They ducked it out for an hour and a half on prime time television on a Friday night. Here we look at some of the key moments from the BBC’s first multi-party debate, which saw seven senior political figures clash ahead of the election.
Facing off were Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.
“Completely wrong”
Penny Mordaunt did not hold back as she began the debate, criticising the prime minister’s widely condemned decision to leave the D-Day commemorations early.
“No prime minister at all”
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn also weighed in on the Tory leader and his D-Day snub, saying a PM who put his own personal career before public service is “no prime minister at all”.
“Pre-election panic”
Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth on his theory about why the PM made his D-Day mistake.
“Giant Bills”
Ms Mordaunt’s claim about what Labour’s plans for a new clean GB energy company actually means. Labour insists the plans will lead to lower household energy bills.
“Even Liz Truss on her worst days said we needed a nuclear deterrent”
Ms Mordaunt hit back at Ms Rayner’s attack on the disastrous former Tory PM,who lasted less than six weeks in office in 2022,before she was ousted by her own MPs.
“That was terribly dignified wasn’t it?”
The Greens co-leader Carla Denyer got a round of applause for this quip after Ms Rayner and Ms Morduant went at it over tax.
“That would be a novelty for you”
After Mr Farage told the studio audience “let’s deal with some logic, shall we?”, Mr Flynn interjected to tell him: “That would be a novelty for you”.
“Conspiracy of silence on Brexit”
Mr Flynn also got a round of applause when he said it has been an unmitigated disaster and hurt the economy, but accused the other political parties of refusing to talk about it.
Blair without the flair
Farage’s description of Keir Starmer. He did praise Ms Rayner somewhat saying “at least she has a personality”.
