Polls give conflicting verdicts on debate

None of the leaders scored a clear victory in the hard-fought second prime ministerial debate, according to instant polls following the encounter.

Initial surveys gave conflicting verdicts over whether David Cameron or Nick Clegg came out on top.

But they agreed that the margins between all three contenders were much tighter than in the first debate.

Some 36 per cent of viewers in a YouGov poll for The Sun believed the Tory leader had performed best, against 32 per cent for Mr Clegg and 29 per cent for Mr Brown.

Meanwhile, research by ComRes for ITV News suggested Mr Clegg was the victor, with 33 per cent of the 2,691 viewers questioned saying he won the debate. Mr Cameron and Mr Brown were tied on 30 per cent in second place.

When asked who they would vote for in the General Election, 36 per cent said the Liberal Democrats, 35 per cent the Conservatives and 24 per cent Labour.

Although the figures suggest the Lib Dem leader turned in another strong performance, they indicate he failed to repeat the overwhelming victory of the first debate.

Strategists from all parties will now be watching closely for signs of the Lib Dem poll surge subsiding.