Some more from the spin room now, where the spinners are spinning for their parties...
Salma Shah,
former Conservative special adviser, says the energy tonight was "very much" between Mordaunt
and Rayner - although she thinks Rayner was "very subdued"
Baroness
Hazarika, peer and former adviser to the Labour Party, says she thinks there is an element of
caution within Labour and they will need to "spell out" the
change they can bring
Reform UK
deputy leader Dr David Bull says
Nigel Farage "spoke in a language people understand" tonight - and adds
Penny Mordaunt should have more categorically condemned Sunak's decision to
leave D-Day events early
Former Lib Dem adviser Sean Kemp says England's biggest parties are reluctant to talk about
the benefits of migration because of people's concerns about it on the
doorstep, and about housing and public services
Liz Lloyd,
former adviser to the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon, says Stephen Flynn was right to bring up Brexit
tonight because there’s a "conspiracy of silence" around the
Westminster parties
Plaid Cymru’s
Heledd Fychan says party
leader Rhun ap Iorwerth helped to "change the narrative" on
migration by standing up to Farage's "divisive and dangerous
policies"
And Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski says people who
watched tonight’s debate will have seen Carla Denyer's performance as a real contrast to Labour and the Tories
Ready for more analysis? The Newscast is here
BBCCopyright: BBC
Our colleagues at Newscast, Adam Fleming and Laura Kuenssberg, have reacted to tonight's debate - listen to the freshly-recorded episode here.
BBC Verify
Mark Poynting
SNP wrong to say Labour plans to shut down North Sea oil and gas
The SNP leader in the House of Commons, Stephen Flynn, said earlier that “the Labour Party position is to shut down the North Sea oil and gas sector, which would risk 100,000 jobs”.
That is roughly the number of jobs that Scotland’s oil and gas industry supports in the wider economy, according to an independent estimate for Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), a trade association.
But it is misleading to suggest Labour’s plans put all of these jobs are at risk.
As Flynn acknowledged, the North Sea is running out of oil and gas, so many of the jobs are at risk in the long-term anyway.
And the government's independent adviser, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), has previously said there is potential for the transition to renewable energy to "create more jobs than will be lost" across the UK.
They didn't answer me, says audience member who quizzed panellists
Sean Seddon
Reporting from debate spin room
Linda Myers was one of the audience members given a chance to quiz the panellists - about politicians failing to deliver on their promises.
She tells me while it was a "privilege" to be able to ask a question, she doesn't feel like all the people on the stage disproved her point.
She says: "They didn't answer me, they just went around and around like children.
"I certainly wouldn't vote for Labour or the Conservatives after tonight but the Green candidate opened my eyes - she gave me a grown-up answer."
Lucy Hobday was also impressed by the Green Party, which is unsurprising since she used her question to ask about the climate.
However, she found herself being taken back by the answer she got from Nigel Farage.
She tells me: "I don't think he gave a great answer but he said that we export a lot of our carbon emissions abroad and that's right.
"That means we're deluded and away with the fairies about how much we think we're doing to tackle climate change."
BBC Verify
Rupert Carey
What has Labour said about increasing defence spending?
In the first section of the debate - on defence - the Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said "we will have a commitment to the 2.5% spending of GDP".
She is right that Labour has said it would raise total defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) but she did not mention that - so far - there is no timeframe for this.
Labour has said it would do this only “as soon as resources allow”.
This is more vague than the Conservatives, who have pledged to hit this spending target by 2030 (though there are questions about how they would pay for this).
Rayner had one job, and she delivered, Lisa Nandy says
Malu Cursino
Reporting from debate spin room
BBCCopyright: BBC
Labour's Lisa Nandy, shadow secretary of state for the UK's international development, says Angela Rayner had one job tonight and delivered on it.
In Nandy's view, the job was "to speak directly to the country about their concerns with empathy and warmth, and to show that Labour has got a real plan to deliver the change this country needs".
"She absolutely did that," Nandy tells me.
Unlike others in the panel, Nandy says Labour's deputy leader was the person "who most connected with the ordinary concerns of people in the country".
"Most of all, she put forward positive proposals to do that," Nandy adds.
But Nandy emphasises that her party is "not complacent" about winning - despite being far ahead in the opinion polls - and they know they have to "go out and convince the public over the next few weeks".
