The BBC TV debate between the opposition leaders was a flashback to student politics

But the normal students weren’t there

It brought it all back. The earnest left-wingers, intimidating in their different brands of moral certainty. The facetious right-winger who goes along, sometimes in a bow tie, to wind them up. While most normal students have essays to write, French subtitles to read or pizza to eat.

Ed Miliband was back in the Corpus Christi Junior Common Room. He had over-prepared his speech. “These and other ideas,” he said, earnestly, in his Just-a-Minute-style introduction. But he was in his element. Angels, pinheads and the finer points of socialist purity. Only, because it is not the 1990s any more, the debate was mostly about who was more “progressive” than whom.

Nicola Sturgeon was more progressive than Miliband, because she has a Scottish accent. As was Leanne Wood, because she has a Welsh one, and Natalie Bennett because she is an immigrant from Australia. But Ed is a member of the student council and so he has to take difficult decisions.

Miliband proved him right by saying that the problem with the housing market in Britain is that big property developers have it in a stranglehold.

The only jokes were made by mistake. Miliband said the sale of housing association houses would water down the housing stock.

Nigel Farage got bored with lecturing the others on economics and went for the rowdier tactic of shouting “lies” and “lying” at everyone.

As a result, a good time was had by the people who enjoy that sort of thing. But the normal students, such as David Cameron and Nick Clegg, weren’t there. Like most people, they had more important things to do.

Still, last night’s debate provided a convincing rebuttal of the charge that Miliband has never done anything in his life apart from Westminster politics. Last night we were reminded that he also led the Corpus Christi JCR rent strike. Last night we saw his leadership qualities for what they really are.