THE BBC leaders' debate from Aberdeen was illuminating in more ways than one.

Anchoring the UK's News at Ten afterwards, Huw Edwards practically glowed outside King's College, as the full glare of the corporation's arc lights shone for the nation.

But when it came to BBC Scotland's turn, it looked like Huw had scarpered with all the rigging, and the indefatigable Brian Taylor was left to pontificate in the dark.

Never mind a Scottish Six, a 60W bulb would be nice once in a while.

Compliments are hard to come by when you're a politician. So spare a thought for head Ukipper Nigel Farage, who met up with reality celebrity Joey Essex while shooting a TV show in Grimsby. The Only Way Is Essex star described the party leader as "a really reem* guy".

Mr F was very pleased with the description, although he later admitted he, er, was not quite sure what "reem" meant.

*brilliant, good, cool, fashionable.

Nicola Sturgeon is adopting a "Maoist tendency" to Scottish independence, said Nick Clegg, that is - keep asking the people the same question over and over again until they come up with the right answer.

Oh the shame.

The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies is holding sessions of the next few weeks on the parties plans after the election.

Next week's session on with Vernon Coaker, Labour's shadow defence secretary, is already full.

As of yesterday afternoon, however, there were still places available for today's event with the current Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.

Willie Rennie was widely seen to have underperfomed in Tuesday night's TV debate, before giving a better account of himself on Wednesday.

But pals of the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader have revealed that the reason he had not been in top form during the first leg. He wore himself out with 15 mile run on Sunday!