Sunak refuses to accept tax burden will definitely rise during next parliament – general election TV Q&A live | General election 2024
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Starmer and Sunak in Sky’s leaders special – snap verdict
I’ve just heard a (normally sensible) Sky presenter ask if this is going to change the election campaign. Of course it won’t (although that does not stop TV bosses hoping otherwise.) But what this might do is change the way these encounters are scheduled. This was a more sensible and revealing programme than the ITV leaders’ debate we had last week, partly because Beth Rigby was good, but mostly because Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak were subject to robust challenge, from the presenter (Rigby) and from the audience. Debating each other, they were also subject to challenge, but challenge that felt trite, misleading or feigned.
The audience was much more sceptical about Sunak (which is what you would expect, if it was representative of the nation as monitored by polling companies) and it would be surprising if any snap polling doesn’t favour the Labour leader. There was nothing particularly new in what Sunak had to say. But he sounded less tetchy and thin-skinned than in some of his campaign appearances, and he did not say anything that will cause his campaign fresh problems.
As explained earlier, Starmer was thrown onto the defensive right at the start as Rigby questioned him cleverly and consistently about Jeremy Corbyn. (See 8.21pm.) After that Starmer was fine. He did not really make big news either, but he was quite interesting when he talked about how, over time, he has become “much clearer in my own mind that the country must come first” (see see 8.13pm), he did not seriously push back when Rigby helpfully interpreted what his answers about not ruling out tax rises meant (see 7.48pm), and he actually sounded as if he meant it when he talked about relishing the chance to take big decisions (see 7.56pm). Of the two, he seemed more prime ministerial.
Key events
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Starmer won Sky News leaders special, beating Sunak by 64% to 36%, poll suggests
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Starmer and Sunak in Sky’s leaders special – snap verdict
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Sunak takes questions from audience
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Sunak refuses to accept tax burden will definitely rise over course of next parliament
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Sunak says he felt ‘incredibly sad’ to have upset people with D-day snub
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Starmer’s peformance – snap verdict
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Starmer takes questions from audience
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Starmer says he is not afraid of ‘big decisions’ he would have to take as PM
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Starmer says he would be happy to pay more in tax
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Starmer refuses to rule out putting up capital gains tax
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Starmer refuses to rule out council tax revaluation in England under Labour
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Starmer dodges question about whether he genuinely believed Corbyn would be great PM when he said so
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Starmer rejects claim voters have reason not to trust him
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Streeting says Tories deliberately talking up prospect of big defeat so people no need to vote for change
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Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer face live TV Q&A on Sky News
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Lib Dems call for pupil premium extension to help young carers
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Proportion of election candidates who are women has fallen to below one third, figures show
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MSPs pass bill setting up protest-free buffer zones outside abortion clinics in Scotland
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Labour winning with huge majority would be ‘deeply unhealthy for democracy’, former Tory attorney general Geoffrey Cox claims
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Jenkyns says Tories should ‘work with wider conservative movement’ after election, in olive branch to Reform UK
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Tory candidate Andrea Jenkyns defends issuing leaflet showing her alongside Nigel Farage
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SNP says, if Tories says Labour on course for ‘supermajority’, it is safe for Scottish voters to back them, not Starmer
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Labour claims Sunak’s national service policy has ‘blown up’ after Shapps says military option lasts just 25 days, not full year
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Rhun ap Iorwerth urges Labour supporters to vote Plaid Cymru so Starmer, with big majority, held to account
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IFS says some of Greens’ tax plans ‘sensible’, but it’s ‘unlikely’ they would raise as much as party claims
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Nigel Farage offered additional private security by the Home Office after objects thrown during campaigning
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SNP and Labour even in Scotland, poll suggests
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Sunak insists he has ‘absolutely not’ lost hope of winning general election
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Greens ‘being honest’ about investment needed’, says Denyer defending ‘ambitious’ spending pledges
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Key points from the Green party manifesto launch
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What have the Greens announced?
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Greens say top 1% will have to pay more tax as they launch manifesto
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Starmer says local government, not central government, should be deciding on 20mph zones
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Trust in British politics hits record low, latest BSA survey finds
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Labour says it will urgently consider stripping Avanti West Coast of contract if it wins election
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Rishi Sunak says he went without ‘lots of things’ including Sky TV as a child – video
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Shapps gives wrong figure for stamp duty policy in LBC interview
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Grant Shapps suggests Tories are fighting to prevent Labour securing a ‘supermajority’
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Sunak labelled ‘out of touch’ over Sky TV comments
Starmer won Sky News leaders special, beating Sunak by 64% to 36%, poll suggests
A snap poll by YouGov suggests that, by a margin of almost two to one, viewers thought Keir Starmer was better than Rishi Sunak. This is from Sky’s Sam Coates.
Who won Sky Event according YouGov?
Sunak 36%
Starmer 64%1864 respondents
— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) June 12, 2024
Starmer and Sunak in Sky’s leaders special – snap verdict
I’ve just heard a (normally sensible) Sky presenter ask if this is going to change the election campaign. Of course it won’t (although that does not stop TV bosses hoping otherwise.) But what this might do is change the way these encounters are scheduled. This was a more sensible and revealing programme than the ITV leaders’ debate we had last week, partly because Beth Rigby was good, but mostly because Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak were subject to robust challenge, from the presenter (Rigby) and from the audience. Debating each other, they were also subject to challenge, but challenge that felt trite, misleading or feigned.
