Political leaders have faced challenging audience questions in a BBC Question Time Leaders' Special hosted by Fiona Bruce
Rishi Sunak was grilled on NHS waiting lists, Brexit and asked if he feels any “embarrassment” to be leader of the Conservative Party, given how many changes of leader it has had in the last few years
Labour leader Keir Starmer was asked about housing costs, his plans for the NHS and challenged on why he backed Jeremy Corbyn's election manifesto in 2019
SNP leader John Swinney was pressed over independence and the recent scandals in his party, admitting it's been a "turbulent time"
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey was asked about his campaigning antics, the party's spending plans and trust issues after the "broken promise" on tuition fees when in coalition government
The next question is from Susan Purdies, who asks: "Given your criticisms of the Conservatives' approach on migration do you think it is acceptable for you to not commit to any targets on such a critical topic?"
By Anthony Reuben
A few moments ago, Labour leader Keir Starmer claimed: "For six to 10-year-olds, the most common cause for admission to hospital is for rotting teeth, to have their teeth taken out."
That is correct, according to official government statistics, external for England for 2022.
More recent figures , externalfor 2023 show tooth decay was the most common reason for hospital admission in children aged between five and nine.
Image source, .Speaking to an NHS worker from Shropshire, Starmer says "sticking plaster politics" are one of the biggest problems, and politicians aren't honest about challenges.
Bruce replies - so be honest with us now: When can people expect an improvement in NHS?
Starmer says he'll start work on waiting lists on day one.
Bruce pushes him - when will it improve?
Starmer says we'll get operations going as quickly as we can.
Bruce pushes him again - when will waiting lists come down to reasonable level?
Starmer replies that over course of Parliament, he'd get it down and clear backlog entirely.
Watch: Starmer talks about plans for the NHS
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
As he faced questioning about his past support of Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer said something I’ve not heard him say before - that though he never thought Corbyn would win, he thinks he would have been a better prime minister than Boris Johnson.
That’s especially striking because Labour’s general election campaign is pitched particularly at voters who chose Johnson over Corbyn in 2019.
Remember, Starmer subsequently booted Corbyn out of the Labour fold, and he is now standing against Labour as an Independent.
Watch: Keir Starmer on supporting Corbyn in 2019
A young man in the audience asks how Starmer would work with right-wing governments in Europe.
Starmer says he is worried about right-wing tendencies as his party is "progressive", and he says he will always make that progressive argument.
Starmer says with the tax burden as high as it is, and the cost-of-living crisis, he's not going to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT.
But he says he will put money, from specific streams of funding, into trying to drive down NHS waiting lists.
The Labour leader says his wife, mother and sister all work in the NHS. And to see it in the state it is, after 14 years of the Tories, "is an utter disgrace".
The next question put to Starmer comes from Alastair McCall, who asks: "How can you increase spending in the NHS, the care system and defence when you have promised not to increase the main streams of taxation?"
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
The first question for Sir Keir Starmer went straight for one of his most sensitive areas: his past support of Jeremy Corbyn, serving in his shadow cabinet for more than three years.
This is especially sensitive for Starmer not just because Corbyn arouses strong feelings both among his supporters and detractors - but also because it gets to a much more fundamental question: honesty.
Or as Emma Mitchell, the questioner, put it when Fiona Bruce went back to her, “integrity”. She compared Starmer to Boris Johnson. That will hurt for the Labour leader.
Bruce pushes him - you said Corbyn would make a great PM, did you mean it, or were your fingers crossed behind your back?
Starmer replies - I didn't think we'd win the election.
Bruce hits back: "We heard you say it!"
Starmer replies - I was campaigning for Labour Party, and I'm glad I did.
Pushing him, Bruce says "yes or no, did you mean it?"
Starmer says "look what we got - Boris Johnson" and reiterates he didn't think it was possible to win the general election in 2019.
Starmer says he campaigned for Labour but he did not think the party would win under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019.
He says the party has done a lot to change. He says people liked the manifesto, but thought there was too much.
He adds the party's policies now are "fully costed, fully funded".
The first question for Keir Starmer comes from Emma Mitchell.
She asks: "You criticised the Tory manifesto as 'Jeremy-Corbyn like, anything you want can go in it, nothing is costed' - why did you back his original manifesto in 2019?"
For context: Keir Starmer was in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet when he was leader of the Labour Party, and campaigned for him in the 2019 election.
SNP leader John Swinney is finished - next up is Labour leader Keir Starmer.
By Anthony Reuben
SNP leader John Swinney has been asked how he will fund Scotland’s NHS if no extra money is put in by the Westminster government.
John Swinney as Scottish First Minister runs the NHS in Scotland because each of the UK’s nations is responsible for its own health service.
The SNP has called for Westminster to boost spending on the NHS in England by an extra £16bn a year. This matters in Scotland because funding rules mean that would in turn lead to an extra £1.6bn for Scotland.
If that doesn’t happen – and neither Labour nor the Conservatives is promising that much - there are some other options.
The Scottish government has some extra tax raising powers. It could borrow a limited amount of extra money or it could transfer money from other areas of spending.
How do the SNP plan to get to net zero?
"It's a controversial question," Swinney replies, prompting laughter from the audience.
He says he thinks the Conservative government are a "total disaster and a calamity", and that it "can't be out of office soon enough", to applause.
He says it's a rising certainty Labour will win, but that he hopes people in Scotland will recognise the importance for a strong SNP voice in the Commons.
The final question for Swinney comes from Cristina Rivas Graver.
"Which Westminster leader would be the better choice for Scotland: Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak?" she asks - prompting initial laughter from Swinney.
Swinney says Sunak has said he will approve 100 new oil and gas licenses, adding "that's completely and utterly irresponsible".
The questioner pushes back - why not draw line in sand, and say no more licenses?
Swinney says they are putting a process in place "to enable us to come to that judgement", repeating it's a transition and they will need those skills.
By Ben Chu
A few moments ago, Swinney spoke of the “the disastrous impact of Brexit in the United Kingdom economy”.
Most economists say Brexit has had a negative impact on the UK economy, although there is disagreement about the size of the damage and the extent to which it has so far materialised.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the government’s independent official economic forecaster, believes Brexit will mean a long-term reduction in UK national income - compared to where it would otherwise be - of around 4%, with the full effect felt after 15 years.
It says this is largely down to expected weaker productivity growth, because of lower trade and lower investment than would otherwise have occurred.
In its most recent report the OBR said that: “Overall, our assumptions about the impact of Brexit appear to be broadly on track.”
Swinney says any new licences for oil and gas must pass climate compatible processes - Bruce interjects and says scientists "the world over" say there's no way you can have new drilling and adhere to climate responsibilities.
Swinney replies that scientists accept that the UK will need oil and gas for some time to come.
He adds we have to wrestle with energy security and the journey to net zero. Judgements will be made on a case by case basis, he says.
Next up, a question from Henry Cotton: "With Scotland's world-leading wind and marine energy, why is your government backtracking by scrapping targets and approving new oil licences?"
For context: The SNP remains on the fence when it comes to issuing new oil and gas licences for the North Sea. Having previously proposed a presumption against new exploration, it has rowed back by saying applications should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and subject to a climate compatibility test.
A woman in the audience challenges Swinney on his comments that he wants to bring people in Scotland together.
How will you bring people in Scotland together when you're campaigning for a "second divisive independence referendum", she asks.
Swinney says it's about having a democratic and respectful debate.
He says politics is very fractured right now - and he's "never seen politics in as bad condition as it is today".