Sunak says he will always have you back, that it’s either him or Starmer, that a vote for anyone else will help Labour. Keir Starmer is asking you for a blank cheque without telling you what he’ll spend it on. “If you don’t know what you’re going to get with Labour, don’t vote for it.”
Starmer says he offers a practical, common sense plan to change Britain, which must and can be better. Imagine waking up to 5 more years of “arsonist” Conservatives compared with rolling-up-of-sleeve changed Labour Party.
Closing statements.
Sunak says you need a clear plan and to take bold action. Starmer says “game plan, good squad. Just like I have a brilliant shadow cabinet.”
The fun question: The Euros – what is the best leadership approach? Play it safe or take risks. Question from Gareth.
Starmer says they’ll build 1.5 million homes. Says powers need to go to local authorities and that infrastructure is needed. Labour has a clear plan.
“Do the young need to change their expectations of home ownership?” Sunak says it’s too hard to own a home and they need to make it easier. Brings up homes built during Parliament. Says hard work should be rewarded without taxes.
Starmer says it doesn’t make sense that Sunak can attack him for not having ideas and then bring up the fact that the ideas will cost families a fortune.
PM hits back on 14 years – you’ve had that time to come up with big ideas, and you’re stuck in the past instead.
Starmer says that senior military figures are against national service. Sunak disagrees.
Sunak jeers that Starmer doesn’t have big ideas like him. Starmer hits back – why have they not done it for 14 years?
Sunak says he doesn’t want to raise taxes to put the youth down.
PM says modern form of national service will be transformational. Jeers in response…
Starmer drops toolmaker dad again to talk about youth prospects. He says they’ll build more houses and won’t send people on national service like Sunak.
Sunak says that the company Sunak is using for his energy figures says it will be more expensive under Sunak with figures released today. Sunak responds: go home and see how much it costs to convert your home: He’s going to put up your taxes.
Starmer says clean power by 2030.
Sunak refuses to say he broke promises on environment. Says he doesn’t think adding thousands of tax worth of costs is a good thing, that Starmer will reverse those changes he made.
Starmer says renewables are an opportunity and that he won’t address Sunak’s £2,000 tax claim. Says he wants the UK to win the innovation race: “Why not Britain?”
Climate change: Sunak says his daughters are always talking about it and that he’s securing energy security, lowering bills, and getting to targets. Says Starmer is banning North Sea energy and will worsen energy security.
Question on working with “convicted criminal” Trump. Both say they will work with him if he is president.
Sunak hits back: I would rather have had my job than work for Abu Qatada and Hizb-ut-Tahrir. A bite…
Starmer brings up DPP role again, says he was acting on national security while Sunak was “betting against the country” during the financial crisis.
Sunak says that Starmer’s party can’t be as trusted as the Tories on national security. Says Rayner doesn’t believe in deterrent – the would-be deputy PM.
PM says he’s increasing defence spending, and that Starmer has not committed to do the same.
Sunak says he’s pleased that Starmer supported Israel’s right to defend itself along with him. Says the same thing about a lasting settlement.
Starmer says a ceasefire straight away is needed, that hostages have to be taken out. He says humanitarian aid needs to get into Gaza and that a path to a lasting resolution – with a two-state solution – is needed.
Next on to Gaza: how do we stop the awful scenes?
Sunak accuses Starmer of having just “changed his mind” live on TV.
Starmer responds that he will consider third-country processing if it is possible.
“Are safe routes needed to cross the channel?” Starmer says with Ukraine and Afghanistan that there are cases. Sunak says the UK is generous and compassionate – that almost 20 European countries have agreed with his approach. Asks Starmer again what he will do.
Starmer namedrops Churchill – his fingerprints are on the ECHR.
Starmer says international law is respected and the UK should be too. He would not pull out – also to applause.
Etchingham asks Sunak if he will commit to leave the ECHR. He confirms that if he’s forced to choose between domestic security and foreign court membership, he chooses the former – to applause.
Starmer touts his border policy command.
