Rishi Sunak goes on the attack in crucial ITV election debate

Rishi Sunak warned Brits that Keir Starmer will 'raise your taxes and raid your pensions' and has 'no plan' to tackle immigration as they clashed in a crunch election debate tonight. A snap poll suggested the PM narrowly edged an incredibly bad-tempered head-to-head on ITV, where both leaders repeatedly spoke over each as host Julie Etchingham struggled to rein them in.

Nigel Farage was the ghost at the feast after he announced a run to become a Reform MP, with Mr Sunak stressing that only he and Sir Keir can end up in No10 and a vote for 'other' parties will only guarantee Labour in power. 'Beyond raising your taxes and raiding your pensions, no one knows what he will do,' Mr Sunak said of his rival. 'I have a clear plan for a more secure future for you and your family.'

With Labour miles ahead in opinion polls, Mr Sunak had to go on the offensive this evening. And he went hard from the start, berating Sir Keir for plotting to hike the tax burden by £2,000 ($2,554) a year. He later went on the attack over Net Zero saying Sir Keir would inflict big costs by forcing people to upgrade boilers and change cars. 'Mark my words Labour will raise your taxes,' he said.

However, Sir Keir said that was 'nonsense' and he wanted to 'turn the page' with a 'practical plan' for the country. He jibed that Mr Sunak calling the election early demonstrated that he did not believe the 'plan was working'. 'If he thinks that things are going to get better why has he called it now?' Sir Keir said. The leaders crossed swords on immigration, with Mr Sunak arguing that Rwanda policy could help stop small boats. When Sir Keir branded it an 'expensive gimmick' Mr Sunak shot back: 'You might not like it but I've got a plan.' Sir Keir also taunted the 'desperate' Tory leader that he was the 'most liberal' PM ever because legal net immigration is running at record levels - with the latest figures 685,000 a year.

Mr Sunak received a round of applause as he said he was prepared to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to ensure migrants could be deported. But Sir Keir was also clapped as he said the UK should stick to its legal obligations. There were groans from the audience as Mr Sunak was challenged over NHS waiting lists, and claimed they were 'coming down'. 'They are coming down from when they were higher,' he said.

Sir Keir said Labour would not pay a 35 per cent rise either but insisted he could ‘resolve’ the long-running dispute that has hampered efforts to bring down NHS waiting lists. However he blushed as he was put on the spot by the PM saying: ‘Just standing there saying, “I’ll resolve it” isn’t an answer. That’s not a plan.’ Mr Sunak was targeted with more muttering from the crowd as he said the health service had been hit by 'industrial action'. 'So you're blaming someone else,' Sir Keir shot back. The stakes for the premier were underlined just before the start of the debate by huge Survation research showing Labour is on track for the biggest majority in modern political history at 324 seats - compared to the 179 margin Tony Blair achieved. The survey - conducted using the so-called MRP technique - projected the Conservatives would be reduced to just 71 MPs.

Mr Sunak would barely manage to cling on to his own Richmond & Northallerton constituency. It also suggested Reform could win three, as Nigel Farage launches his bombshell bid to win a constituency. Mr Sunak said people should judge him by his actions during the pandemic. 'Every week when I'm out and about, someone comes up to me and tells me how furlough saved their family, saved their home, because that's who I am,' the Prime Minister told the ITV debate. As Etchingham tried to get him to finish his answer, Mr Sunak said he wanted to cut taxes while Labour wanted to put them up.

Sir Keir suggested the wealthy Prime Minister did not understand the plight facing hard-pressed households. Referring to his own childhood, he said: 'I do know the anguish of worrying, when the postman comes with a bill, what is that bill going to be, can I pay it? 'I don't think the Prime Minister quite understands the position that you and other people are in. ' Sir Keir branded Mr Sunak 'the British expert of tax rises' as they clashed over tax rates. And he peppered his appearance with attacks on Liz Truss’s record on the economy, prompting Mr Sunak to say he was obsessed with the past, rather than focused on the future.

The PM hit back with the Tory claim that Labour would put up taxes by £2,000 ($2,554) for every family. Mr Sunak accused Sir Keir of working for ‘extremists like Abu Qatada and Hizb ut-Tahrir’ during his career as a lawyer. The Labour leader branded the Prime Minister’s comments ‘desperate’. Referencing audience member Paula who was struggling to pay her bills, the PM asked the Labour leader: 'If people are struggling with their bills, why do you want to increase the amount they pay in tax ... you name it, Labour will tax it.'

The two leaders clashed on immigration, with Mr Sunak saying a Labour government would abandon Rwanda deportation flights. 'The flights will go in July, but only if i am the prime minister,' he adds. 'If Keir Starmer is PM those people will be released … they will be out on the streets.' Host Julie Etchinham had to interrupt him again as he demanded of the Labour leader: 'What are you going to do?' But Sir Keir fired back: 'He kept a promise (to cut illegal immigration) and he's completely failed to keep it.' Mr Sunak vowed to take the UK out of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights if required to deal with the Channel crisis. He said: 'If I am forced to choose between our national security and … a foreign court I am going to choose national security every time.'

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