This is the schedule for the leaders debate
Debates between party leaders have been a key feature of general election campaigns in the UK since 2010.
This year’s election will be no different, with a flurry of televised debates having already been announced. This is everything we know about them so far.
4 June 9pm – ITV two-way debate
At 9pm on Tuesday June 4, Tory leader Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer will go head to head in a two-way debate on ITV. This is the first UK-wide televised debate of the party leaders.
7 June 7:30pm – BBC seven-way debate
The second UK-wide debate will be taking place on 7:30pm 7 June and will be broadcast on the BBC. The Tories, Labour, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Reform UK and the Greens have all been invited.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner will be representing her party in the debate. Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, will be representing the Tories. Reform UK have confirmed that their new leader Nigel Farage will be attending. The other parties are yet to confirm who will be taking part for them.
11 June 8pm – BBC Scotland five-way debate
The second leaders debate in Scotland will take place at 8pm on 11 June and will be broadcast on the BBC. The first Scottish leaders debate took place on 3 June on STV and proved controversial as the Scottish Greens were not invited.
The BBC‘s debate, however, will see the Greens take part, alongside the SNP, the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems.
12 June – Sky News two-way debate
8 days after ITV‘s head to head between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, Sky News will be hosting a two-way debate between the Labour and Tory leaders.
13 June – ITV seven-way debate
This year there will be just two debates which feature all seven of the major parties in the running. The BBC gets the first bite on 7 June, but ITV will host its own the following week.
The political parties are yet to confirm who will be representing them at the debate.
20 June – BBC Question Time special four-way debate
The BBC has announced that it will be hosting a special edition of it’s flagship debate show Question Time featuring a debate between the Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and the SNP. Again, there is no confirmation as to who will represent each party.
21 June – BBC Wales four-way debate
There is currently only one televised debate scheduled to take place, to be broadcast by the BBC. This will take place on 21 June and will feature Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru.
26 June – BBC two-way debate
The final head to head debate between Sunak and Starmer is currently scheduled to take place on 26 June in Nottingham, and will be broadcast by the BBC.
27 June – BBC Northern Ireland debate
At present, the last scheduled leaders debate is in Northern Ireland. It is not yet known which parties will be invited or who will represent them.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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