General election 2024 live: Reform UK canvasser filmed calling Rishi Sunak a 'f*****g p**i'

We’re on closing statements. Rishi Sunak says he understands people are frustrated with him, but he says this is not a by-election. He says under Labour taxes will go up and people shouldn’t “surrender” to them.

There’s a slight interruption as Starmer says he shouldn’t “lie”. Then the Labour leader says if you want your NHS back you have to “vote for it”.

The pair are asked how they will protect women. Keir Starmer says he’s got lots of great women in his Shadow Cabinet. Rishi Sunak says he’s a dad. Not great answers from either of them.

An audience member has just called Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer “mediocre” and asks is this the best we’ve got? Sunak says he’s stabilised the economy and now he can start (guess what) cutting taxes.

Starmer runs through his CV in a long and meandering way, and then says he wants to bring about change to the UK. Sunak says he’s got a plan and that’s to cut taxes.

The Labour leader says he understands why people are disaffected with politics, he talks about partygate, gamble-gate and broken promises. This is probably Starmer’s best answer of the evening.

Keir Starmer is attacking Rishi Sunak over Liz Truss. The Labour leader says that after criticising his predecessor Sunak said the Tory Party should “unite”. Mishal Husain says that Starmer should know something about falling behind a party leader, referring to Jeremy Corbyn, and gets a round of applause.

Rishi Sunak is constantly talking about tax again, but we’re getting some new language from the Prime Minister. He keeps saying that you should not “surrender” your borders and taxes to Keir Starmer and the Labour Party. He’s been repeating this over and over again during during questions about migration and the Rwanda plan. It must be something that the Tories have focus grouped, and it could be effective - but is it too late?

We have two questions about work. One woman says more people should be off benefits and in work. Another woman says she’s disabled and cannot work, and asks what will happen to her?

Rishi Sunak is talking about taxes again, he says: “Lower taxes and lower welfare that’s what I will deliver. If you want higher taxer and higher welfare that’s what Keir Starmer will deliver.”

Starmer hits back: “If you listen to people in the audience and across the country you might be so out of touch.” He gets a big round of applause - ouch.

There appear to be some protesters outside the debate. You can hear them in the spin room, which is near to the studio. Mishal Husain has just addressed it, saying it is an important part of democracy.

The first question of the debate is about the gambling scandal engulfing the campaign. Rishi Sunak repeats his maxim that he was “incredibly angry” and if anyone was found to break the rules he would “boot them out of the Conservative Party”. The PM gives quite a short answer and it moves over to Keir Starmer.

Starmer says: “Politics has become too much about self entitlement - MPs think about themselves. Reset politics so politics returns to public service. Convicted and fined for breaking the rules which he brought in and imposed on everything else. Suspended within minutes … PM delayed and delayed and delayed.”

Sunak says that he thinks people should be straight with people, and starts talking about taxes. He says Labour are going to put up people’s taxes by thousands of pounds.

Starmer refuses to say whether any other Labour candidates bet on themselves losing. He says his candidates know his standards. He says Labour will not put up income tax, VAT or national insurance.

Mishal Husain is introducing the start of the BBC’s Prime Ministerial debate. There are some whoops from BBC staff in the spin room. Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer flipped to choose their positions - Sunak is on the right and Starmer is on the left (fitting).

A senior Tory MP has been accused of betting against himself in the general election, the Sun has reported.

Sir Philip Davies, who is married to fellow Conservative Esther McVey and has earned more than £75,000 since August 2022 as a GB News presenter, allegedly bet that he would lose the ultra-tight Yorkshire marginal of Shipley. In response to the Sun’s story, he did not deny he had but instead said: “What’s it go to do with you whether I did or didn’t.”