Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer clash repeatedly on their plans for tax and ways of controlling borders while facing audience questions in a BBC debate
They were challenged about integrity in politics, the cost of living and women-only spaces
Sunak used his 30-second closing statement to reiterate his controversial £2,000 tax claim, prompting Keir Starmer to shout “that is a lie”
While they exchanged barbs over the alleged betting scandal, noises and shouts were heard in the background from protests nearby
The debate, hosted by Mishal Husain, was one of the last major set-piece moments before polling day
Sunak v Starmer: PM candidates clash on immigration, tax and Brexit
Sunak acknowledges Robert's frustrations, but he says he's been prime minister for 18 months.
He says under him inflation has reduced, wages have risen faster than prices, and the UK has had economic stability.
Sunak reiterates that under the Tories, the UK will get lower taxes, triple lock pension protection, secure borders, and a sensible approach to net zero.
The next question comes from Robert.
Sunak did a "fair job" as chancellor, he says, but has been a "pretty mediocre prime minister". He adds that he believes Starmer is being "pulled" by senior Labour figures.
"Are you two really the best we've got to be the next prime minister of our great country?" he asks - more applause from the audience.
Husain points out that Nottingham council has been run by Labour since 1991 - Starmer says he would change the way payments are made to councils.
He says council leaders tell him at the moment yearly payments aren't effective.
Husain asks if more money would come to local authorities under Labour, to which Starmer says there's no magic wand to find money "because huge damage has been done to the economy".
Labour would use existing money better, he says.
Sunak says he wants to roll out more family hubs, where people can get support and advice, and pump more money into social care.
He claims that Nottingham, where the debate is being held, is a "glimpse of the future".
For context: Nottingham City Council declared itself effectively bankrupt at the end of last year (see more here).
Nottingham, Birmingham and Woking councils all went bust in 2023. They followed and Thurrock and Croydon (for the third time) in 2022.
By Anthony Reuben, BBC Verify
A little earlier, Keir Starmer said: "Since Rishi Sunak became prime minister 50,000 people have come across by small boats."
He is right about that.
The Home Office publishes figures, external – going back to 2018 - for people detected crossing the English Channel in small boats. The exact number detected since Rishi Sunak became prime minister on 25 October 2022 is 50,108.
The highest figure recorded in a single year was in 2022, when 45,755 arrived this way.
Last year, 29,437 people were detected arriving in small boats – down a third on the year before.
In the last 12 calendar months, 31,204 people have been detected crossing, which is down 30% on the previous 12 months.
However, so far this year 13,045 have been detected, which is up about 16% from the same period last year and is a record.
Husain goes to the next question from Karen Duran, a children's nurse from a local hospital, who says she sees families affected by the closure of libraries and children's centres.
"How will you help councils after Nottingham city council has effectively gone bankrupt?" she asks - and is met with huge, extended applause from the audience.
Sunak presses Starmer over tax rises
Sunak reiterates his claim that Labour will raise taxes - Starmer immediately rejects this, but Sunak interjects again to claim Labour has plans to tax pensioners.
Starmer says Labour's position on pensions matches that of the government's at the last budget - and claims the Conservatives' new plans are unfunded.
Sunak again pushes - if you're a pensioner and Labour win there's a "retirement tax" coming your way, "capital R, capital T".
Starmer says that is "just false" and tells Sunak to stop insulting people by "putting out falsehoods".
Mishal Husain interrupts the pair - putting to them the findings from the IFS think tank, who say both parties are not being fully transparent about their spending plans.
Sunak says he warned about the risks of Liz Truss's economic plans before she became PM and that's why you can trust him now.
Starmer pushes back - why did Sunak say his party should unite behind Truss. The Labour leader points out she is still a Tory candidate in this election.
"False," Starmer immediately responds to Sunak's charge that Labour would put taxes up.
Starmer says the country knows what happens if unfunded tax cuts are made, because Liz Truss "tried that experiment on the country".
He says people are still paying the price, giving the example of mortgage payers paying thousands more, and says he won't allow a Labour government to "inflict that damage".
