The dreadful Brian Paddick

Did you see Question Times last night? (It'shere, if you'd like to watch it.) Iain Dale is in despair over the quality of debate. I'd certainly agree that it's not even close to the level of US primary debates, but I thought last night's was one of the more useful and informative hustings. Not because it was an elevated discussion of policy - policy was barely present - but because it was hugely instructive about the candidates themselves.

For one thing, I realised that Brian Paddick is a truly awful man. He came across as the worst kind of ego-maniac - the sort who thinks he is humble and a cut above the rest of his peers when in reality he is boorish, snide, ignorant and self-important. At least Ken and Boris know they have high opinions of themselves and don't pretend to be otherwise. And Paddick was also keen to attack Boris not on policy, not even on the fact of his affairs, but purely on his relations with his own family, which to any neutral observer was pretty vile. Let he who is without sin, Mr Paddick, cast the first stone. I don't recall any other candidate referring to the fact that the openly gay Brian Paddick was once married. Or does being married to someone while you are gay not count as deception in Mr Paddick's mind?

Livingstone seemed a shadow of himself (this has already been observed by others in other meetings), almost as if he could no longer be bothered to engage. There was the odd bit of attack, but he seemed as if he was resigned to defeat.