Peter Hoskin

TV debate – live blog

2130, PH: And that’s it.  I’ll be posting a verdict shortly.

2129, PH:
Clegg tries to repeat his Amazing Memory Feat from last week – but this time it’s the issues discussed, and not questioners’ names.  Not as impressive.  After that, he talks “change” and delivers a few jibes about the “opponents of change”.

2128, PH: Cameron, to camera: “That sounded desperate … we need a clean break.”  Cameron says “clean break” again, and mentioned the “Big Society”.

2127, PH:
Closing pitches now. Brown doesn’t look at the camera for his – it starts slowly, but he looks more enthusiastic when he gets to the bit about the Tories being a “risk to the economy”.  He adds that the Lib Dems are a risk because of their policies on Iran and Trident.

2126, JGF:
This immigration exchange worked well for Cameron. Miliband in the room now spinning for Labour.

2125, PH:
And now Clegg is onto Cameron, asking what level the Tories would set any cap at.  Cameron doesn’t give a direct answer.


2123, PH: Clegg is on Brown’s case – asking him what he would do about the country’s “900,000” current illegal immigrants.  Brown murmurs something about deporations.  But Clegg has a snappy response: “Deport them? You don’t even know where they live.”  This gets a laugh from the audience.

2122, PH: Cameron deals with Clegg’s regionalised immigration policy, asking sardonically whether it would mean border controls at each county.

2120, JGF: Tories have just blasted out quotes from a speech where Brown suggested the Tories would scrap ‘free bus passes for the elderly and free prespcriptions’. It’s a speech to a Welsh Labour conference, but I’m pretty sure these issues aren’t devolved. But open to being corrected.

2118, PH: Brown surprisingly forceful in response to Nick Clegg – he says that an amnesty wouldn’t deter illegal immigrants, but draw them to a soft-touch Britain.

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