Etchingham says “gentlemen, we will lower our voices.” Quiet in the classroom…
Sunak admits it’s a “growing challenge” and asks Starmer what he’s actually going to do.
Sunak also says we need to smash the gangs and says that Starmer defended criminals. He can’t be trusted.
Starmer says “smash the gangs” to applause and drops his DPP credentials, says that he will do that rather than go for an expensive gimmick that hasn’t been tested before election.
Sunak says crossings are down a third this year. What will you do with illegal immigrants, he asks Starmer
Starmer hits back “Who’s in charge?” Says Sunak is most liberal PM ever on immigration. Says that this year alone 10,000 people have crossed on boats – Sunak has failed to keep his promise.
Sunak says it’s too high and that migration cap and deterrent, with flights off in july, will only happen if he’s PM. Otherwise flights will be cancelled and there will be no deterrent. Stick to the plan…
Steven asks why he should trust politicians who break promises on immigration when they say they will deal with illegal immigration.
They’re back. Etchingham asks that they don’t talk over one another – to applause.
Breaktime.
Sunak says there will be record funding in response. Starmer says there will be no more austerity.
Etchingham says the IFS concludes both parties are in a “conspiracy of silence” over post-election trade-offs and cuts facing key departments. “Can you rule cuts out?”
“Under you, there is a retirement tax coming. I think it’s appalling” says Sunak. Starmer attacks Truss’ “unfunded tax cuts” in response. Sunak gets another line in on the retirement tax.The PM hammering his dividing line…
Sunak touts triple lock plus – which Starmer hasn’t matched. Says that for the first time in history pensioners will pay tax under Labour.
“We will raise specific taxes” says Starmer: “we’ve been really clear”. Mentions private schools and non-doms (to applause). Namedrops private equity and oil and gas (to some more applause).
Starmer says Treasury figures provided to Tories are bogus as they get a “wrong readout” from “fake Labour policies”
Sunak doesn’t get drawn into private schools debate. Says he doesn’t agree with it because parents should have freedom.
Starmer says that he will charge VAT on private school because “every child should have the teachers they need.” He says “it’s a tough choice” and gets applause.
Starmer says Sunak can’t cast off the last 14 years: says we desperately need more teachers. On issues like maths, supply and PE teachers are being subbed in. He would recruit 6,500 to fill gaps.
Now onto education: Sunak says it’s the most important thing.
Sunak brings up pension tax on that vein to attack Starmer.
Both confirm social care dedication.
Sunak says he’d use private health care to treat a loved one on a waiting list. Starmer says no. He says “I use the NHS”. So if his loved one was going to die he wouldn’t use private healthcare…
Sunak pressures Starmer directly: “How would you resolve the strikes?” Starmer says the grown up way is to “get in the room”.
Sunak gets the first applause of the night when he says he refuses to give junior doctors a 35% pay rise because he doesn’t want to raise taxes on everyone else.
Etchingham asks Starmer what he’d do about doctor strikes: “We have to resolve them. Sunak has failed”. Starmer says 2 million extra appointments a year will bring the waiting lists down.
Sunak attacks the Welsh record. Starmer jibes about personal responsibility.
Starmer jokes: waiting lists have gone from 7.2 to 7.5 million. “For a guy who says he’s good at maths”… to laughter from the audience. Dire for Sunak…
Sunak says that as he is the son of a GP and a pharmacist he was raised in an NHS family – record funding for it and hiring doctors and nurses: “the NHS is safe in my hands”.
In response to Janet asking “How long will it take to fix the NHS?”, Starmer says that Sunak has failed on waiting lists.
Starmer drops the toolmaker dad and the nurse mum. Says he knows how it feels to worry about bills. “I don’t think the PM quite understands”.
Sunak says he doesn’t want to put the “progress at risk” since he delivered furlough.
Sunak’s team is quick to clip the opening statement for social media.
Starmer responds that Sunak raised taxes 26 times and broke a manifesto pledge to hike National Insurance: “the British expert on tax increases”.
Sunak says Starmer will bring in £2,000 of higher taxes for every working family.
Paula asks if Sunak understands what it’s like to struggle with bills.
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”
