The night the audience turned on Nicola Sturgeon

After the agony of the recent ITV opposition leaders’ debate, the Scottish leaders’ debate felt like a much-needed upgrade – in terms of leaders, and debate. Both Ruth Davidson and Nicola Sturgeon are better speakers than most MPs, and Kezia Dugdale (Labour leader in Scotland) makes more sense than anyone on Labour’s front bench. In the UK we get ‘strong and stable’ clichés from the Tories, a tragicomedy from Labour and either sex or marijuana from the Liberal Democrats. The BBC Scotland debate, deftly compered by Sarah Smith, felt like proper politics. The debate we should have had in the rest of the UK, but haven’t. It was rowdy. Scots often are. Blows and barbs were exchanged, but they tended to be entertaining and informative. Ruth Davidson reminded Nicola Sturgeon about the last time she was in an televised election debate in Scotland, when she promised not to call for a second independent referendum unless people wanted it.