RISHI Sunak skewered Sir Keir Starmer on immigration, taxes and women’s rights in an explosive final TV debate of the election campaign.
Sparks flew as the pair locked horns in Nottingham, with the PM begging the audience not to “surrender” the economy and Britain’s borders to Labour.
Amid screeching from Palestine protesters outside, Mr Sunak hit out at Sir Keir for planning to make Britain the “soft touch of Europe” on migration.
He battered the Labour chief over his pledge to ditch the Rwanda deportation scheme in place of “smashing the gangs”.
Referencing cult classic Jaws, Mr Sunak said: “If Labour win, the people smugglers are going to need a bigger boat.
“Don’t surrender our borders to the Labour Party.”
On taxes, the PM warned that Sir Keir will force people to personally pay more to fill treasury coffers.
And he blasted the Labour boss for not agreeing to change the Equality Act to protect spaces for biological women.
Hitting back Sir Keir said: “As chief prosecutor, I was working with groups who were supporting women who’ve been subjected to domestic violence and sexual violence.
“I could see for myself how important it is just to have those women’s spaces, same in hospitals and a sport, so yes to that.
“What I will also say is that I do realise that there are a small number of all who are born into a gentleman they don’t identify, I will treat them as I treat all human beings with dignity and respect.”
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Rishi Sunak: Those involved in betting scandal must ‘face the full consequences’
Speaking to The Sun’s Political Editor Harry Cole on our Never Mind The Ballots election showdown on Monday, the Prime Minister insisted anyone involved in the General Election betting scandal must “face the full consequences”.
Sitting in front of Sun readers, Mr Sunak said: “I’ve been crystal clear, if anyone has broken the rules and not upheld the standards, I would expect they will be held to account.
“They should face the consequences of the law, and they will be booted out of the Conservative Party.
“I was as angry as anybody when I heard about these things. The right thing to do is to get to the bottom of this and investigate this properly.”
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Starmer’s rare praise of Boris Johnson
In unlikely scenes, Sir Keir Starmer offered words of praise for Boris Johnson when speaking to Sun readers last night.
The Labour leader hailed Johnson’s handling of Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
He said: “Let me do something I don’t do very often, and praise Boris Johnson.”
He went on: “I was leader of the opposition, and I said, we will support the government. And so there’s been unity in parliament from the outbreak of that conflict and Russia aggression there.
“And I thought that was important, Boris Johnson thought it was important, because I think we both took the view that the only winner, if there was a split in our politics here in the UK, would be Putin. He wanted to see division in other countries, and we didn’t allow him.”
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GMB Ofcom complaints over Nigel Farage clash
Reform UK leader Nigel, 60, butted heads with hosts Susanna Reid, 53, and Ed Balls, 57, when he appeared on the ITV breakfast show live from the campaign trail.
Speaking via video link, the politican was grilled by the anchors over his party’s manifesto and candidates’ social media activity.
But 471 viewers were left outraged by the way he was treated in the interview and filed complaints with the broadcasting regulator.
Things began to get heated when Susanna asked: “How can you defend 41 candidates for your party found to be social media friends with a fascist leader?”
Mr Farage replied: “Most of our candidates are not political sophisticates. Having said that, like the Green Party and, like other parties, we’ve had one or two slip through the net that shouldn’t have done.
“There will be a story coming out at lunchtime today, where you will hear that we paid a very large sum of money to a reputable vetting company who didn’t do the work.
“So yes, we’ve got one or two problems but people like each other on Facebook and I’m sorry, I just don’t take that seriously.”
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Suspensions should have happened a ‘week ago’, Keir Starmer claims
Labour leader Keir Starmer has said Tories involved in the General Election betting scandal should have been suspended a “week ago.”
Sir Keir said: “Why didn’t it happen a week ago?”
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the suspensions should have happened “immediately.”
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Kwasi Kwarteng feels ‘partially responsible’ for Tory election woes
Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has said he feels “partially responsible” for the Conservative’s current plight but hit out at Rishi Sunak for his handling of the wider election.
He told GB News: “I feel partially responsible but I don’t feel responsible for leaving D-day early, I don’t feel responsible for the Reform party which was on 4% in October 2022 being on nearly 20% now.
“I don’t feel responsible for the election betting scandal, nor do I feel responsible for the fact that this election has happened way before anyone was expecting it.”
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Jeremy Hunt’s demands
Labour has been urged to come clean on secret tax plans after paving the way for post-election hikes.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt demanded his opposite number Rachel Reeves lay out her entire economic blueprint to voters amid fears she is plotting a series of raids.
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Ed Davey not thinking about leading the opposition
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is not thinking about becoming the leader of the opposition come next week’s General Election.
The Lib Dems are yet to surpass the Conservatives in the polls, but a further Tory collapse could place the party in an unexpected position.
Asked by LBC if becoming opposition enters his mind, Davey said: “It genuinely doesn’t, for this reason.
“When I became leader of the Liberal Democrats, we were not in a good place, I had to tell the party we’ve got to wake up and smell the coffee. And I set a target for ourselves of beating lots of Conservative MPs to remove this government – which I regard as the worst government probably in democratic history, it’s so bad.
