BBC election debate: Re-read updates on Starmer and Sunak head-to-head as it happened

Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak tonight went head to head in the final leaders’ debate of the general election campaign, hosted by the BBC.

Read updates from the debate below as it happened, alongside reaction and analysis from key commentators. We are also keen to hear our readers’ opinions on the debate and Starmer and Sunak’s performances. Contact us at [email protected] to share your thoughts.

10.30pm: Thank you for following our live coverage

We are bringing our liveblog to an end tonight – thank you for following all the latest from tonight’s debate with LabourList.

10.27pm: McFadden: ‘Tory offer is five more years of chaos’

McFadden, commenting after the debate, says: “Five more years of the Tories will change nothing. In every answer Rishi Sunak claimed everything was fine – exposing just how out of touch he is. The Tory offer is simply five more years of chaos.

“Keir Starmer tonight exposed the Tory manifesto as unfunded, with the Tory Chancellor admitting that the money is already spent.

“Keir Starmer and Labour will return politics to public service, putting country before party in stark contrast to ‘partygate’ and dodgy Covid contracts. On 4th of July, we have a chance to turn the page and start to rebuild with Labour.”

10.24pm: The Guardian gives its snap verdict

The Guardian’s Andrew Sparrow has given his snap verdict on the debate, arguing that “when the history of Labour’s election-winning campaign gets written up, the two head-to-head debates will stand out as Sunak’s best moments”.

“In some of the policy areas, like small boats and welfare, he was clearly winning the argument on points. And in terms of landing his message, he was probably more successful than Starmer too – even though, with the constant references to “surrender”, his message has become more alarmist and hysterical than when the election started.”

But he adds: “If Sunak won on policy, Starmer won, very easily, on demeanour. He was more effective than he was in the first debate at pushing back at Sunak’s propagandist claims, and he delivered what was probably the best put-down of the night… He was not afraid to accuse Sunak of lying, but he managed to come over as less petty than his opponent, and more authoritative and likable.

“Sunak may have won in that he outperformed expectations. But Starmer presented as the next Prime Minister, and all he needed was a draw anyway; in that sense it was a win for him too.”

10.16pm: More data from YouGov

YouGov finds that 50% of viewers found Starmer to be trustworthy compared to 39% who said the same of Sunak. On likeability, Starmer also leads by 52% to 33%.

10.05pm: Commentators react to the debate

Commentators including the New Statesman’s George Eaton and the Financial Times’ Robert Shrimsley have been reacting to the debate on Twitter.

9.50pm: Streeting: PM ‘very shouty and not very Prime Ministerial’

Speaking to the BBC in the spin room after the debate, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting argues that the PM was “very shouty, interupt-y and not very Prime Ministerial”.

Asked about a lack of confidence voiced by members of the audience about Starmer, Streeting says: “This is a guy that gripped the Labour Party from the ashes of defeat in 2019 and has fundamentally changed it. And that was hard and it took steel. And he’s got what it takes, having changed the Labour Party, to change our country.”

9.40pm: YouGov snap poll finds no one won debate

9.35pm: Starmer: ‘Vote change. Vote Labour’

In his closing statement, Sunak repeats the Tories’ claim about a £2,000 increase in people’s taxes under Labour.

Starmer says that claim is a “lie” and that Sunak has been told not to repeat that claim. He says in his statement: “If you want to end 14 years of chaos and rebuild our country, then that power is in your hands. On July the 4th, vote change. Vote Labour.”

9.30pm: Starmer: Labour will ensure young people have good jobs and homes

The final question comes from a 20-something voter who says young people have lost hope about getting jobs and securing homes. She asks what the leaders would do to persuade her to stay in the UK.

Starmer says he would ensure that the UK has good, skilled jobs and that his party would improve housebuilding. He says the average age to buy your first home should be in your 20s rather than your 30s as it is now. He says we’ve got to build more homes and also deal with the very high rents young people are paying.

9.25pm: Starmer says he wouldn’t accept higher migration to improve Brexit deal

The next question is on mending our “broken” trading relationship with Europe. Starmer says we’re not going back to the EU but that he doesn’t accept that we can’t get a better deal. He says Labour wants to arrange to get a better deal than the one Boris Johnson “botched”.

Sunak acknowledges that we might be able to get a better deal but claims the price will be free movement of people.

Starmer describes his comments as “absolute nonsense”. Starmer stresses the UK is not going back into the EU, joining the single market or the customs union or accepting free movement. He accuses Sunak of being a “defeatist”.

Pressed on what a better deal ‘would cost’, Starmer says he would be very clear on the lines he wouldn’t cross, as he has set out. Sunak asks if Starmer would accept any greater migration as the price of a deal, and Starmer says no.

9.20pm: How can I be sure you’ll put women’s interests first?

Starmer says he has in his team “very very good, strong women”, identifying Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper and Bridget Phillipson.