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
It’s a really energetic performance from Rishi Sunak tonight. He’s acting like his political career rides on it, and to be fair it probably does.
He wrestled control of that section on migration, fusing pre-prepared barbs (“who are you going to sit down with? The Ayatollah? The Taliban?”) with near-constant barracking of Keir Starmer’s answers.
It feels like he’s dominating the debate so far - though it may prove a fine line between that and seeming discourteous to his opponent.
Sunak says he wants the country to make savings from the welfare bill, and he will use those savings to cut taxes for people "at every stage of their lives".
He says the Conservatives will lower taxes for pensioners, remove stamp duty for young couples buying houses, and abolish National Insurance for the self-employed.
"Mark my words - your taxes are going up if he is in charge," Sunak says, pointing at Starmer.
The next question comes from Mohammad Mubarak Shaik, and is on how the party's manifestos are funded.
"You've both made lots of promises but not set out a clear plan to pay for them," he says, "where is the money going to come from?"
Sunak continues to challenge Starmer on his plans to stop illegal migration.
He hones in on Starmer's claim that stopping small boat crossings should be done by "smashing the gangs".
Sunak claims Starmer and the Labour Party voted against legislation passed by the Conservative government to tackle this very issue.
He "says one thing, but does another", Sunak says.
"You don't know what Starmer you're going to get."
This is a long and extremely heated back-and-forth over illegal migration - both leaders accuse each other of not answering the question.
Sunak says many migrants have come from Iran, Syria and Afghanistan - he turns to Starmer: are you going to try do a deal with the Taliban?
"It's nonsensible," Sunak says - and he's met with applause by the audience.
Sunak insists a number of flights will depart to Rwanda from July, and tells voters not to "surrender the country's security" Labour.
You can read more about the Rwanda plan here.
Leaders have heated exchange over asylum policies
The prime minister says again that election is about the future - and directly challenges Starmer about what he would do to immigrants who arrive in the UK illegally.
It would take "literally 300 years" to get all the people who entered the country unlawfully to Rwanda, Starmer pushes back.
He's again interrupted by Sunak - "but what will you do with them?!"
Husain asks Sunak if he has lost control of the borders.
The prime minister immediately rejects this - no, he says, insisting the numbers have come down.
Under Labour, the people smugglers are "going to need a bigger boat", he says.
Starmer hits back by saying that 50,000 people have crossed the Channel since Sunak became prime minister - and statistically there's a "99% chance" you're not going to Rwanda, if you enter the country illegally.
How on earth can you say your Rwanda scheme is working? Starmer says.
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
There’s a new word that Rishi Sunak is using again and again tonight - “surrender”.
He has repeatedly used it in different contexts, telling the audience “don’t surrender our borders to the Labour Party”, and at another point “don’t surrender to Labour’s taxes”.
It’s a striking choice of language. It may implicitly acknowledge the polling suggesting that the Conservatives are at risk of a very heavy defeat.
Sunak says when people come to the UK illegally it's an “affront to our sense of fairness”.
He adds he has brought small boat arrivals down, and then highlights the Rwanda policy.
He then appeals to voters not to “surrender our borders” to Labour.
For context: the number of small boat crossings in 2023 were a third lower than in 2022.
But the number of people who have crossed so far this year is at a record high - up more than a third on the same period last year. See more here
Starmer claims the biggest threat to the UK's borders is the "very many people arriving by small boats" across the English Channel.
He claims there have been 50,000 people coming across via this route since Sunak became prime minister in October 2022 (we will be fact-checking this figure shortly).
He says it has become a "national security issue" with the government losing control.
"Nobody should be making that journey", Starmer says, adding that "we need to smash the gangs".
Next up, audience member Steve Curtis asks: “We’re an island, why can’t we easily close our borders?”
Husain presses Starmer on how he would get the number of people on benefits down.
Starmer reiterates the importance of getting NHS waiting lists down - to applause from the audience.
Sunak responds with his proposed sick note policy, and accuses Labour of opposing every single one of his measures to cut the welfare bill.
Turning to Starmer, the prime minister says he must be upfront with people.
'Who's been in charge?' Starmer attacks Tory record in government