Mordaunt did a sterling job, says minister
Sean Seddon
Reporting from the spin room
Tory Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris says he's very happy with how the debate went.
Asked if it was a good end to a difficult day, he says: "It was fantastic, Penny did a sterling job.
"She pointed out Labour's lack of credibility on defence and how they are going to provide energy for the country."
Earlier, Plaid Cymru's leader told me he was angry that leaders of smaller parties weren't given a chance to debate against the prime minister and Labour leader.
Asked if he understood Plaid Cymru's anger that Rishi Sunak didn't take part in the debate against smaller parties, his answer was fairly straightforward: "No."
The SNP's Stephen Flynn will be happy that he did what he set out to do in the debate – fire in about both the Conservatives and Labour, and paint the two as being the same.
He got some of his points across in a forceful manner, on Brexit, immigration and the economy.
But there was one interesting omission, which a UK audience might have been expecting to hear more of from an SNP politician – independence.
There was essentially no mention of the constitutional question which has dominated Scottish politics in recent years.
It was the same when John Swinney took part in a Scottish leaders debate on Monday.
The strategy seems to be that the SNP can talk about independence to its base, to gee up its own supporters.
But when it comes to the wider electorate, they are keen to only really mention it as part of their wider offering in terms of improving services like healthcare and the economy.
Ninety minutes of debate - let's recap
Video content
Video caption: Mordaunt says Sunak leaving D-Day event was 'wrong'Mordaunt says Sunak leaving D-Day event was 'wrong'
The seven-way debate this evening covered plenty of ground and was at times heated, as the participants clashed over tax, immigration, the NHS and green energy.
Here's a recap of the key moments:
Penny Mordaunt said Rishi Sunak's decision to leave D-Day commemorations on Thursday early was “completely wrong” but tried to shut down the controversy by saying he had “rightly apologised"
Things got heated between Mordaunt and Angela Rayner several times: Mordaunt argued Labour would put up taxes, to which Rayner shouted back: "No we won't. That is a lie"
The Green Party's Carla Denyer responded to the shouting match saying: "That was terribly dignified, wasn't it?"
Nigel Farage accused the Tory and Labour representatives of engaging in "pathetic" arguments, saying there isn't "much difference" between the two parties
The SNP's Stephen Flynn said Brexit had put up food prices and had proved an "unmitigated disaster for the economy" and hit out at the "snake oil salesmen" who "sold" it to the British public
Liberal Democrats' Daisy Cooper said her party would bring in more GPs and free personal care
Plaid Cymru's leader Rhun ap Iorwerth accused Nigel Farage of “bigotry” over his immigration stance. He also said his party was clear that the NHS must remain free at the point of need
Plaid Cymru's leader says Sunak and Starmer should have been at debates
Sean Seddon
Reporting from debate spin room
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth tells me he enjoyed the night and hopes people beyond Wales see the "relevance" of what he said on the stage tonight - but is disappointed the smaller parties didn't get to go head-to-head with the main candidates for No 10.
"The two leaders of Labour and the Conservatives should have been there to debate the issues that matter around the country," he says.
"Without that, there's no level playing field."
He won't say whether he's given any more though to pushing for a vote to collapse the Welsh government, something he indicated on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was considering earlier this week.
He tells me this week's no confidence vote was in First Minister Vaughan Gething's "credibility and integrity" - and a second confidence vote in the wider government is something he's still thinking about after Gething refused to step down.
He adds: "Our point about the first minister has been made, but it's an option."
Much more to come
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
The reaction is coming thick and fast from the spin room - so stay with us for lines from the parties, analysis from our correspondents, and fact-checking from our colleagues at BBC Verify.
And remember - you can also watch by pressing Play at the top of the page.
Tory tax claim an established lie, says Labour's Reynolds
Labour's shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds tells the BBC the £2,000 figure has been established to be a lie and he's surprised the Tories keep repeating it.
He says he was also surprised Mordaunt "went in so hard" on Sunak, arguing that would mean more chaos if the Conservatives were re-elected.
Reynolds adds that Rayner was "straight-talking" and spoke to the country clearly about what Labour would deliver.
Asked if Labour's sums add up, he says the party's spending priorities are clearly laid out and costed.
