The three main candidates to be the next British prime minister held their second televised debate tonight ahead of the general election on May 6th.
Conservative leader David Cameron won the debate with Gordon Brown and Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg, a YouGov poll found. The poll gave Mr Cameron 36 per cent support, Mr Clegg 32 per cent and Mr Brown 29 per cent. The survey questioned 1,100 viewers of the debate.
In his opening statement at the Bristol event, Mr Brown said: "This may have the feel of a TV popularity contest but in truth this is an election about Britain's future. If it's all about style and PR count me out. If it's about the big decisions, if it's about judgement, if it's about delivering a better future for this country, I'm your man."
"Like me or not I can deliver that plan and the way to do it is with a majority Labour government."
Mr Brown told Mr Clegg to "get real" for opposing nuclear weapons and criticised Mr Cameron over European policy, seeking to regain the initiative in a televised debate after slumping to third in some polls before May 6th elections.
"Iran, you're saying, might be able to have a nuclear weapon and you wouldn't take action against them, but you're also saying give up our Trident submarines," Mr Brown told Mr Clegg. "Get real about the danger we face if we have North Korea, Iran and other countries with nuclear weapons and we give up our own."
Mr Clegg opposes updating Britain's submarine-based Trident nuclear-missile system.
Mr Brown said Mr Cameron's "anti-Europeanism becomes more and more obvious as this debate goes on" after the Tory leader said he wanted to be "in Europe but not run by Europe".
Rising support for Mr Clegg's Liberal Democrats may prevent the Conservatives from winning the swing seats held by Mr Brown's Labour Party they need to take power in the May 6th election. Some polls indicate that Labour may still emerge as the largest party in parliament even if it finished third as Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg split the opposition vote.
Addressing the second televised debate at the Arnolfini arts centre, Mr Clegg said: "I want us to lead in the world. I want us to lead in Europe, not complain from the sidelines, I want us to lead in creating a world free of nuclear weapons. And I want us to lead on the biggest challenge of all, climate change."
Conservative leader Mr Cameron said: "I want us to keep our defences strong, I want to keep our borders secure and our country safe. Real change comes not just from politicians but from when we all recognise that we have responsibilities, that we're all in this together."
On the subject of Europe, he said: "I think we should be in Europe because we're a trading nation, we're part of Europe, we want to co-operate and work with partners in Europe to get things done. But I do agree with you that we have left too many powers go from Westminster to Brussels . . . I don't want us to join the euro, I want us to keep the pound as our currency".
Arriving at the venue, Mr Brown was met with a chorus of booing from the protesters as he pulled up to the debate venue. As the prime minister got out of his car, the jeering escalated and demonstrators goaded him over megaphones.