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Debate reaction – 8 in the morning, April 23rd

8am

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

* Check out LabourList’s Live Blog of the debate, with all the instant news, opinion, polls and video clips and photos from our joint debate watch party in London.

* The Guardian leader says Gordon Brown has given Labour new hope.

* Polly Toynbee says “Why does Cameron fail to shine? Because the sincerity deficit shows, with slogans, mantras and an advertising man’s repetitions.”

* The New York Times says the old guard rebounded last night.

* Steve Richards says that while the gap was narrower last night, it’s still Clegg who has taken his opportunity.

* If the question asked by last night’s debate is who is the man best equipped to be Prime Minister, the answer is Gordon, writes Alastair Campbell.

* The Sun has “censored” one of its own polls which showed support for the Lib Dems, reports the Independent.

* Nick Robinson reports that Conservative HQ has been implicated in the right-wing press’ attacks on the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

Alex is the founder and CEO of The Cares Family. He was editor and first director of LabourList in 2009-2010, during which time he established the site as the number one Labour blog, and later an aide to Ed Miliband.

View all articles by Alex Smith
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