A snap poll conducted by
ICM Research stated Salmond won the debate by 71% to 29%. Amongst the national newspapers,
The Herald, the
Daily Record and
The Scottish Sun reckoned that Salmond won.
The Scotsman and the
Scottish Daily Mail took a different line, highlighting the "heated" nature of the exchanges, which the
Mail believed would turn off voters. Some of the headlines referred to the debate as "Salmond fighting back" or "Salmond strikes back", contrasting the outcome of the two debates. BBC political editor
Nick Robinson commented that Darling was "edgy and nervy", while Salmond appeared "better prepared and more confident".
Yes Scotland chief executive
Blair Jenkins compared the two debates to a
European Cup tie in
football, implying that Salmond had performed better overall. Speaking for the no campaign, Labour MP
Douglas Alexander said that Darling had asked the right questions of Salmond and that there was insufficient clarity in response. ==Broadcast arrangements==