He also says Labour is completely committed to the UK's nuclear deterrent, Trident, after Mordaunt repeatedly cast doubt on this during the debate.
For context: You can see our BBC Verify post from earlier on why the £2,000 tax claim by the Conservatives is misleading.
BBC Verify
Robert Cuffe
Are £18bn of cuts coming?
Debating the future of the NHS, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn claimed “there are £18bn of cuts coming down the line, agreed to by Angela Rayner and Penny Mordaunt”.
Think tanks have warned that some public services could face cuts after the election, whoever wins.
But the NHS is not likely to be one of them.
The Conservatives have pledged to increase spending on services by 1% a year over the next few years.
They’ve committed more than that to protected departments like the NHS and Defence.
That leaves less to go around for unprotected departments which could face cuts. According to the government spending watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility, that would amount to tens of billions of pounds.
Labour hasn’t published its manifesto yet, but has signed up to broadly the same overall rules about public spending as the government.
Analysis
Little detail on how health and social care will be tackled in next Parliament
Hugh Pym
Health editor
In their brief summing-up speeches, Labour's Angela Rayner and the Lib Dems' Daisy Cooper referred to the NHS and the need for improvement.
The Greens' Carla Denyer mentioned NHS privatisation, while the others spelled out different priorities.
The debate provided little illumination on how health and social care would be tackled in the next Parliament beyond election slogans.
Those who have argued that the parties are failing to give voters enough clarity on one of the biggest domestic issues will rest their case.
Trott defends Sunak on D-Day row and Mordaunt on defence and tax
In the spin room, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott is asked about the D-Day row.
She says Sunak "made a huge mistake" in leaving events early, and has rightly apologised.
She says Mordaunt was "really clear" about the government's good record on veterans, and went onto to say that Rayner does not believe in the UK's nuclear deterrent.
Trott also defended the disputed Tory claim that Labour would put up household taxes by £2,000 in the next Parliament, while arguing the Conservatives had no choice about increasing taxes because of Covid and the Ukraine war.
Analysis
Clear dangers for Labour in idea election is a foregone conclusion
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
There was something very striking about those 30-second closing statements.
Angela Rayner attacked the Conservatives; Penny Mordaunt attacked Labour.
But then three of the remaining five politicians took it as given that Labour have won the election.
Stephen Flynn said “the Tories are finished so the choice is simple”.
Rhun ap Iorwerth added: “The Conservatives are gone, they are finished.”
Nigel Farage said “Labour are going to win – the debate is who forms the opposition in the next Parliament”.
Carla Denyer, from the Greens, was focused on arguing that Labour have become the Conservatives, while Daisy Cooper of the Liberal Democrats continued her debate strategy of specifically attacking the Conservatives.
To some extent the argument that the election is over is something every smaller party is always going to say. The fear they are trying to overcome in voters is that they are losing their say over who will be prime minister at the end of the election if they back one of the smaller parties.
But there are clear dangers for Labour too in the idea that the election is a foregone conclusion. Labour will not want any of their voters to think they do not need to turn up to the polls on July 4.
BBC Verify
Ben King
Starmer did not say Labour would put up taxes by £2,000
Penny Mordaunt said Keir Starmer had confirmed earlier this week that Labour “are going to put up your taxes by £2,000 per working household”.
This is false. Starmer did not confirm the £2,000 per household figure, which he has called “garbage”. Like the Conservatives, the party says they will not raise the rates of income tax, National Insurance or VAT.
On Tuesday, in a head-to-head debate with Rishi Sunak on ITV, he said: “We will raise specific taxes, and we have been really clear what they are.”
He mentioned putting VAT on private school fees and ending the non-dom status for wealthy individuals who don’t pay UK tax on overseas assets, as well as tax on oil and gas companies.
“We will raise those but we won’t raise the others,” he said.
Buzz returning to spin room
Malu Cursino
Reporting from debate spin room
Presenters are getting their mics on and a gentle buzz is returning to the spin room.
Politicians and their advisers are starting to file back into the room after tonight's BBC debate, and we'll soon hear them talk about how the last 90 minutes went.
Conservative Laura Trott and Labour's Jonathan Reynolds will be speaking to us at BBC shortly, you can watch it live at the stream on the top of our live page.
