ON REFLECTION I think it’s the eyes that do it.

They follow you around the room.

Like when you see a portrait in a haunted house. It looks normal enough at first glance but you can’t shake the feeling there’s something nasty lurking behind it, squinting out at you.

And, in Nigel Farage’s case, not too deeply camouflaged.

The Ukip Fuehrer was among five party leaders who lined up for the latest in the series  of televised leaders debates on Thursday night.

As previously noted Cameron wormed his way out of it and Clegg wasn’t invited, which may or may not have been an attempt to reduce the volume of greenhouse gases and hot air being generated during the debate.

If so, it was about as successful as the government’s attempts to curb nitrogen dioxide levels, which saw it hauled before the Supreme Court this week.

All of which should have made this something of a cake-walk for Miliband, who basically had to turn up and not fall over.Both of these he managed, but that was to fail to take into account his perennial stumbling block.

Ed can do earnest, he can even do a passable attempt at sincere but he has yet to find a way to overcome his stultifying lack of charisma.

He could be telling you that you had half an hour to collect your free million pounds and you’d still be wondering what was on the other channel.

Someone who, while similarly charismatically challenged, certainly has no lack of chutzpah, is Farage. Who once again illustrated that you can take the man out of the banking sector but you can’t take the banker out of the man.

Although, as with Cameron, the stress appears to be showing.

Farage yet again let his mask slip on Thursday, this time rounding on the studio audience during the “Challenger’s Debate” and claiming his lack of popularity was down to their “left-wing bias.”

Plaid’s Leanne Wood and the Greens’ Natalie Bennett both came out of the debate well, sticking to their guns and making good points but in truth this was all about the Ed and Nicola show.

The “will they won’t they” tension that everyone, and particularly the Tories, is desperate to ratchet up.

On last night’s evidence that would be a “No.” Then again…