Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to Face Off in First TV Debate of UK General Election Campaign

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are set to engage in their first live televised debate of the UK general election campaign. Sunak aims to highlight Starmer's 'lack of a plan' as the Conservative party trails Labour by over 20 points. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage re-enters the scene as the leader of Reform UK, launching a campaign to lead a 'political revolt' against the major parties.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will face off in the first live television debate of the UK general election campaign on Tuesday night, broadcast on ITV1 at 9 pm. This highly anticipated debate will take place in Manchester. Sunak, whose Conservative party trails Labour by over 20 points, aims to highlight what he claims is Starmer's "lack of a plan." Despite a YouGov net favorability rating of -48, Sunak's team acknowledges that a single debate is unlikely to drastically shift the campaign’s momentum.

Televised debates are a relatively new addition to UK politics, with the first occurring in 2010. Starmer has agreed to only two head-to-head debates with Sunak, reflecting a strategy to minimize risks. Both leaders have been rigorously preparing for this one-hour debate.

Simultaneously, Nigel Farage has re-entered the electoral scene, declaring himself as the leader of Reform UK and launching his campaign in Clacton, Essex. Farage aims to lead a "political revolt" against both the Conservative and Labour parties, citing public dissatisfaction with their handling of issues like immigration and public services.

Further televised debates are planned, including a multi-party debate on June 13 and another head-to-head between Sunak and Starmer moderated by the BBC on June 26 in Nottingham.