Watch key moments from Sunak and Starmer’s first TV debate
The leaders of the two main parties clashed on Tuesday night in their first debate on the General Election campaign.Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer argued over issues including tax, the NHS, immigration and the cost of living in a debate that at times seemed bad-tempered, as the two men were repeatedly told to stop talking over each other. Source: ITV
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00:00 This is the Prime Minister who's been part of a government that has put up tax 26 times.
00:06 The last manifesto that they had in 2019 said we won't put up national insurance.
00:11 This man then put up national insurance.
00:14 He's the British expert on tax rises.
00:18 They're at the highest level for 70 years.
00:21 The NHS is broken.
00:22 Be honest with us.
00:24 How long will it take to fix it?
00:27 As Janet knows and everyone knows, the NHS is still recovering from Covid.
00:31 We went through the best part of two years where the NHS couldn't
00:34 conduct all the treatments it normally would.
00:36 It is going to take time to recover from that.
00:38 But we are now making progress.
00:39 The waiting lists are coming down.
00:41 But what Keir Starmer didn't mention to you, which you did, Julie...
00:44 They're now 7.5 million.
00:47 He says they're coming down.
00:48 And this is the guy who says he's good at math.
00:49 Yeah, they are now coming down.
00:51 They are now coming down.
00:52 7.2 when you said you'd get them down.
00:54 7.2 million.
00:55 They're now 7.5 million.
00:57 I'd like you to explain how they're coming down.
00:59 Because they were coming down from where they were when they were hired.
01:01 7.2.
01:02 And they're now on their way down.
01:03 They are down.
01:04 Yes, because the NHS was impacted by industrial action.
01:08 And if it wasn't for that, half a million appointments would have been saved.
01:12 It's somebody else's fault.
01:13 If you had loved ones on a long waiting list for surgery,
01:17 would you, if you felt that that was the only way forward,
01:20 use private healthcare, Rishi Sunak?
01:23 Yes.
01:23 Keir Starmer?
01:25 No.
01:26 Absolutely no if your loved one was on a waiting list for surgery.
01:30 No.
01:32 Thank you very much.
01:32 I don't use private health.
01:35 I use the NHS.
01:37 That's where my wife works in one of the big hospitals.
01:40 As I say, it runs through my DNA.
01:42 This is going to get rid...
01:42 It's their policy to get rid of national insurance altogether.
01:45 That's £46 billion.
01:47 He said it's their policy to get rid of inheritance tax.
01:50 That's £10 billion.
01:51 He says he's going to get rid of tax on pensioners.
01:54 You're just talking nonsense.
01:55 But just answer the specific question.
01:57 We have committed, I can tell you...
01:59 Thank you not over each other.
02:00 Thank you not over each other.
02:01 I can tell everyone what I'm going to do.
02:03 You might not like it, but I've got a plan.
02:06 Because we've got to have a deterrent.
02:07 What are you going to do?
02:08 Just tell everybody.
02:09 What are you going to do with illegal migrants who arrive?
02:12 Please, can we just...
02:13 Please, gentlemen, we will lower our voices.
02:16 We have an enormous amount to be proud of as a country,
02:18 but we do need to do more to make sure our young people,
02:21 like you, Miles, get the opportunities that they deserve.
02:23 So that's why we will introduce a modern form of national service.
02:26 And I think it's going to be transformational for young people
02:28 in our country, giving them the skills and opportunities
02:32 they need to succeed in life, fostering a culture of service
02:35 in our society, bringing it together,
02:37 but also strengthening our resilience and security