Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer clash in UK election debate

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, struggling to narrow a substantial poll gap, has taken an aggressive approach against his Labor Party opponent, Keir Starmer. /p>
The two contenders for the post of Britain's next prime minister clashed angrily on Tuesday over tax, immigration and health policy, in a televised debate that sometimes degenerated into bad-tempered exchanges as political rivals talked over each other. .
The confrontation came exactly a month before a crucial general election that will determine whether the opposition Labor Party can capitalize on its strong lead in opinion polls and end 14 turbulent years of Conservative-led government during which the party had five different prime ministers.
Almost as soon as the debate began, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has claimed that his opponent, Labor leader Keir Starmer, would increase Britons' taxes by £2,000 a year if he won the election, repeating the claim several times. "It's absolutely rubbish," Mr Starmer finally responded.
The Labor Party said the figure was based on faulty assumptions, and Jonathan Ashworth, a The party's senior lawmaker, claimed in an interview with Sky News after the debate that Mr Sunak was lying. But Mr Starmer's failure to clearly reject that claim at the start of the program set the tone for what followed: a strong but defensive performance from the opposition leader against a forceful and sometimes ruthless opponent.
A snap opinion poll of viewers declared Mr Sunak the narrow winner, although Mr Starmer was seen as more likeable and trustworthy. Although the debate is unlikely to yield a significant number of votes, Mr Sunak's performance may have eased some nerves within his anxious party.
ImageTuesday's debate was the first of two scheduled televised contests between Mr Sunak and Mr Starmer.Credit...Paul Ellis/Agence France- Press — Getty Images
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World Jun 5, 2024 0 18 Add to Reading List

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer clash in UK election debate

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, struggling to narrow a substantial poll gap, has taken an aggressive approach against his Labor Party opponent, Keir Starmer. /p>

The two contenders for the post of Britain's next prime minister clashed angrily on Tuesday over tax, immigration and health policy, in a televised debate that sometimes degenerated into bad-tempered exchanges as political rivals talked over each other. .

The confrontation came exactly a month before a crucial general election that will determine whether the opposition Labor Party can capitalize on its strong lead in opinion polls and end 14 turbulent years of Conservative-led government during which the party had five different prime ministers.

Almost as soon as the debate began, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has claimed that his opponent, Labor leader Keir Starmer, would increase Britons' taxes by £2,000 a year if he won the election, repeating the claim several times. "It's absolutely rubbish," Mr Starmer finally responded.

The Labor Party said the figure was based on faulty assumptions, and Jonathan Ashworth, a The party's senior lawmaker, claimed in an interview with Sky News after the debate that Mr Sunak was lying. But Mr Starmer's failure to clearly reject that claim at the start of the program set the tone for what followed: a strong but defensive performance from the opposition leader against a forceful and sometimes ruthless opponent.

A snap opinion poll of viewers declared Mr Sunak the narrow winner, although Mr Starmer was seen as more likeable and trustworthy. Although the debate is unlikely to yield a significant number of votes, Mr Sunak's performance may have eased some nerves within his anxious party.

ImageTuesday's debate was the first of two scheduled televised contests between Mr Sunak and Mr Starmer.Credit...Paul Ellis/Agence France- Press — Getty Images

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