(Salford) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labor opponent Keir Starmer faced off on Tuesday in a first televised debate, a month before the legislative elections in which Labor is the big winner, after 14 years of conservative power.
Standing behind a white desk, resolutely combative, they briefly explained their objectives, before a first question from the public, on the cost of living.
A few hours earlier, Nigel Farage, surprise candidate for the anti-immigration Reform UK party which he took over on Monday, had stolen the spotlight from them in a so far sluggish campaign, launching from Clacton-on-Sea. At the age of 60, he hopes to be elected as a deputy, on his eighth attempt.
A young woman, promptly arrested, threw what appeared to be a milkshake in his face.
Farage, a hard-right “Brexiter” close to former US President Donald Trump, called on Tuesday to “reactivate a people’s army against the establishment” and said Tories must “pay the price” for the increase of immigration.
Mr Sunak, under pressure to save a faltering campaign, which had started in the rain and without an umbrella outside Downing Street, carefully prepared for Tuesday evening’s debate.
He must convince that he has “a plan”, both for the economy and in terms of immigration, which he has wanted to reduce since he came to power in October 2022, in vain so far.
Since he announced the date of the elections, which could have waited a few more months, he has traveled the country and multiplied announcements, such as those aimed at reestablishing a form of compulsory national service for those over 18, and at protecting retirees , tighten access to social assistance for the unemployed or even clarify the law so that the word sex defines biological sex.
Keir Starmer, 61, who regularly repeats that he has changed the Labor Party, refocused since the departure of his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, began the debate with caution, so as not to compromise his party’s lead of more than 20 points in the polls.
At the head of the Labor Party since 2020, he presents himself as the man of change and stability by castigating the “chaos” created according to him by the conservatives. He claims to be best able to protect national security, but has so far limited himself to generalities.
Rishi Sunak regularly accuses him of not having convictions and of making many changes.
After 14 years of Conservative power marked in particular by Brexit, COVID-19, an economic and social crisis, all punctuated by scandals, a YouGov poll published Monday predicted that the Labor Party would crush the Conservatives and achieve the greatest victory of its history on July 4, much broader than that of Tony Blair in 1997.
Conservative party leaders, such as Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt and Defense Minister Grant Shapps, could lose their seats.
The televised debate broadcast by ITV from Salford near Manchester (north) is scheduled to last an hour. This is the first between MM. Starmer and Sunak, two men elected MPs for the first time in 2015, and with very different backgrounds: the Prime Minister is a former millionaire investment banker, Mr. Starmer is a former lawyer and magistrate, from a modest background.
They will debate again at the end of June, one week before the vote. Other televised debates are also planned between leaders of the main campaign parties.
In recent days, the two men have said they want to reduce immigration, a key issue in the campaign. The Conservatives announced Tuesday their intention to set a new annual cap on visas so that immigration decreases each year.