BBCCopyright: BBC
And that's it
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
And that's it - the debate is over. That was 90 minutes of intense back and forth between seven leading political figures.
But don't go anywhere - we'll have plenty of reaction and analysis from our correspondents about how the parties performed, and we'll hear more from the spin room.
Post update
Video content
Video caption: Reform UK is about to become a political phenomenon - Farage's closing statementReform UK is about to become a political phenomenon - Farage's closing statement
Farage says there isn't "much difference" between Labour and the Conservatives, accusing them of engaging in "pathetic" arguments.
He says the Labour Party is set to win the election, and that the real debate is about who will lead the opposition, which he says should be Reform.
Farage claims Reform will become a "political phenomenon".
Live Reporting
Edited by Alex Binley
All times stated are UK
Get involved
What do the spinners think?
Some more from the spin room now, where the spinners are spinning for their parties...
Ready for more analysis? The Newscast is here
Our colleagues at Newscast, Adam Fleming and Laura Kuenssberg, have reacted to tonight's debate - listen to the freshly-recorded episode here.
BBC Verify
Mark Poynting
SNP wrong to say Labour plans to shut down North Sea oil and gas
The SNP leader in the House of Commons, Stephen Flynn, said earlier that “the Labour Party position is to shut down the North Sea oil and gas sector, which would risk 100,000 jobs”.
That is roughly the number of jobs that Scotland’s oil and gas industry supports in the wider economy, according to an independent estimate for Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), a trade association.
But it is misleading to suggest Labour’s plans put all of these jobs are at risk.
Labour has said it would not issue new oil and gas licences, but the party has pledged not to overturn existing licences.
As Flynn acknowledged, the North Sea is running out of oil and gas, so many of the jobs are at risk in the long-term anyway.
And the government's independent adviser, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), has previously said there is potential for the transition to renewable energy to "create more jobs than will be lost" across the UK.
They didn't answer me, says audience member who quizzed panellists
Sean Seddon
Reporting from debate spin room
Linda Myers was one of the audience members given a chance to quiz the panellists - about politicians failing to deliver on their promises.
She tells me while it was a "privilege" to be able to ask a question, she doesn't feel like all the people on the stage disproved her point.
She says: "They didn't answer me, they just went around and around like children.
"I certainly wouldn't vote for Labour or the Conservatives after tonight but the Green candidate opened my eyes - she gave me a grown-up answer."
Lucy Hobday was also impressed by the Green Party, which is unsurprising since she used her question to ask about the climate.
However, she found herself being taken back by the answer she got from Nigel Farage.
She tells me: "I don't think he gave a great answer but he said that we export a lot of our carbon emissions abroad and that's right.
"That means we're deluded and away with the fairies about how much we think we're doing to tackle climate change."
BBC Verify
Rupert Carey
What has Labour said about increasing defence spending?
In the first section of the debate - on defence - the Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said "we will have a commitment to the 2.5% spending of GDP".
She is right that Labour has said it would raise total defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) but she did not mention that - so far - there is no timeframe for this.
Labour has said it would do this only “as soon as resources allow”.
This is more vague than the Conservatives, who have pledged to hit this spending target by 2030 (though there are questions about how they would pay for this).
Rayner had one job, and she delivered, Lisa Nandy says
Malu Cursino
Reporting from debate spin room
Labour's Lisa Nandy, shadow secretary of state for the UK's international development, says Angela Rayner had one job tonight and delivered on it.
In Nandy's view, the job was "to speak directly to the country about their concerns with empathy and warmth, and to show that Labour has got a real plan to deliver the change this country needs".
"She absolutely did that," Nandy tells me.
Unlike others in the panel, Nandy says Labour's deputy leader was the person "who most connected with the ordinary concerns of people in the country".
"Most of all, she put forward positive proposals to do that," Nandy adds.
But Nandy emphasises that her party is "not complacent" about winning - despite being far ahead in the opinion polls - and they know they have to "go out and convince the public over the next few weeks".
Mordaunt did a sterling job, says minister
Sean Seddon
Reporting from the spin room
Tory Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris says he's very happy with how the debate went.
Asked if it was a good end to a difficult day, he says: "It was fantastic, Penny did a sterling job.
