London Evening Standard/London

Green party leader Natalie Bennett yesterday faced new pressure to stand aside from the live TV debate after a poll found Caroline Lucas was seen as better able to put over its policies.
A YouGov survey found more Londoners thought Lucas, the MP for Brighton Pavilion, was “best suited to represent the Greens” in the live television event. However, a majority of Londoners who expressed an opinion said Bennett should go ahead, despite being less skilled.
The findings are mixed news for Bennett, who was embarrassed on an LBC radio interview when she had a “brain fade” and could not remember the cost of her own housing policy.
YouGov’s poll revealed a striking gender divide over Bennett, with men much more likely to think Lucas was better suited to TV debating. There was also an age divide, with Bennett getting stronger support among young people.
Asked who would be best suited to represent the Greens in the debates, Bennett was picked by 35%, excluding don’t knows and those who replied “none of them”.
Lucas was chosen by 43%.
Women were evenly divided between the pair, but among men the gap was wide, with 48% picking Lucas and 34% picking her leader. Young people preferred Bennett by a 48 to 39 margin among 18 to 25-year-olds, while older voters thought Lucas was best, by a margin of 49 to 26 among the over-sixties.
But asked which Green “should” do the debates, Bennett was a clear winner among both men and women, and almost all age groups.
Tanya Abraham, of YouGov, said: “Natalie Bennett’s recent performances in interviews is likely to have led Londoners to think Caroline Lucas would be better suited to make the case for the Greens in the debates. However, the public are clear — the leaders debates are for leaders, so the Greens have to go with Natalie Bennett.”