29 May 2024 , 11:02
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ITV announced the first TV showdown of the General Election between the Labour leader Keir Starmer and the PM Rishi Sunak will be aired from 9pm on Tuesday June 4
Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak will go head-to-head next week in the first TV debate of the General Election campaign.
ITV announced today the first showdown between the Labour leader and the PM will be aired from 9pm on Tuesday June 4. The broadcaster said the hour-long debate - Sunak v Starmer: The ITV Debate - will be moderated by presenter Julie Etchingham in front of a studio audience.
Michael Jermey, ITV’s Director of News and Current Affairs said, "Millions of viewers value the election debates. They provide a chance to see and hear the party leaders set out their pitch to the country, debate directly with each other and take questions from voters.
"ITV is pleased to be broadcasting the first debate in this year’s election campaign.”
It is understood Labour has agreed to take part in two head-to-head showdowns during the six-week election campaign - one on ITV and another on the BBC.
Negotiations are still ongoing over a Sky News debate. Last week Mr Starmer accepted an invitation to answer questions from voters on the news channel. But the Prime Minister has so far not said whether he will take part in a similar Q&A.
A Sky spokeswoman said: “Sky News is delighted that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has agreed to travel to Grimsby and answer voters’ questions in a Sky News leader’s special event. Negotiations are ongoing for Rishi Sunak to attend.”
Televised leaders’ debates first featured in the 2010 campaign - when there were three - featuring Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
It comes just days after the Tory leader had used a column to accuse Mr Starmer of lacking the "courage" to face him in six head-to-head showdowns. Mr Starmer denied he was dodging debates last week, saying they are "a big part of election campaigns and there will be debates in these elections".
He said at the time: "He [Mr Sunak] is sounding increasingly desperate, I have to say. Of course there are going to be TV debates. They are part and parcel of the election cycle now. I obviously want to spend as much of my time talking to voters directly.
“I can do a hundred debates with Rishi Sunak, but I know what he is going to say, he is going to say everything is fine, the cost-of-living crisis is over, the health service hasn’t got any problems. That is all he ever says.”