This debate was unlike the other TV debates: there were no middle-aged men going on and on about pensions and currency and currency and pensions.

Instead, the BBC invited pupils from every secondary school in the country to question a panel of Scotland's leading political figures, plus an MP from Bradford.

The massive Hydro stage dwarfed the politicians: Harvie, Sturgeon, Davidson and Galloway sat in their chairs looking small and vulnerable in front of the huge arena packed with thousands of teenagers.

Yet, despite the crowd and the youthful energy, it got off to a very quiet start. The students were in school uniform so perhaps they'd been warned by the headmaster to be on their best behaviour because they'd be representing the school. We can all remember those warning talks from our own schooldays where 'just don't show us up!' was the pleading subtext. The students were quiet and obedient. There was no raucous booing. No heckling and flapping of hands as you get with Question Time or the other referendum debates. 'That was really helpful, thank you' answered one young lady. What polite children!

It took the corrosive George Galloway to break the accord. It was his booming arrogance which prompted the young'uns to metaphorically shrug off their school blazer and kick it into a muddy puddle.

He was asked about jobs, an issue which must haunt these pupils as they see those who're just a few years ahead of them unable to find decent work, or a permanent contract. They may be stacking shelves or in a call centre on the minimum wage with - and here's the crucial point - little prospect of anything else. Most of us have done our stint in these miserable jobs but often as a glad stepping stone to something better. That hope seems to be dying.

Galloway ignored the question, speaking not of jobs but of borders, share prices and banks and he did it in halting, broken sentences as though not trusting these young people to understand either his arguments or his bizarre need for indoor millinery. He was just too intent on the role he was playing to step out of the persona and address the reality. He was a ridiculous figure onstage. With his tilted trilby and microphone all he needed was a single sequined glove. Dying to be seen as 'the maverick' his signature Jackson tune would surely be Off The Wall but many Scots might prefer Beat It. It took just 12 minutes for the young people to see through him and start to boo. At this point the debate came to life.

With Galloway booming and blustering, Patrick Harvie tried to deflate him by bringing up his despicable comments on rape. He roared back 'have you no decency?' His anger showed how uncomfortable he is when forced to veer off course, proving again that he is simply about display and performance.

At times Nicola Sturgeon almost matched him in her shouting, but her raised voice seemed provoked by passion not the vanity of a man in a carefully angled trilby. 'It's our pound!' she shouted, and 'We are not subsidised!' Perhaps the size of the venue tricked the panel into thinking they had to shout but, whether the increased volume was prompted by the sheer size of the Hydro or by feeling and anger, it still raised the temperature of the debate and made the politicians (three of them, at least) seem human. We normally see them being sleek and prim and ever so careful. This is relatively easy when they're in a studio with their powdered faces and fixed expressions, but in the cavernous Hydro this vanished and it was invigorating. The size of the venue even prompted comical directions from the stage. James Cook had to call for questions from 'the man clapping with your hands in the air' or 'the boy pointing at your own head!'

A question on oil then sparked a bad-tempered segment. 'The oil will be gone' Galloway yelled, finger pointing. 'Westminster has been telling us it's about to run out since it was discovered', said Nicola Sturgeon and reminded the audience that most successful countries don't have any oil.

Common sense followed, with a girl asking 'how can you claim we're better together when 1 in 3 children live in poverty?' An excellent question but she was brushed aside by James Cook and back we went to oil.

There was much about oil and bankers and tax in this debate, which surprised me. I thought young people's concerns would different from the usual questions, but no.They weren't stuck on tuition fees or job opportunities but branched out into the bigger picture and were perfectly coherent and confident in doing so. Neither were they tainted with the weariness and cynicism which plagues so many of us in political debate which suggests our bright young people should have the vote in every election.