IF there were any doubts about the enduring power of television, the debates between the three major political leaders have ended them. What was a weary general election campaign – hardly surprising given it has been running since the beginning of the year – has been rejuvenated by the 90 minutes of prime-time discussion last Thursday.

The fact that around ten million tuned in and stay tuned in through a very stilted, stage-managed and anaemic debate shows that the British public is interested in politics, provided it is presented in the format it is most comfortable with.

While there may be debate about whether last Thursday’s and last night’s televised hustings were more about style than substance, they have served to take the campaign to a different level. The poll success of Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has forced the two main parties to think hard about their approach and how to project their policies more effectively.

Their task over the next two weeks is to persuade the electorate to choose between Labour’s state-assisted economic recovery model and the Conservatives’ approach based upon a smaller role for the state. They will also try to lure back those voters who have woken up to the personal and direct charm of Mr Clegg. That should mean in-depth debate about policies which is surely what the election should be about. Television may not lend itself to that particular process, but it has certainly served to kick-start real interest in this campaign.