Husain follows up with a question submitted by a voter asking whether the leaders will “protect women’s right to single-sex spaces from any and all males regardless of if they hold a gender recognition certificate”.

Starmer says yes and that it is “very important” to protect women’s spaces. He adds that he recognises that there is a “small number of people who are born into a gender that they don’t identify with”, telling viewers: “I will treat them, as I treat all human beings, with dignity and respect.”

9.13pm: Are you really the best choices we’ve got for PM?

The next questioner asks whether Starmer and Sunak are really the best the country’s got to be the next Prime Minister.

Starmer talks about his experience working with the police in Northern Ireland, his experience in the CPS and his work ‘changing’ the Labour Party. “This is a choice election,” he says. “This is the opportunity to turn the page.”

Starmer also says he’s not surprised at a lack of enthusiasm about the two leaders and argues that the hope has been “beaten out” of people, highlighting promises that have not been delivered on, ‘partygate’ and the election betting scandal.

9.05pm: Starmer blames council funding crisis on government funding approach

The next question is from a children’s nurse. She asks how the leaders will help cash-strapped councils.

Starmer says he’s “very concerned” about the situation and blames a lack of adequate and well-structured funding from government.

He says Labour would change the way payments are made to councils, putting them on a longer-term basis which he describes as “better use of existing money” when asked by Husain if there will be more money for councils.

Sunak claims the bankruptcy of Labour councils is a “snapshot” of what will happen if Labour is in power, telling voters not to “surrender” councils and the public finances to Labour. Starmer highlights that Tory councils have been in the same situation.

8.57pm: How will you fund your pledges?

The next questions relates to how the parties will fund their pledges. Sunak declares that voters will get tax cuts with the Tories or thousands of pounds of increases in tax with Labour.

Starmer responds: “False.” He says Labour’s manifesto has clear columns setting out the party’s costings and where the money is going to come from and that the party has “very strong” fiscal rules because it wants “stability”, highlighting the impact of unfunded tax cuts under Liz Truss.

He also accuses Sunak of having unfunded pledges in his manifesto.

8.49pm: Starmer draws applause for calling PM ‘out of touch’

Earlier in the debate, Starmer drew applause after he called Sunak “out of touch”.

8.46pm: Small boats the ‘biggest threat’ to UK’s borders, Starmer says

The next questioner asks why the UK cannot ‘easily close’ its borders as an island.

Starmer describes small boats crossing the Channel as the “biggest threat” to the UK’s borders, claims crossings are at record numbers since Sunak became PM and accuses the government of having lost control of the UK’s borders.

He says “nobody but nobody” should be making the journey across the Channel and argues we “need to smash the gangs”, highlighting his past experience leading the Crown Prosecution Service.

8.40pm: The welfare bill ‘needs to come down’, Starmer says

Asked by Husain whether the welfare bill will be higher under Labour, Starmer says: “No, it needs to come down.” He says this can be done by getting people back into work and tackling NHS waiting lists

8.35pm: Starmer: ‘If you can work, you should work’

The second questioner asks what the leaders would do to help more people to come off benefits and into work. Starmer agrees with her that work is not just about pay but also dignity and tells the audience his father worked in a factory as a toolmaker.

He says his view is “if you can work, you should work” and says Labour has got a plan to get people into work, highlighting the need to reform Jobcentres and the career service.

8.29pm: Starmer dodges question on election betting scandal

Starmer twice dodges a question from Husain about whether he knows if any other Labour candidates have placed bets in relation to the election.

He emphasises how quickly the party acted regarding Kevin Craig and says Labour’s candidates “know I expect the highest standards” and have now seen the consequences of not meeting those standards.

8.22pm: Leaders asked how they would restore trust in politics

The debate is now underway. The first questioner asks how the leaders would restore trust in politics, raising the election betting scandal.

Starmer says “you have to lead from the front” on issues like this and argues that politics “has become too much about self-entitlement”. He says he would like to “reset” politics so it returns to public service

8.08pm: McFadden: Voters ‘will witness the choice at this election’

Speaking ahead of the leader’s debate this evening, Labour’s national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden said: “Tonight, the British people will witness the choice at this election: five more years of chaos with Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives or change with Keir Starmer and Labour.

“On 4th July, the British people will have the chance to vote for change. To stop the chaos, turn the page and start to rebuild our country with Keir Starmer and a changed Labour Party.”

7.55pm: Starmer and Sunak will shortly be taking to the stage

Labour leader Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will shortly go head to head in the final leaders’ debate of the 2024 general election campaign.

The debate is being hosted by the BBC in Nottingham, with Mishal Husain chairing. The debate itself will last for an hour and a quarter followed by half an hour of reaction and analysis presented by Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie.

Read more of our 2024 general election coverage:

Labour wants a new generation of new towns. Can it win in Milton Keynes?

2024 manifesto versus 1997: ‘There are big similarities, but big differences’

‘How can I help Labour this election? The party insider’s guide to campaigning’

Revealed: The battlegrounds attracting most activists as 17,000 sign up

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