The World

I have just watched the last leaders’ debate, over a wobbly internet connection, in the FT’s Washington office. I think the consensus of the great minds assembled here was that this was easily Cameron’s strongest performance of the three; that Clegg was less effective than before and succumbed to ill-advised tetchiness; and that it is always a terrible mistake for Gordon Brown to smile.

Poor Brown has had an awful couple of days. I was over at the State Department this morning – and it seems that Brown’s hideously embarrassing clash with the “bigoted” voter is already the stuff of legends. Several officials had watched it over the internet, with a certain grim amusement. The snap polls after tonight’s debate have him losing again.

I thought Cameron was more effective than before because he seemed calmer and stuck to a few, effective and simple themes. Encouraging work, protecting services, tough on immigration. His line about Brown confusing the government with the economy was effective and succinct. For the first time he looked like a prime minister in waiting. And this seems to be reflected in the snap opinion polls, which have the Tory leader winning the debate.

Bill Schneider, the American political analyst, was very impressed with Nick Clegg, whose closing statement he felt “really connected”. But, personally, I thought some of the gloss came off Clegg tonight. In the first debate, he seemed affable, cheerful and above-it-all. In this debate he was clearly riled by the attacks on the Lib Dem policy of a partial amnesty for illegal immigrants – and got aggressive with Cameron. Regardless of the merits of the argument, that was a tactical mistake. Voters seem to be turned off by Westminster-style point-scoring.

As for Brown, I thought he showed a mastery of detail and a knowledge of the international economic situation that neither of the other two could match, that reflected his years of experience. But his closing statement was almost entirely negative – essentially an effort to scare voters about Tory cuts. Bill Schneider called his performance “Nixonian”. And this is not a good word in this town.

I wonder whether the last week of the campaign will now see a real implosion of the Labour vote, with unpredictable, historic, consequences?