POLISHED to a sheen more dazzling than the stage he was standing on, groomed and poker-straight, David Cameron strolled on to our screens on ITV on Tuesday night to make his case for the EU.

Behind the scenes, the PM, like a medieval Earl, is sharpening his sword in preparation for a now inevitable, increasingly uphill, battle for power.

There are rumours that whatever the outcome of this month's 'Brexit' referendum, there are those who are plotting hard to unseat him, with murmurs about the unequal tactics that have been used.

The IMF, World Bank, the Archbishop of Canterbury and even Barrack Obama have pledged their allegiance under Cameron's 'Stay' flag, with some accusing the PM of using his position to gain their support.

It's inevitable that if he loses, he will have to climb down and skulk off to a comfy non-exec position at Goldman Sachs. But even if he wins, there are many ready to replace him. The Conservative party, always a band of unlikely allies with manifold views, has been split down its very heart by the Referendum.

Cameron's debate as he took questions from the audience was, as always, poised, as he paced up and down, his carefully practised movements showing a relaxed, open-armed politician, only betraying himself with the occasional nervous sip from a glass of water.

But this is not the first time he has dodged a head-to-head debate. Perhaps his tactic was to give rival Nigel Farage enough rope to hang himself.

Declining the direct debates during last year's General Election might have worked in his favour, but this Referendum has reached fever pitch scaremongering, the usual Machiavellian campaign tactics, and confusing amounts of misinformation. Not going head to head makes Cameron look weak, unsure of his arguments, afraid of being caught out with some of the claims he has peddled.

But the Brexit campaigners have equally monumental claims, selling the fear agenda just as strongly, and taking part could have given Cameron a chance to challenge them directly.

Perhaps he feared a showdown with Boris Johnson. Head-to-head debates are the modern day equivalent of a duel in feudal times. Twenty-first century politics is not so different to the power struggles of the Middle Ages. Backing out makes the liege look weak - and brings the conspirators out of the shadows.

I HAD a phone call this week from a nice marketing man who sent me a press release about a cycle ride event. He said I might be interested in the “female angle”.

I read the release. The only “female angle” I could find was that one of the riders was a woman.

A woman? Riding a bike? Surely not. What on earth was she doing? Shouldn’t she have been in the kitchen?

These women thinking they can have careers and ride bikes. It was much better in the old days when we sat at home embroidering.

I know it wasn’t intentional. But let’s leave the subconscious sexism at home, chaps.