Rishi Sunak has beaten Sir Keir Starmer in a snap poll asking viewers who performed better in tonight’s debate.
The YouGov poll delivered narrow results with Sunak gaining 51 per cent of favourable opinion while Starmer garnered 49 per cent of votes.
The party leaders were scolded as they repeatedly clashed in Tuesday night’s debate over key issues including taxes, immigration and NHS waiting times.
Debate mediator Julie Etchingham told the Labour and Conservative leaders to stop shouting over each other as they went head-to-head.
The prime minister will welcome the snap survey results as he was striving to turn his party’s fortunes around in opinion polls.
With just four weeks to go until the general election, the debate on ITV represented a last chance for the Tories after a series of polls suggested Sir Keir was on course to win more seats than Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory.
The Conservatives have been predicted to get less than 100 seats – a historic low – in four of the last five polls. The countdown is now on for Keir Starmer and Sunak to put up their case in front of millions of voters.
Pictures: Briton’s watch first head-to-head
Labour denies Starmer took ‘too long’ to push back on tax
Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth denied that Sir Keir Starmer had taken too long to push back on Rishi Sunak’s claims that Labour would raise tax by £2,000.
He told reporters: “He was very clear, he said it was absolute garbage.
“You’re right, Rishi Sunak, in a very tetchy way, continued to interrupt Keir so you can obviously see Rishi Sunak is under some pressure, so I’ll grant you that, he continued to interrupt time after time, but Keir said that figure from Sunak is absolute garbage, which it is.”
Tell us who your winner is as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer go head-to-head
After an hour of back-and-forth between Sir Keir and Mr Sunak, we want to know what you made of the ITV debate. Have you changed your mind about either party?
Who was your winner on the night?
Greens hit out at Sunak and Starmer over cost of living
After that heated debate between both leaders, the Greens have accused the Tories and Labour of not being serious about cost of living.
Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay:“If either Sunak or Starmer was serious about tackling the cost of living they would join The Greens in offering real hope and real change.
“This would be raising Universal Credit by £40 a week, introduce a carer income guarantee, end the two child benefit cap and pledge to tax the wealthiest who can afford to shoulder more. Instead they seem more interested in talking over each other in a show of one upmanship”
Rishi Sunak appealed to voters wavering between Tories and Reform UK
In his closing statement, the Prime Minister said: “Either Keir Starmer or I will be your prime minister and a vote for anyone else makes it more likely that it will be him.”
He also told voters “you don’t know what you’d get” if they chose Labour.
“We’ve heard a lot about change from him but change to what? Keir Starmer is asking you to hand him a blank check when he hasn’t said what he’ll buy with it, or how much it’s going to cost you.
“In uncertain times we simply cannot afford an uncertain prime minister.”
Independent readers have their say on election debate
Hana4 said: “Julie Etchingham could not control Sunak’s ranting and gave him far more talk time. Starmer came over well but has to learn to be more punchy with his replies.”
And null wrote: “Starmer was the clear winner – poised and Prime Ministerial, Sunak came across as entitled, petulant and out of touch.”
But NicC disagreed, adding: “I’ve voted Labour all my adult life, but would rather pluck out both of my eyes than vote for Starmer’s Labour! The debate was a sham and didn’t change my mind.”
Starmer: ‘We will not pull out of international agreements’
Sunak vs Starmer fight continues online
The debate has now ended, but both parties are still throwing personal jibes at each other on social media.
Shadow minister defends Starmer tax claim
Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth denied that Sir Keir Starmer had taken too long to push back on Rishi Sunak’s claims that Labour would raise tax by £2,000.
He told reporters: “He was very clear, he said it was absolute garbage.
“You’re right, Rishi Sunak, in a very tetchy way, continued to interrupt Keir so you can obviously see Rishi Sunak is under some pressure, so I’ll grant you that, he continued to interrupt time after time, but Keir said that figure from Sunak is absolute garbage, which it is.”
