Challengers’ Debate: Miliband spurns Sturgeon, while Farage hits peak paranoia

The Challenger's Debate hosted by the BBC took place on Thursday at Central Hall Westminster hosted by David Dimbley.

The televised debate was not attended by David Cameron or Nick Clegg, leaving Ed Miliband as the only leader present with a chance at being elected prime minister fending attacks from the minority parties.

As the electoral race continues to be one of the closest in UK history, each debate has so far caused frenzied and contradictory polling as commenters deliver their verdicts and vitriol on Twitter.

Here’s what today’s UK papers had to say on the outcome of last night’s debate.

The Independent

The Independent chose to lead with an image that it said captured the debate more than anything else.

t was taken after the debate had drawn to a close and David Dimbley had already wished the audience good night.

The picture shows SNP's Nicola Sturgeon, Labour's Nathalie Bennett, and Leanne Wood in a group hug, clearly pleased with how the debate went.

“Ed Miliband could only look on in admiration as the three women in the debate embraced each other in a beautiful post-debate group hug.”

The Labour leader and UKIP's Nigel Farage were left out of the jubilations,

Miliband’s missing out on the group hug inspired commenters and Twitter users to come up with memes, like this one The Independent used.

The Guardian

The Guardian chose to lead with a mention of comments between Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon: “Miliband tells Sturgeon in final TV debate: I won’t do a deal with you.”

The headline refers to the Labour leader’s comments towards the closing of the debate that saw him “spurn repeated pleas” to join forces with SNP to create an ‘anti-tory’ coalition to lock the Conservatives out of Parliament.

Ed Miliband replied:

"I have fought the Conservatives all my life. We have profound differences. That why I'm not going to have a coalition with the SNP. I'm not going to put at risk the unity of the United Kingdom. It's a no, I'm afraid".

The Guardian reports Miliband as trying “ to take on the mantle of prime minister in waiting” in the absence of David Cameron’s presence, who had elected to only do one television debate.

Ukip’s Nigel Farage gets a mention for his altercation with the audience and the BBC: “Farage, the only voice on the right at the debate, was jeered when he rounded on the BBC, claiming it had planted a left-wing audience.”

The Telegraph

The Telegraph also leads with Nicola Sturgeon’s offer of cooperation to Ed Miliband, with the headline: “This is my offer to you, Ed: I will make you the next Prime Minister’ - Sturgeon cosies up to Miliband.”

It continues in a similar vein with a piece entitled “The birth of a grotesque hybrid” referring the the aforementioned cosying between Labour and the SNP.

The Telegraph goes on to report that Cameron had nothing to lose from this debate, but had only to hold his ground against an increasingly impressive Sturgeon. And according to them he failed to do so.

“One thing /[ED MILIBAND/] could achieve was to try to best an impressive Nicola Sturgeon, whose rampant SNP threatens to scupper Labour’s chances of winning an outright majority. In this he failed.”

Its lead image in the meantime depicts a cosy David Cameron at home on his Kindle, oblivious to the debate blaring on the television, with the caption “ And the winner is...”

The Financial Times

Miliband’s refusal to agree to any potential SNP and Labour coalition forms The Financial Times’ lead.

It continues by focusing on the challengers’ criticism of David Cameron for refusing to attend the debate.

Sturgeon in particular said it was a “disgrace” while Miliband said Cameron should have been there to “defend his record.”

The FT goes on to report that upon being asked about his non-attendance ahead of the debate, “ said that the set-up was part of a deal with broadcasters to ‘unblock the logjam’”.

The Daily Mail

Along with the rest, The Daily Mail focuses on Ed Miliband’s spurning of Nicola Sturgeon’s offer to get him into Downing Street.

It leads with: “‘It’s a no, I’m afraid’: Millions watch as Miliband is forced to reject Sturgeon’s offer for an election pact to ‘kick Cameron out of Number 10’”.

It goes on to describe the TV debate as “bruising”, adding that with the absence of Nick Clegg and David Cameron, Ed Miliband was left as the only representative of the mainstream parties.

“It left the Labour leader as the only establishment figure to suffer an onslaught from his smaller rivals, as he was repeatedly urged to adopt a more left-wing, anti-austerity policy programme”.