landscape still showing a Lib Dem surge,
The problem is this:
The Liberal Democrats have prepared their manifesto from their position as a third-place party. Therefore, they'll have done it in the mindset of being able to promise the moon on a stick whilst being safe in the knowledge that they'll never have to deliver on these promises. The danger comes now that they are showing real potential.
David Cameron needs to capitalise on this and make sure the public are left in no doubt come 2200hrs on Thursday that this is the case. He needs to make it crystal clear that a vote for the Liberal Democrats is not just a vote for Labour (as he has been doing anyway), but also a vote for a party who didn't even expect to be running the country come May 7th, let alone a party who are not even ready for such a responsibility.
Whilst this may be relatively easy to do, the challenge for Cameron will be his delivery. He needs to be able to present these facts from a position of strength and wisdom and not just come across as a worried and petulant little boy (as Clegg so often has the propensity to do).
One thing, however, is certain. Should the unthinkable occur and we awake on May 7th under a Lib Dem government, we will wake to a strange and unusual sound. The sound of Nick Clegg simultaneously laughing his socks off whilst soiling himself at the prospect of what he has let himself in for.
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Forget about Cleg - Oh don't we wish we all could! I am the Agent for Norwich North, Chloe Smith's seat and I wanted take the opportunity to thank superbrain Laughlin for the part he played in the victory. We had the third highest swing from 2005 in the country and James played a large part in that. Well done and I will follow your political career, if that is what you choose to do, with interest.
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