Mordaunt’s debate strategy was to pretend Farage wasn’t there

How is it possible that a seven-way debate between the main parties in this election was more civilised than the two-way stand-off between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak earlier this week? Tonight’s BBC debate was bizarrely better viewing. Sure, the party representatives interrupted one another, attacked each other, and flung about fake figures. But it was easier to follow.

It was also fascinating to see who attacked who. Penny Mordaunt largely pretended Nigel Farage didn’t exist, but interrupted Angela Rayner frequently. Farage – who was in much better humour and shape than the 2015 election and 2016 Brexit debates, which he largely sweated through – obviously went for the Conservatives the most, saying in his closing statement that this election wasn’t just about the government, but about who would be in opposition. Tory MPs listening to that will have heard a threat, given the Reform leader’s desire to take over their party when it is in the post-election defeat doldrums.