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Ed Miliband narrowly beats David Cameron in snap poll after leaders' debate Ed Miliband narrowly beats David Cameron in snap poll after leaders' debate
(35 minutes later)
An always tense, sometimes disjointed and occasionally cacophonous seven-way live TV leaders debate saw Ed Miliband just shave ahead of his rivals, according to a snap Guardian/ICM poll conducted after the event.An always tense, sometimes disjointed and occasionally cacophonous seven-way live TV leaders debate saw Ed Miliband just shave ahead of his rivals, according to a snap Guardian/ICM poll conducted after the event.
Labour, aware of Miliband’s poor personal ratings before the campaign, will be pleased he was at least matching the normally more popular David Cameron according to ICM and the three other post-debate polls. Labour, aware of Miliband’s poor personal ratings before the campaign, will be pleased he was at least matching the normally more popular David Cameron, according to ICM and the three other post-debate polls.
Related: Who won the leaders' debate? The Guardian columnists' verdictRelated: Who won the leaders' debate? The Guardian columnists' verdict
Miliband branded the prime minister as aninvisible man who said little in the two-hour long debate on ITV. But the prime minister will be pleased that he emerged from a safety-first performance largely unscathed from his only head-to-head television clash with Milband. Miliband branded the prime minister as an invisible man who said little in the two-hour debate on ITV. But the prime minister will be pleased that he emerged from a safety-first performance largely unscathed from his only head-to-head television clash with Miliband.
Cameron, remaining calm under sustained attack, drove home the central message of the Tory campaign and even stole a line favoured by Miliband saying: “The choice at this election is sticking with the plan that’s working, or going back to the debt, taxes, borrowing and spending that got us in this mess in the first place. I say let’s not go back to square one; Britain can do so much better than that.” Cameron, remaining calm under sustained attack, drove home the central message of the Tory campaign and even stole a line favoured by Miliband, saying: “The choice at this election is sticking with the plan that’s working, or going back to the debt, taxes, borrowing and spending that got us in this mess in the first place. I say let’s not go back to square one; Britain can do so much better than that.”
The Guardian/ICM post-debate poll showed that Miliband won the debate by a whisker over Cameron – by 25% to 24%. Ukip’s Nigel Farage came third on 19%, Scottish National party leader Nicola Sturgeon was fourth on 17%, with Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg trailing in fifth place on 9%, ahead of Natalie Bennett for the Greens on 3% and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood on 2%. The Guardian/ICM post-debate poll showed that Miliband won the debate by a whisker over Cameron – by 25% to 24%. Ukip’s Nigel Farage came third on 19%, the Scottish National party leader Nicola Sturgeon was fourth on 17%, with the Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg trailing in fifth place on 9%, ahead of Natalie Bennett for the Greens on 3% and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood on 2%.
But Cameron and Miliband were in a dead heat – 50% to 50% – when voters were asked to choose simply between the leader of the two parties.But Cameron and Miliband were in a dead heat – 50% to 50% – when voters were asked to choose simply between the leader of the two parties.
Related: What voters thought of the performers in the seven-way leaders' debateRelated: What voters thought of the performers in the seven-way leaders' debate
The public perception that it was a closely fought battle was underlined in a separate ComRes/ITV poll in which Cameron, Miliband and Farage were tied on 21%. Sturgeon was in fourth place on 20%, followed by Clegg on 9%. The public perception that it was a closely fought battle was underlined in a separate ComRes-ITV poll in which Cameron, Miliband and Farage were tied on 21%. Sturgeon was in fourth place on 20%, followed by Clegg on 9%.
A YouGov poll recorded a Sturgeon win on 28%. Farage was in second place (20%), ahead of Cameron (18%) and Miliband (15%).A YouGov poll recorded a Sturgeon win on 28%. Farage was in second place (20%), ahead of Cameron (18%) and Miliband (15%).
However, the rating differences between leaders are so small that few will see the debates as decisive moment in a campaign that has a month to go. However, the rating differences between leaders are so small that few will see the debates as a decisive moment in a campaign that still has a month to run.
The initially slow and soundbite-filled debate in Salford was listened to mainly in silence by the studio audience and saw repeated leftwing assaults on austerity, immigration and NHS privatisation launched by Wood, Sturgeon andBennett.The initially slow and soundbite-filled debate in Salford was listened to mainly in silence by the studio audience and saw repeated leftwing assaults on austerity, immigration and NHS privatisation launched by Wood, Sturgeon andBennett.
The Conservatives judged the SNP’s assault on Labour’s alleged commitment to £30bn of spending cuts as the moment of the debate since it revealed how a future Labour government would be dominated by a leftwing SNP.The Conservatives judged the SNP’s assault on Labour’s alleged commitment to £30bn of spending cuts as the moment of the debate since it revealed how a future Labour government would be dominated by a leftwing SNP.
Miliband, rarely attacked in public from the left and eager to focus on presenting himself as an alternative prime minister, initially struggled to find the room in a crowded multi-party to sharpen his attack on Cameron. Miliband, rarely attacked in public from the left and eager to focus on presenting himself as an alternative prime minister, initially struggled to find the room in a crowded multi-party debate to sharpen his attack on Cameron.
However, he found his voice when he mounted a strong personal assault on Cameron’s stewardship of the NHS and Cameron’s zero-hours economy.However, he found his voice when he mounted a strong personal assault on Cameron’s stewardship of the NHS and Cameron’s zero-hours economy.
