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Commentators give their verdicts on .

The that the debate marked the end of a two-horse-race political system:

"The single most striking thing about the chancellors' debate, however, was that it was a genuine three-way contest. Parliamentary debates maintain the pretence that we still have only two parties. But that's not true. We have three - and more. The presence in the debate of the Liberal Democrat Vince Cable changed the dynamic from the old Labour versus Conservative slanging match to something more nuanced, more problem-orientated and more truthful."

that George Osborne's suggested changes to national insurance gave an excuse for the other two parties to gang up on him:

"I thought Darling and Cable tag-teamed Osborne quite effectively, not least because Osborne persisted in calling his plans a tax cut when, for average earners, they're actually just not a tax rise - which isn't quite the same thing.
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"Overall, Cable was able to play both sides, casting himself as both the Wise Man and the populist bashing both main parties. Darling reminded one that, perhaps alone amongst Labour ministers, his status has risen these past 18 months while Osborne was passable but didn't do much to inspire a great deal of confidence in his abilities."

she was a little bored by Mr Darling and Mr Osborne's "sniping" at each other:

"'You stole my policy,' taunted George while Alistair smirked. Vince had to step in, acting as a sort of grizzled Super-Nanny, getting laughs with his trenchant comments and asides, such as his denunciation of bankers as 'pin-striped Scargills' holding us to ransom."

Vince Cable to have been the "clear winner" and was surprised Alistair Darling "didn't shine", but said George Osborne had the hardest job:

"He's under pressure and the expectation was that Cable and Darling would gang up and do him in. They had a couple of early goes, but he stood his ground and got over his early nerves. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is a show that, if it had gone badly wrong for Osborne, could have done serious damage to the Tories election chances. It didn't go wrong and he emerged stronger."

that he is not prepared to join the "cult of Vince the wizened seer":

"Early on they were asked to boast about their character traits. No British man - not a proper one - is ever comfortable doing such a thing. 'I've got a lot of experience,' said Mr Cable, who has never held a government job, or even been within gravy-sniffing distance of one. He presents himself such an old know-all, but not always with justification."

he would have been scared of the audience:

"Insofar as they came out of it best, it was the audience wot won it. In a representative democracy I'd say these people were largely unrepresented. Serious, reserved, unbiddable - but far from inert. They would have terrified me. They asked very clear, pertinent questions and listened carefully to the answers (that was the most aggressive thing they could do, to listen to the answers)."

the balance of the debate:

"In terms of the grammar of the debate, tonight was fascinating. What happened was that Alastair and Vince attacked George and George and Vince attacked Alastair. The moderator challenged George and Alastair, but Vince somehow managed to sashay through the middle posing as the 'voice of the people,' and as the 'anti-politician.' It worked brilliantly, but at no point did anyone challenge anything he had to say and there was absolutely no scrutiny of his policies whatsoever. It was quite extraordinary. This ought to lead to a review of how the leaders' debates are to be conducted."

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