The United Kingdom is all set to go to the polls on July 4, and its Rishi Sunak (conservative Party) vs Sir Keir Starmer (Labour Party), for the Prime Ministerial Seat.
On Wednesday, Sunak and Starmer went head-to-head in a heated final pre-election TV debate at the BBC’s Prime Ministerial Debate in Nottingham. It was a crucial platform for both to sway undecided voters.
Moderated by journalist Mishal Husain, the debate began at 8:15pm local time (19:15 GMT) and concluded at 9:30pm (20:30 GMT).
Rishi Sunak’s Aggression
Rishi Sunak, Britain's Prime Minister launched a series of forceful attacks on opposition leader Keir Starmer. He dominated the discussion and put Starmer on the back foot. He repeatedly interrupted the Labour leader, accusing Starmer of not being straightforward with the public.
Keir Starmer, trying not to lose his cool in the face of the interruptions, sighed and occasionally responded with visible frustration.
One particularly noteworthy instance was when Starmer corrected Sunak for his interruptions, implying that Sunak might not come across as so disconnected if he paid attention to people all over the nation.
Tax Debate
Prime Minister Sunak was particularly outspoken during the tax portion of the debate, repeatedly interrupting Sir Keir Starmer to charge Labour with large-scale tax increases.
"It is in their DNA. Mark my words. Your pension, your council tax, your home, your car, you name it, they will tax it," Sunak asserted, emphasising his belief that a Labour government would impose a broad range of new taxes.
Starmer had already come under fire for his performance in the first debate, as it was perceived that he was unable to adequately refute Sunak's criticisms of Labour's tax proposals.
This time, Sunak unveiled a fresh attack, Sunak cited recent council bankruptcies as a "snapshot" of what might occur in a Labour government, citing Nottingham, a Labour-run city, among others.
Sunak accused Labour of planning a "retirement tax," despite Labour's stance to upholding the pensions triple lock, which guarantees that the state pension rises by the greater of inflation, average earnings growth, or 2.5%.
But Starmer denied these allegations, calling them "falsehoods" and pointing out Sunak's own track record.
Starmer said, "He has raised tax 26 times - nobody has raised more tax than this prime minister.”
Immigration
In a heated debate about immigration, which is a major worry for British voters, opposition leader Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak presented radically different strategies for addressing the problem.
Starmer's proposal to send migrants back to their countries of origin was criticised by Sunak, who drew attention to the impracticability of holding talks with the governments of countries like Afghanistan, Syria, and Iran.
"Is he going to sit down with the Iranian Ayatollah? Are you going to try and do a deal with the Taliban? It’s completely nonsensical. You are taking people for fools," Sunak said.
Starmer responded by criticising the prime minister for the government's current plan to deport migrants to Rwanda who have failed to secure asylum. After 14 years of what he called Conservative "chaos," Starmer attacked the way the government handled immigration, claiming that the nation was worn out.
In order to maintain the integrity of the UK's borders and discourage illegal immigration, Sunak defended the tactics used by his administration.
‘Women-only’ spaces
The candidates were asked if they would protect women-only spaces. They both agreed on the equivalence of “sex” and “biological sex” but differed on the legal instruments required to achieve women-only spaces.
Mr Sunak was quick to assert his belief that protecting women's spaces was vital.
Sir Keir jabbed at Mr Sunak for a lack of compassion, saying he had joked about trans issues in front of the grieving mother of Brianna Ghey, a trans teenager who was murdered.
He urged the PM to "stop always trying to divide everybody" by using human beings as a "political football" to loud whoops of approval from some in the crowd.
Do not ‘surrender’, Sunak’s Plea
In his direct address to the people, Prime Minister Sunak repeatedly urged them not to "surrender" to Labour on issues like borders, finances, or council taxes. Throughout the 75-minute debate, Sunak, who was in danger of losing his Richmond (Yorkshire) seat, cautioned the audience about the negative effects of a Labour government.
He underlined the difficulties brought about by the 14-year rule of the Conservative Party, citing the effects of the pandemic, four consecutive Conservative prime ministers, collapsing public services such as the National Health Service, and an issue with rising living expenses.
Starmer took advantage of the occasion to attack Sunak's management of the election bets scandal, saying the PM was not doing enough to "lead from the front" in terms of political standards. He questioned Sunak's integrity and leadership after bringing up his Partygate police fine.
Audience’s Personal Attack
Audience members also did not hold back, with one, Robert Blackstock, delivering a stinging critique of both leaders. Accusing Mr. Sunak of being "a pretty mediocre prime minister" and suggesting Sir Keir’s "strings are being pulled" by senior Labour members, he questioned,
"Are you two really the best we've got to be the next prime minister of our great country?" His pointed question drew loud applause from the audience.
In conclusion, the debate covered a range of pressing topics including the cost of living, taxes and welfare, immigration, and gender. Both leaders argued loudly, reflecting the high stakes of the election.
(Inputs from Agencies)
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