Who won the final TV leaders' debate?

Nick Clegg didn't win this poll so much as occupy a different tier of it. He opened at 47% on day one, never fell below 46% across all 89 days, and closed with 1,616 votes — roughly 70% more than either rival managed alone. There was no chase to write up because none ever developed.

The real drama sat one rung down: Gordon Brown finished with 950 votes, David Cameron with 949 — a 3,515-vote poll decided for silver by a single ballot. Both men spent 89 days fighting each other to a standstill while Clegg's share barely moved, turning the undercard into the only race that was actually close.

• Photo finish for silver · Brown edged Cameron by exactly one vote, 950 to 949
• Rock-steady lead · Clegg never dropped below 46% in 89 days
• 70% ahead of each rival · Clegg's 1,616 votes topped either single opponent by two-thirds
• UK and US both went Clegg · The top two vote-producing countries each leaned his way