General Election 2024 LIVE as Keir Starmer faces Rishi Sunak in ITV debate

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak will go head-to-head tonight in the first UK leadership debate of the 2024 general election campaign.Appearing before a live studio audience, it will be the first time the political rivals have faced-off since Sunak announced a general election a fortnight ago.Labour are still well ahead in the polls, with recent surveys showing Starmer's party could have a majority of over 100 seats.The Tories are facing further problems as Nigel Farage has announced his return as leader of Reform UK.SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney has complained that his party are not part of the debate because the Nationalists are the third biggest group in the House of Commons. Scroll down for all the latest news and reaction from the ITV debate. The Labour leader has a go at the Tory PM over waiting lists.Both men mention their family history in the health service.Starmer spoke about his own childhood and struggling with money, saying it means he understands how people are suffering at the money.Sunak continues to claim that Labour is going to put taxes up with no proof that the party will actually doing so.Sunak says he has already done the hard work on the economy and repeats his line that the public "is just starting to feel the benefits".Starmer says the Tories have lost control of the economy.

He adds that Sunak called an election because inflation and energy bills will go up.Starmer says he will reubuild the country to make it work for families.Sunak says no one knows what Starmer will do.Starmer and Sunak are in the studio and are ready to go.The big debate will be kicking off in just a couple of minutes.Labour’s National Campaign Coordinator Pat McFadden said ahead of the debate:“The choice at this