Party leaders had a heated clash over the topic of immigration
The party leaders had a heated clash over the topic of immigration, as Keir Starmer accused Rishi Sunak of “making it up” as they accused each other of having bogus plans to tackle the issue.
It is the final showdown before polling day as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer battle it out for an hour and a quarter on the BBC to win over voters. The live audience for this debate was chosen by the pollsters Savanta and was hosted by Mishal Husain, televised from a debate stage at Nottingham Trent University.
Audience member Steve Curtis asked the leaders: “We’re an island, why can’t we easily close our borders?”
This led to a heated clash with both leaders lashing out at each other, and the Conservative leader stirred up the Labour leader by repeating the inflammatory line, “don’t surrender our borders to the Labour Party”.
Sunak claimed that number of people entering the UK was “coming down” while Starmer could be heard saying “they’re record numbers” as Sunak promoted his “deterrent” Rwanda scheme. Host Mishal Husain also had to remind Sunak that there were record numbers of people coming across the Channel under Sunak’s government.
Referring to the Rwanda scheme, Starmer said: “He says it’s a deterrent, there are a few hundred who would go on a plane at a huge expense to the taxpayer.
“There is a 99% chance you’re not going to Rwanda, that is not a deterrent and it’s not working. If it was working, why are record numbers coming under your watch, Prime Minister, how on earth can you say it is working.”
Starmer claimed there have been 50,000 people coming across via the English Channel since Sunak became prime minister in October 2022. He added: “It would take literally 300 years to take all the people to Rwanda.”
Starmer said he would process asylum seekers and gain control of the borders by ‘smashing the gangs’ and highlighted when he was the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Caroline Lucas the former Green Party leader criticised the tone of the debate and branded it ‘two men trying to outdo each other with cruelty’.
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