“My job is to make sure we win those and I’m not going to think about what happens after the election.”
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Cutting knife crime to be a ‘moral mission’ for Labour government
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to make tackling knife crime a “moral mission” should his party win the General Election.
The Labour leader has vowed to chair an annual knife crime summit if elected as he says the issue is “above and beyond party politics.
Sir Keir said: “Knife crime is an issue above and beyond party politics.
“For the parents grieving sons and daughters who never came home, action to end this scourge cannot wait.“Far too often we hear the same stories from grieving families who have been subject to these brutal murders carried out by children.
“It is our duty as political leaders of all stripes to work together to end knife crime and keep our young people safe.
“Cutting knife crime will be a moral mission for the next Labour government.
“Our new cross-government coalition will put knife crime victims and their families at the heart of government, working with us to take the strongest action in a generation to end this tragic crime.”
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Labour double down on ‘hundreds of billions’ line
Top Tory David Davis lashes out at Darren Jones – probing him on the “hundreds of billions” line.
Mr Jones says the money would come “from the private sector.”
He later added: “Just to be clear what this is, this was a coffee morning in my constituency. I think you may have sent someone to spy. In future you’re very welcome. You can sign up for a ticket on my website. You’re very welcome. CCHQ are welcome to come.”
“I can say it now. It will cost hundreds of billions of pounds to hit net zero by 2050. But most of that money will come from the private sector.”
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ANALYSIS: Rishi came out swinging
Rishi Sunak came out swinging on tackling illegal immigration – demanding to know if Labour would do a deal with the Taliban.
The Prime Minister took Sir Keir Starmer to task on stopping small boat Channel crossings and how to send back rejected asylum seekers.
He called out his opponent on how he would make deals with the Taliban in Afghanistan or Iran’s leaders to send migrants from those countries back.
The PM needed a big performance on the night to shore up his core support and claw back Tories who have switched to Reform.
He said: “Will you sit down with the Ayatollah? Are you going to try to do a deal with the Taliban? It’s completely nonsensical – you are taking people for fools.”
The PM received a round of applause when he said illegal immigrants would be “out on our streets” under a Labour government.
Sir Keir pointed out that record numbers of migrants are crossing the Channel in small boats under the Tories.
A senior Tory source last night said: “Sir Keir folded like a deckchair when it came to immigration.”
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Cleverly: Starmer was ‘fragile’
James Cleverly blasts Keir Starmer for a “very, very fragile” performance.
The Home Secretary says: “What we saw from Keir Starmer, someone who’s very, very fragile when actually pushed to answer the questions,
“He talked over Mishal, he talked over Rishi, he talked over the audience, which is why Rishi really had to assert himself.
“But what we saw over and over again was Starmer failing to answer the questions, failing to answer what it means to be a woman, failing to answer what he would do with asylum seekers.”
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Snap poll is dead heat
RISHI Sunak and Keir Starmer tied the debate, according to a snap YouGov poll.
The PM and Labour chief could only manage a draw as neither conclusively won over viewers in the final head-to-head debate.
Despite the PM’s more attacking attitude catching Keir on the backfoot, both won 50 per cent of the vote when ‘don’t know’ responses were removed.
With uncertain watchers added in, both scored 47 per cent.
YouGov surveyed 1,716 viewers who were all asked to put their personal politics to one side.
The Tory chief was hoping to make it 2-0 in debates after scraping the ITV head-to-head 51 vs 49 on the same YouGov poll.
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And Keir finishes off…
Keir: “My message to you is simple.
“If you want your NHS back, you have to vote for it.
“If you want a growing economy, you have to vote for it. If you want more police on our streets, for teachers in our schools, you have to vote for it.
“If you want to end 14 years of chaos, rebuild our country. That power is in your hands on July 4. Vote change, vote Labour”.
And that’s it for tonight… off to the spin room where Ryan Sabey will bring you all the latest updates.
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Rishi closes…
Rishi: “I understand. I understand why you’re frustrated with our party with me. I get it.
“But this is not this is not a by-election, it’s a choice which will profound consequences for you and our country. Before you make that choice, think what a Labour government would mean. Can you afford to pay at least £2000 more in taxes?
“And why won’t Keir Starmer be straight with you about what he wants to do? If you are not certain about Labour, don’t surrender to them. Don’t vote for any other party. Vote Conservative.”
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Time for the closing statements…
That’s the end of the questions, here are their final 30 second statements… decided by another coin toss!
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Final Q is on housing
Asked why there is little hope for people in their 20s (very fun, as ever) the pair both opt to talk about housing.
Sir Keir says: “We would ensure that we’ve got good, well paid skilled jobs here for you and other young people.
“We would make sure that we build the houses to ensure the dream of homeownership, because at the moment is being killed.
“The average age for young people to get a house is in their 30s. Now, I think it should be in their 20s, and if we have five more years of this government to go up to the 40s.
