Britain's general election is still wide open

The first week of the UK general election campaign saw the major parties arrayed along time-honoured lines. The Conservatives narrowly base their offer on two pillars: their perceived economic competence and the high regard in which David Cameron is held, particularly when compared to Labour's Ed Miliband. They attempted to hammer the former advantage home with a letter from 100 business leaders endorsing Tory economic policy.

Labour did not answer in kind, because they could not. No such business constituency stands ready to defend Mr Miliband. Instead, he fell back on a prepared announcement on zero-hours contracts, positioning Labour as the party of the little guy: public sector workers, people slaving for an uncertain wage, poorer families reliant on the public purse.

So far, so traditional. But in other regards this election is without precedent. For decades Britain's longstanding Conservative-Labour duopoly has been eaten into by the rise of other parties. On Thursday television viewers were treated to the sight of seven different politicians debating for two hours. Four or even five of the parties represented might each corner a tenth of the vote. A sixth, the Scottish Nationalists, look set to multiply their representation in parliament and, possibly, end up holding the balance of power.

The disenchantment that drove a Liberal Democrat surge in 2010 now buoys Nigel Farage of the UK Independence party, Natalie Bennett of the Greens and Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP. This fractious melee has left the two larger parties fighting as much on their fringes as for the centre ground that traditionally determines power. As a result, opinion polls suggest the most likely result is still a tie between Labour and Conservatives, with neither party even close to winning outright.

Thursday's spirited debate is unlikely to have changed the picture. No striking new policy was unveiled, and the party leaders stuck to their usual lines. Ms Sturgeon confirmed the popularity that has seen SNP membership soar since the independence referendum. Her straightforward avowal of anti-austerity policies looks set to lose Labour any chance of gaining a governing majority. But her popularity may also blunt the Tory attack linking a Labour government with Scottish domination south of the border.

Neither Mr Cameron nor Mr Miliband impressed sufficiently to suggest a breakthrough is imminent. Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg appeared to enjoy slipping the shackles of government to attack Mr Cameron for a needlessly austere approach to the public finances, although his best moment came when he turned his fire on to Mr Miliband. Ukip's Mr Farage predictably attracted the loudest boos and cheers with a blustering attack on foreigners as the cause of most of Britain's ills. His core support is unlikely to have shifted in either direction.

The stasis in the polls reflects how UK voters usually turn their attention to politics only in the last few days of the campaign. But it may equally reflect that none of the parties has made a really compelling offer. Some Tories grumble that they should be doing far better, given the strength of the economy and their leader's ratings. A strategy that leans so heavily on public distaste for Mr Miliband and fear of the "chaos" that would follow a Labour victory is too negative. Mr Miliband's relatively assured early performances may force Tory strategists to rethink. But the Labour leader has no cause for complacency; many viewers felt the most impressive leftwing performance came from the leader of a supposedly minor party north of the border.

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