23rd April, 2010, 9:08 am Debate reaction – 8 in the morning, April 23rd Alex Smith Share this article: 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 Smith 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. @alexsmith1982 View all articles by Alex Smith Subscribe to our daily email More from LabourList Analysis The importance of keeping it local In the final days before this set of important local elections, it can feel as though the gravitational… James Tibbitts 5th May, 2026, 10:09 am Comment ‘Reform or Recovery? The High-Stakes NHS Test for Wes Streeting’ In the weeks following the local elections, political attention may well turn to senior Labour figures such as… Charlie Paterson 5th May, 2026, 6:00 am Comment ‘Labour’s Crime and Policing Act is a step forward for shop worker safety’ For far too many years, shop staff across Britain have gone to work knowing they may face abuse,… Callum Anderson MP 5th May, 2026, 6:00 am
Alex Smith 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. @alexsmith1982 View all articles by Alex Smith
Analysis The importance of keeping it local In the final days before this set of important local elections, it can feel as though the gravitational… James Tibbitts 5th May, 2026, 10:09 am
Comment ‘Reform or Recovery? The High-Stakes NHS Test for Wes Streeting’ In the weeks following the local elections, political attention may well turn to senior Labour figures such as… Charlie Paterson 5th May, 2026, 6:00 am
Comment ‘Labour’s Crime and Policing Act is a step forward for shop worker safety’ For far too many years, shop staff across Britain have gone to work knowing they may face abuse,… Callum Anderson MP 5th May, 2026, 6:00 am
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