UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer clash in first ‘bad mood’ TV debate, clash over tax
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer sparred over a number of issues including tax and immigration during their first TV debate ahead of the general election on July 4. As a result of the “bad-tempered” exchange between the two leaders, the debate host asked them to “lower their voices”.
The debate was hosted by ITV on Tuesday night.
While Sunak attempted to portray Starmer as an “unreliable politician chasing power for power’s sake”, the Labour leader accused his opponent in the debate of being “the most liberal Prime Minister ever on the issue of immigration”.
The Prime Minister claimed that if Labour came to power it would raise taxes by 2,000 British pounds for “every working family in our country”. However, Starmer dismissed the accusation as “complete nonsense”.
“Labour will raise your taxes, it’s in their DNA. Your job, your car, your pension, Labour will tax it,” the BBC quoted Sunak as saying.
In response, the Labour leader said Britain’s ruling Conservative Party had “pour fake Labour policies into the treasury to produce imaginary figures”, the Guardian reports.
Questioning the timing of Sunak’s decision to announce a general election, Starmer said: “If he thinks things are going to get better in the second half of this year, why has he made this announcement now? He has made this announcement now because he knows, and I would ask him this, he knows inflation is going to rise again, he knows energy prices are going to rise again in the autumn. That’s what he’s not telling you.”
A key point of the debate was Sunak suggesting he would be willing to take the country out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if his controversial Rwanda policy did not work.
The Rwanda policy refers to the Prime Minister’s controversial plan to send refugees crossing the English Channel to the East African nation.
“Let me be very clear, I believe all of our plans are consistent with our international obligations, but if I were forced to choose between the security of our borders and our country or a foreign court, I would choose the security of our country every time,” he said.
Criticising Sunak over his comments, Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, said: “We will not step back from international agreements and international law, which is respected around the world. Because I want Britain to be a respected player on the global stage, not an outcast who doesn’t agree with international law.”
The Labour leader also made clear his stance on immigration, saying “We need to crush the gangs who run this disgusting trade, and make huge amounts of money by sending the most vulnerable people across the Channel in boats.”
Another issue on which the two leaders clashed was the National Health Service (NHS). While Sunak said he would use private healthcare if a “loved one was on a long waiting list for an operation”, Starmer responded that he would not do so and would rely only on the NHS.
Meanwhile, points on which the two seem to agree include not increasing income tax, national insurance or VAT, as well as working with former US President Donald Trump if he returns to the White House after the November 5 presidential election.
The debate took place a week after the British Parliament was dissolved, paving the way for a general election on 4 July.
Sunak set the date for the election as 4 July, despite widespread expectations he would call it at the end of the year. Observers say it is an attempt to regain momentum as the party has fallen behind in opinion polls.
After 14 years in opposition, the Labour Party now has a chance to win back power under Starmer’s leadership.
Polls show an average willingness to vote for Labour at 45 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for the ruling Conservative Party. This suggests that the opposition will win by a landslide due to the simple majority voting system.