Of course, they had it tough

Who won the fourth and final non-debate of the campaign? It was a massacre. The three party leaders, all of them, got a pummelling from the studio audience.

The English, by ancient tradition, are diffident, polite, mealy-mouthed and secretive, avenging themselves on their politicians in the privacy of the voting booth.

But someone decided this event would take place in Leeds, largest city in Yorkshire, where things work differently. You never have to ask Yorkshire people their opinion because they will give it you soon enough. And, ba gum, they gave it to the party leaders. Supposedly the audience was divided into four equal groups of voters: Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and others. But it was 100 per cent Yorkie, and it showed.

""Isn't that a sign that you're in the habit of lying?" the prime minister was asked about his planned law banning tax rises. And so it went on: "Why don't people trust your party?" ... "Well, you're wrong." ... "You lied."

Then it was Ed Miliband's turn. "How can we trust you?" ... "Why is the Labour party's trying to mislead the country?" ... "You're frankly just lying." Mr Miliband tried to explain why he opposed an EU referendum. "Do you think your view's more important than mine?" demanded the questioner.

Nick Clegg did not escape. "Have you got any plans for next week when you're unemployed and your party's an irrelevance?" "Charming," said Mr Clegg, who calmly continued planning his meetings for the week after next, ignoring the questioner's point that he is due to be hanged next Thursday.

Gosh, it was fun. Maybe David Cameron was right, as well as just oozing Etonian flattery, when he said it was better for politicians to answer questions from the public than debate each other. True, but only if all these events are staged in Yorkshire.

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Mr Miliband came nearest actually to saying anything, ruling out both a coalition and an ongoing deal with the Scottish Nationalists. But he did not rule out informal understandings of the kind that happen all the time in politics, even between governments and their opponents. He also managed to trip as he left the stage. But hey, there are a lot of us klutzes out there. We're entitled to representation, too.

< > Mr Clegg indeed rendered himself irrelevant by his complete abandonment of the pretence that he is even contending to be prime minister. So what was he doing there? It may well be that his party will play a crucial role in post-election discussions. But who says he will still be in parliament to lead it? Or, even if he is, that his own battered support base will give a damn for his opinion?

Overall, it remains bizarre that the three had to give evidence separately, like the defendants in a gangland trial who have to be kept apart for fear they will slit each other's throats. This does not bode well for future negotiations. The evening did, however, suggest a promising future for any Yorkshire independence movement.

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