Photo Credit: ANI
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer faced off on Wednesday in their last TV debate before the upcoming election. They both attacked each other personally and criticized each other’s parties.
Sunak’s Conservatives are behind Labour by about 20 points in the polls. He accused Starmer of not being honest about immigration, taxes, and women’s rights. Sunak urged voters not to trust the Labour Party.
During the 75-minute BBC event, Sunak repeatedly claimed that Starmer planned tax increases and had no strategy for dealing with illegal immigration. Starmer countered by accusing Sunak of making promises about taxes without explaining how to pay for them. He also accused Sunak of being out of touch with ordinary people.
Audience members at Nottingham Trent University questioned both leaders’ suitability for prime minister. A YouGov poll afterward showed the debate as a tie, with each leader at 50%.
Immigration was a major topic. Sunak rejected Starmer’s proposal to send migrants back to their home countries, calling it unrealistic and comparing it to negotiating with the leaders of Iran or the Taliban.
Polls suggest Starmer is likely to win the election by a large margin, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Both leaders have debated and met with voters frequently, emphasizing their qualifications to lead the country.
Starmer argued that after 14 years of Conservative rule marked by “chaos,” the country needs a change. He claimed to understand the struggles of families dealing with high inflation and a cost of living crisis.
Critics have targeted Sunak for launching his campaign in bad weather and missing a D-Day memorial. He also faced criticism over a betting scandal involving party officials.
Starmer has been accused of being too scripted and failing to explain how he would fund improvements to public services at public events.
One audience member summed up the sentiments of many, questioning whether Sunak and Starmer were truly the best options to lead the country. He criticized Sunak as a “mediocre prime minister” and suggested Starmer was controlled by senior Labour Party members.