The audience was much more sceptical about Sunak (which is what you would expect, if it was representative of the nation as monitored by polling companies) and it would be surprising if any snap polling doesn’t favour the Labour leader. There was nothing particularly new in what Sunak had to say. But he sounded less tetchy and thin-skinned than in some of his campaign appearances, and he did not say anything that will cause his campaign fresh problems.
As explained earlier, Starmer was thrown onto the defensive right at the start as Rigby questioned him cleverly and consistently about Jeremy Corbyn. (See 8.21pm.) After that Starmer was fine. He did not really make big news either, but he was quite interesting when he talked about how, over time, he has become “much clearer in my own mind that the country must come first” (see see 8.13pm), he did not seriously push back when Rigby helpfully interpreted what his answers about not ruling out tax rises meant (see 7.48pm), and he actually sounded as if he meant it when he talked about relishing the chance to take big decisions (see 7.56pm). Of the two, he seemed more prime ministerial.
A young man asks the next question, saying various policies, like national service, imply Sunak does not have the interests of young people at heart.
Sunak says he has two young girls. He thinks the national service plan will make a difference. Parents are excited by it, he says.
He says the government will also curb investment in “rip-off degrees”, and fund more apprenticeships.
And there is help for young people to buy a home, he says.
These are bold ideas that will make a difference.
Q: What will happen if people say no. Will they get criminal records?
Of course not, says Sunak. He says he would set up a royal commission to recommend how this should happen. There would be “an appropriate mix of incentives and sanctions”, he says.
Q: But young people are the future. You are moving away from them.
Sunak says he does not view society as us versus them. Young people have grandparents. Government can introduce policies that help both, he says.
And that is the end of the core part of the programme. Sky is now broadcasting reaction.
The next questioner, Amy, says she is a former Tory party chair but is ashamed of the way he missed part of the D-day commemoration.
Sunak repeats his apology, and says he did not mean to cause offence. Under his plans, he would deliver a secure future.
Amy refers to the picture of the Queen on her own at Philip Philip’s funeral, when they were holding parties in No 10. She says the party has a lot to do to rebuild trust.
Sunak says the rules should have been followed. He deeply regrets what happened. Trust takes time to rebuild, he says. The manifesto sets out a direction for the future.
Q: Should people who want a Tory government vote Reform?
Sunak says a vote for Reform will let Keir Starmer back into No 10.
Someone shouts at Sunak, saying he has failed.
Starmer won’t match the triple lock plus, he claims.
This is from Kate McCann from Times Radio in the spin room at the event.
Something telling… Spin room was attentive right til the end of Starmer’s audience Q section. Fair to say there’s a lot more chatting/wandering/scrolling through Sunak’s answers here.
— Kate McCann (@KateEMcCann) June 12, 2024
Something telling… Spin room was attentive right til the end of Starmer’s audience Q section. Fair to say there’s a lot more chatting/wandering/scrolling through Sunak’s answers here.
Christina goes next, asking about racism and misogyny in the police.
Sunak say misogyny, racism and discrimination has no place in the police.
He says a small number of people were behaving in a way that was reprehensible.
And there are particular problems in the Met, he says.
He says police numbers are at a record high. And the Tories would put another 8,000 officers on the street, he says.
The next question is from someone working in the NHS.
Q: Staff are burnt out. I have experienced being left eight hours on a stretcher in A&E. How will you restore the NHS?
Sunak says he is sorry to hear about the questioner’s experience. He comes from an NHs family, he says. His dad was a doctor and his mum was a pharmacist. He says the NHS does not train enough staff. Now it has a long-term workforce plan.
A woman in the audience intervenes. She says the NHS is short of staff. Creating new hubs won’t help, she says.
Sunak says the government is recruiting more members of staff too.
And he says he disagrees with the questioner. Doing things in hubs outside hospital can improve the service, he says.
Sunak takes questions from audience
The first questioner, Ian, says mortgages have become less affordable since Liz Truss’s mini-budget. Why have you ruined things for young people, and will you do it again?
Sunak asks about Ian’s daughter, who is 19 and was thinking of buying a home.
He says there are two plans in the Tory manifesto that would help: abolishing stamp duty up to £425,000, and a new version of Help to Buy, letting people buy a home with a 5% mortgage.
Q: You were once popular. Can you tell us something that might make people like you again?
Sunak says people think he has a healthy diet. But he eats a lot of sugar – lots of haribos and Twixes. He is not sure if that will make people like him, but it is something about him, he says.
Sunak refuses to accept tax burden will definitely rise over course of next parliament
Rigby turns to tax. She says Ed Conway, Sky’s economics editor, says the tax burden is going up.
Sunak says he has not seen that analysis. He says he is cutting taxes for people now.
Q: Taxes as a proportion of national income are going up from 36.5% to 36.7% at the end of the next parliament.
Sunak says his plans will bring down tax. He says he has not seen Conway’s numbers.
“Do your homework,” someone shouts.
Q: Are you saying it is not going up a proportion of national income?
Sunak says he does not know how big the economy will be at the end of the next parliament.
Q: People voted for Brexit to control immigration?
Yes, says Sunak.
Rigby quotes net migration figures – 9 million in the last three years, but much, much less in the three years to Brexit.
Sunak says the numbers are too high. But he is starting to bring them down, he says. The government is on track to halve net migration in a year’s time, he says. He lists measures that have affected this.
Q: What will the legal cap on migration be?
Sunak does not answer that.
Rigby quotes Sunak’s predecessors all saying they would bring immigration down.
Q: Why should anyone believe what you are saying?
That prompts a round of applause.
Sunak says he is bringing net migration down.
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