Accused by Cameron of “weaponising” the NHS, Miliband hit back. Addressing the the viewers at home, he urged: “Use your vote as a weapon to fight for the future of the NHS because it needs to be rescued from you David. You failed the British people and you broke your bond of trust on the NHS. Accused by Cameron of “weaponising” the NHS, Miliband hit back. Addressing the the viewers at home, he urged: “Use your vote as a weapon to fight for the future of the NHS because it needs to be rescued from you, David. You failed the British people and you broke your bond of trust on the NHS.
“They believed you. They thought you were a different kind of Conservative. People at home will have to decide. I think the NHS is a foundation for working people in this country”. “They believed you. They thought you were a different kind of Conservative. People at home will have to decide. I think the NHS is a foundation for working people in this country.”
Describing an NHS in decline, Miliband said: “I ask you at home to decide if this is what protection looks like... We’re missing the targets for cancer treatment for the first time ever... I do not believe that is protecting the NHS and his spending plans for the next parliament are even more dangerous I think people will conclude the NHS is going backwards”. Describing an NHS in decline, Miliband said: “I ask you at home to decide if this is what protection looks like ... We’re missing the targets for cancer treatment for the first time ever ... I do not believe that he is protecting the NHS and his spending plans for the next parliament are even more dangerous. I think people will conclude the NHS is going backwards.”
The Labour leader also accused Cameron of always wanting to talk about the past rather than the future.The Labour leader also accused Cameron of always wanting to talk about the past rather than the future.
Cameron chose to avoid any personal assaults on Miliband and, playing it safe, countered by saying: “If you don’t understand the mistakes of the past, you can’t have a plan for the future.”Cameron chose to avoid any personal assaults on Miliband and, playing it safe, countered by saying: “If you don’t understand the mistakes of the past, you can’t have a plan for the future.”
Farage, the noisiest of the seven speakers and the performer most intent on differentiating from the “politically correct political class” was the most aggressive. But He found him under assault from Wood who told Farage that he should be ashamed of himself for advocating that immigrants with HIV should be banned from the UK. Farage, the noisiest of the seven speakers and the performer most intent on differentiating from the “politically correct political class” was the most aggressive. But he found himself under assault from Wood, who told Farage that he should be ashamed of himself for advocating that immigrants with HIV should be banned from the UK.
The complex, seven-way TV debate is the only time in which Miliband will go head to head against Cameron, and Labour accused the prime minister of hiding behind Paid, the Greens and SNP. The complex, seven-way TV debate is the only time in which Miliband will go head to head against Cameron, and Labour accused the prime minister of hiding behind Plaid Cymru, the Greens and SNP.
The Tories are still haunted by the way the TV debates weakened Cameron in the 2010 election campaign and feared a series of direct confrontations this time would have forced the prime minister on to the back foot to defend his record.The Tories are still haunted by the way the TV debates weakened Cameron in the 2010 election campaign and feared a series of direct confrontations this time would have forced the prime minister on to the back foot to defend his record.
The debate, calmly chaired by Julia Etchingham, was broken into four often diffuse subjects: the economy, health, immigration and living standards.The debate, calmly chaired by Julia Etchingham, was broken into four often diffuse subjects: the economy, health, immigration and living standards.
In possibly the liveliest section, on immigration, the conflict between Farage and Cameron largely focused on whether the prime minister had any realistic chance of negotiating with his EU partners to end the free movement of workers. In possibly the liveliest section – on immigration – the conflict between Farage and Cameron largely focused on whether the prime minister had any realistic chance of negotiating with his EU partners to end the free movement of workers.
Farage insisted: “This is not about benefits. This is about numbers. I don’t blame a single migrant that wants to come from eastern Europe” adding the UK “has to build one house every seven minutes just to cope with immigration”. Farage insisted: “This is not about benefits. This is about numbers. I don’t blame a single migrant that wants to come from eastern Europe.”
He claimed that the UK had to “build one house every seven minutes just to cope with immigration”.
The Ukip leader repeatedly said the other party leaders would not tell the truth that there was nothing Britain could do about immigration while it remained part of the EU, adding only that the rise of his party had forced Cameron into offering a referendum.The Ukip leader repeatedly said the other party leaders would not tell the truth that there was nothing Britain could do about immigration while it remained part of the EU, adding only that the rise of his party had forced Cameron into offering a referendum.
But Cameron, accusing Farage of being a back door to a Labour government, said he had a plan to negotiate a deal and then stage a referendum. “Let’s get stuck in, negotiate and you can get things done so that we can change”. But Cameron, accusing Farage of being a back door to a Labour government, said he had a plan to negotiate a deal and then stage a referendum. “Let’s get stuck in, negotiate and you can get things done so that we can change,” he said.
Miliband conceded that the previous Labour government had got it wrong on immigration, but said it would not be his priority to stage a referendum, adding the solution lay in ending the exploitation of the workforce. Miliband conceded that the previous Labour government had got it wrong on immigration, but said it would not be his priority to stage a referendum, adding that the solution lay in ending the exploitation of the workforce.
Clegg, battle hardened by last year’s debate with Farage over Europe, accused the Ukip leader of spreading the politics of fear and claimed Farage thought every problem could be solved by a referendum on Europe.Clegg, battle hardened by last year’s debate with Farage over Europe, accused the Ukip leader of spreading the politics of fear and claimed Farage thought every problem could be solved by a referendum on Europe.