Westminster Correspondent John Hipwood gives his verdict on the first ever TV debate between the party leaders

Commentators watch from the Debate Media Centre at the Hilton Hotel, Manchester, during a live Election Debate between Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservative Party leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat Party leader Nick Clegg.

No blood on the studio floor, no one dead, but a young man came alive. Nick Clegg introduced himself to the nation, and he probably surprised a few people in the nation’s living rooms last night.

If a photograph of the Liberal Democrat leader had been shown to people in the street before the first ever televised debate of its kind in this country, it’s doubtful whether too many would have correctly named Mr Clegg.

Vince Cable has been the best known face of the Lib Dems, but not any more. Cleggie has arrived.

It was, perhaps, easier for the new kid on the block. He had less to lose, and he was able to look across at David Cameron and Gordon Brown and talk about “You Two”, emphasising that it’s his aim to crack the 65-year-old duopoly between the two big parties.

When Brown and Cameron started squabbling at one point, he remarked: “The more they attack each other, the more they sound the same.”

Mr Cameron had the most to lose. His party is the one that’s ahead in the opinion polls so any serious gaffe on his part could have resulted in a wobble in his lead. Bracketing Iran and China together as potential nuclear threats during the discussion about Trident was a slip, but it won’t bury him.

Gordon Brown was Gordon Brown. He doesn’t communicate well. Unlike the other two, he didn’t address the questioners directly or by name, and he spent too much time attacking his Tory opponent, who chose to ignore the jibes.

The Prime Minister delivered the most obviously rehearsed “joke” when he told Mr Cameron: “You cannot airbrush your policies even if you airbrush your posters.”

This was a reference to that shiny picture of the Conservative leader which, judging by the ultra-shiny complexion we saw last night, wasn’t airbrushed at all.

While the Labour leader repeatedly confronted the man most likely to take his job, he went out of his way to say how much he agreed with Mr Clegg.

He might, after all, need to cosy up to the Lib Dems to stay in Downing Street if there is an inconclusive result on May 6. This clearly irritated Cleggie at times, who laughed ironically at one point when he had accused both the big parties of blocking political reform, and the PM’s response was: “I agree with Nick.”

When the trio were discussing immigration, one of the people Mr Brown had been talking to was a chef. Was anybody watching worried about the number of Raymond Blancs entering the country?

So it was Round One to Cleggie. But he will do well to maintain the high standard he has set. Dave was trying to be prime ministerial, but must loosen up a bit in Round Two. Gordon has work to do and might already be regretting being the first PM to agree to such debates.

And finally, a word about the fourth man under the spotlight, Alastair Stewart, who looked as nervous as the other three at the start. He was firm and did his best to let the debate break free from the stifling rules imposed by the party negotiators.