Seven candidates from each party sparred in a fierce ITV News debate over immigration, child benefit, tax and trust.
At the debate, which took place at the midpoint of the six-week general election campaign, representatives of the Conservatives, Labour, Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru answered questions from the audience in Salford and from each other.
The Conservative Party’s Penny Mordaunt has been quite relentless in her attacks on Labour, repeatedly accusing it of planning tax hikes, something Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has tried to deny.
Smaller parties such as the Scottish National Party (SNP), the Green Party and Plaid Cymru have also looked to Labour, often arguing that it is too similar to the Conservatives.
- author, Kate Whannell
- role, Political reporter
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, pointed to one opinion poll which suggested his party could beat the Conservatives to third place, within the margin of error, and claimed he was now “the antithesis of Labour”.
You can find all the election poll tracking here.
During the election campaign, Conservative Party officials urged their traditional voters not to support Reform UK, as doing so would mean Keir Starmer would become Downing Street.
Mr Farage tried to play down his attacks on the Conservative party on Thursday, saying a Conservative vote would “make possible” a Labour government.
“A vote for you is effectively a vote for the Labour Party,” he told Mr Mordaunt.
He said the Conservatives had repeatedly promised to cut immigration but had failed to deliver.
“Why should we believe the Fifth Manifesto, which promises to reduce net immigration?” he asked.
Mordaunt’s response, “It’s because of this prime minister’s record,” drew laughter from some in the audience.
She pointed to a recent drop in visa applications and projections that immigration will be cut in half by next summer.
She accused Mr Farage of being a “Labour backstop” by dividing Conservative supporters.
But for much of the debate, Mordaunt’s focus was on the Labor Party.
In her closing speech she said Labour would increase taxes and bills.
“These are hard truths but it’s better to face them now than regret them later… Don’t give the Labour Party a blank cheque.”
Mr Rayner emphasised his party’s message, saying he would deliver growth to “every corner of the country”.
“Why be so timid, why wait for growth?” Green Party co-leader Carla Denier asked Rayner as she urged him to adopt her party’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest parts of society.
She said the Conservative party was “finished” and accused Labour of offering “the same broken politics garnished with red roses”.
Labour’s deputy leader was also criticised by the SNP’s Stephen Flynn.
He said it was “shameful” that Labour had not committed to rejoining the EU.
Plaid Cymru leader Rune ap Iowelt expressed surprise that Labour had not committed to removing the two-child benefit cap, something Mr Farage appears to support.
“What happened to the Labour Party?” he asked, arguing the cap was hurting the poorest families.
Mr Rayner said the party would not get involved in “unfunded” policies, pointing to Labour’s plans to provide breakfast clubs for children.
Asked about the cap restricting some benefits to the first two children in a family, Mr Farage said: “I think we should encourage people to have families.”
Speaking earlier on the immigration debate, Mr Iorworth said politicians needed to listen to people’s “real concerns” and accused Mr Farage of “exploiting people’s fears”.
Mr Flynn said Scottish businesses needed more immigration, not less, while Mr Rayner said the Scottish economy was too reliant on overseas workers and spoke of Labour’s plans to improve people’s skills.
Asked by ITV presenter Julie Etchingham if they thought there were too many immigrants, four in seven people – Mr Farage, Mr Mordaunt, Daisy Cooper, the deputy Lib Dem leader and Mr Rayner – raised their hands.
As a final question, politicians were asked how they would restore public trust in politics.
Mr Cooper said trust had been “shattered” in recent years.
She said more power should be given to local governments and argued that the current voting model should be replaced by proportional representation so that “everyone’s vote actually counts in general elections”.
The call for proportional representation was backed by both Denier and Farage.
