Debate winner was unclear but Rayner was the one who lost it

Regardless of who won tonight’s debate, there is no doubt who lost it: Angela Rayner.

Labour’s deputy leader found herself under attack from all sides when ITV decided to let each participant ask a question of one of the others, and it was Ms Rayner who drew the most fire.

The Green Party’s Carla Denyer was out of the traps first, demanding to know which of Labour’s U-turns she was most proud of - ditching green spending plans, keeping the two-child cap on child benefit, or something else?

Ms Rayner, who demonstrated an inability throughout the night to break free of her pre-prepared list of stock phrases, replied: “What I’m not proud of is that we’ve had 14 years of the Tories and the crashing of the economy…”

Penny Mordaunt asked Ms Rayner to rule out an increase in capital gains tax. She could not.

The SNP’s Stephen Flynn asked whether Labour would end arms sales to Israel on day one of a Labour government. Ms Rayner gulped and reached for a stock answer on following international law.

Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth grilled her on child poverty. She talked about cast iron fiscal rules.

If Labour wants to govern, Ms Rayner will need to get used to answering such questions, rather than simply telling people why they should hate the Tories, and so far she has shown little sign of being able to do so. Even moderator Julie Etchingham ticked her off for repeating herself too often.

Ms Mordaunt, of course, had her own share of attacks, being asked by Nigel Farage: “Why on earth should people believe the fifth manifesto that promises cuts to net migration?”

Ms Mordaunt was laughed at when she said, “because of this Prime Minister”.

Angela Rayner asked her whether she would allow Nigel Farage into the Tory Party, and she said she had less in common with Mr Farage than people might think, without actually saying no.

Readers of the Telegraph’s coverage of the election had no doubt who the winner was: Mr Farage had a net positive rating almost seven times as high as Ms Mordaunt’s, with everyone else in negative territory.