“We’ve got to build more houses 1.5 million houses across the country. That means tough decisions about planning and where those houses are going to be.”
Rishi says: “I’ve got two very practical, specific things that we will do.
The first is to reintroduce a new form of Help to Buy… it means that you won’t have to save for the entire deposit, just five per cent ,and then you’ll be able to get a Help to Buy loan from the government which covers another 20%.
“So that potentially can save you tens of thousands.
“And the second thing that we will do is effectively abolish stamp duty for first-time buyers on the vast, vast majority of first-time buyers,.”
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‘You’re not being straight with people… what it will cost is more migration’
Rishi goes on: “I’ve negotiated with the EU for the Windsor framework, restored the government in Northern Ireland and made sure that we are part of the horizon scheme on positive terms to be welcomed by the entire research community.
“I’ve got a track record of doing those deals with the EU. You just say you’ll get a deal.
“What will it cost? You’re not being straight with people. I know what it will cost is more migration, he’s not being straight with you.
“You don’t you just magic some good thing for us and they won’t want something in return, right? It’s just taking people for fools.
“They’ve been crystal clear the price of any of those things is greater migration. As the prime minister, you would have to give something in return for those kind of deals.”
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Vinyl signs…
The pair get a question from a vinyl store owner. Very fancy…
She says her trade with the EU has been decimated by Brexit.
Rishi says: “When I talk to small retailers like yours, I think you had said you have your premises, the thing that everyone talks about as business rates, right? That’s why we’ve cut business rates for retail, restaurants, shops across the country and Labour in Wales, they haven’t done that.”
Keir says, without answering either: “I did vote to remain… We left the EU, we’re not going back.
“I do not accept that we can’t get a better deal than the one that we’ve got.
“Because too many businesses are in a position you’re in which is you put yourself into your business. You put your money into your business, you take huge risks. And I think you should be supported.
“So we want to arrange to get a better deal in trade relations with the EU. I think Boris Johnson botched it. He just wanted to say he could get a deal across the line so we can get a better deal.”
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Rishi lashing Keir on trust
The PM says: “This is about the courage of your convictions and principles. I believe when it comes to these matters, sex means biological science, and of course, we should have compassion and tolerance for people who are going through questioning that.
“Fundamentally when it comes to women’s safety, women’s only spaces or sex means biological sex.
“When one of his own female MPs made that point a while ago, he said that she was wrong. She was hounded and hounded. He said she was wrong now, he’s now changed his mind.”
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Keir also says yes…
Keir: “As chief prosecutor, I was working with groups who were supporting women who’ve been subjected to domestic violence and sexual violence.
“I could see for myself (how important it is) just to have those women’s spaces, same in hospitals and a sport, so yes to that.
“What I will also say is that I do realise that there are a small number of all who are born into a gentleman they don’t identify, I will treat them as I treat all human beings with dignity and respect.”
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Switching to gender issues
Vicki asks whether the pair will protect single-sex spaces.
Rishi blasts: “Yes, unequivocally and we will do that by changing the law so that the equalities act recognises that sex means biological sex and that will allow us to deliver on what Vicki wants which is to protect female only spaces and female only services.
“It’s crystal clear for you there is a choice on that question at this election, because Keir Starmer has not matched that pledge to reform the Equalities Act.”
He gets a round of applause.
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And Rishi has the dad factor
Rishi: “The easiest thing I can tell you is that I have two young daughters.
“And that’s why you can trust me because as a dad, first and foremost, rather than a politician or prime minister.
“I want them to grow up in a country which is safe for them when they become teenagers and come around on the road, making sure that we have like police on the streets, our community and say, for women or girls is really important to me.”
He gets an applause for this line – “I want my girls to grow up in a country where the sky’s the limit for their ambitions. there is nothing that they can’t do.”
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It’s all about the women now!
A female audience member asks the two men how integral women will be to their administrations.
Keir goes first, namedropping some big hitters.
“I have in my team as partners, very, very good strong women that will deliver for the country.
“Rachel Reeves would be the first woman Chancellor if we’re elected to government – she worked in the Bank of England. She is very, very keen and strong on the fiscal rules and what we need to do for our economy.
“I’ve got my deputy who again, has an incredible background coming from a difficult background where she was a care worker for many years and now deputy leader of my party.
“I’m very proud of these people and plenty of others.”
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Are they really the best, though?
Rishi: “I get the frustrations, but think about the choice. Allow me to finish the job.”
Keir: “What I’m now asking for is the opportunity to change our country for the better because we’ve had 14 awful years.”
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Ouch…
Rishi and Keir are asked if they are “really the best we’ve got”. Burn.
Rob asks: “Rishi Sunak, I think you made a fair job of being Chancellor, but you’re pretty mediocre Prime Minister.
“Keir Starmer, I think that your strings are being pulled by very senior members of the Labour Party. Are you two really the best we’ve got to be the next prime minister of our great country?”
Sir Keir says his “delicate” work in Northern Ireland showed he has the mettle, while Rishi Sunak brings up tax again – and says families will surrender their money to Labour if his rival wins.