"She pointed out Labour's lack of credibility on defence and how they are going to provide energy for the country."
Earlier, Plaid Cymru's leader told me he was angry that leaders of smaller parties weren't given a chance to debate against the prime minister and Labour leader.
Asked if he understood Plaid Cymru's anger that Rishi Sunak didn't take part in the debate against smaller parties, his answer was fairly straightforward: "No."
No mention of independence from SNP's Flynn
Phil Sim
BBC Scotland political journalist
The SNP's Stephen Flynn will be happy that he did what he set out to do in the debate – fire in about both the Conservatives and Labour, and paint the two as being the same.
He got some of his points across in a forceful manner, on Brexit, immigration and the economy.
But there was one interesting omission, which a UK audience might have been expecting to hear more of from an SNP politician – independence.
There was essentially no mention of the constitutional question which has dominated Scottish politics in recent years.
It was the same when John Swinney took part in a Scottish leaders debate on Monday.
The strategy seems to be that the SNP can talk about independence to its base, to gee up its own supporters.
But when it comes to the wider electorate, they are keen to only really mention it as part of their wider offering in terms of improving services like healthcare and the economy.
Ninety minutes of debate - let's recap
Video content
The seven-way debate this evening covered plenty of ground and was at times heated, as the participants clashed over tax, immigration, the NHS and green energy.
Here's a recap of the key moments:
You can read our seven takeaways from the debate here.
Plaid Cymru's leader says Sunak and Starmer should have been at debates
Sean Seddon
Reporting from debate spin room
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth tells me he enjoyed the night and hopes people beyond Wales see the "relevance" of what he said on the stage tonight - but is disappointed the smaller parties didn't get to go head-to-head with the main candidates for No 10.
"The two leaders of Labour and the Conservatives should have been there to debate the issues that matter around the country," he says.
"Without that, there's no level playing field."
He won't say whether he's given any more though to pushing for a vote to collapse the Welsh government, something he indicated on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was considering earlier this week.
He tells me this week's no confidence vote was in First Minister Vaughan Gething's "credibility and integrity" - and a second confidence vote in the wider government is something he's still thinking about after Gething refused to step down.
He adds: "Our point about the first minister has been made, but it's an option."
Much more to come
The reaction is coming thick and fast from the spin room - so stay with us for lines from the parties, analysis from our correspondents, and fact-checking from our colleagues at BBC Verify.
And remember - you can also watch by pressing Play at the top of the page.
Tory tax claim an established lie, says Labour's Reynolds
Labour's shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds tells the BBC the £2,000 figure has been established to be a lie and he's surprised the Tories keep repeating it.
He says he was also surprised Mordaunt "went in so hard" on Sunak, arguing that would mean more chaos if the Conservatives were re-elected.
Reynolds adds that Rayner was "straight-talking" and spoke to the country clearly about what Labour would deliver.
Asked if Labour's sums add up, he says the party's spending priorities are clearly laid out and costed.
He also says Labour is completely committed to the UK's nuclear deterrent, Trident, after Mordaunt repeatedly cast doubt on this during the debate.
For context: You can see our BBC Verify post from earlier on why the £2,000 tax claim by the Conservatives is misleading.
BBC Verify
Robert Cuffe
Are £18bn of cuts coming?
Debating the future of the NHS, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn claimed “there are £18bn of cuts coming down the line, agreed to by Angela Rayner and Penny Mordaunt”.
Think tanks have warned that some public services could face cuts after the election, whoever wins.
But the NHS is not likely to be one of them.
The Conservatives have pledged to increase spending on services by 1% a year over the next few years.
They’ve committed more than that to protected departments like the NHS and Defence.
That leaves less to go around for unprotected departments which could face cuts. According to the government spending watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility, that would amount to tens of billions of pounds.
Labour hasn’t published its manifesto yet, but has signed up to broadly the same overall rules about public spending as the government.
Little detail on how health and social care will be tackled in next Parliament
Hugh Pym
Health editor
In their brief summing-up speeches, Labour's Angela Rayner and the Lib Dems' Daisy Cooper referred to the NHS and the need for improvement.
The Greens' Carla Denyer mentioned NHS privatisation, while the others spelled out different priorities.
The debate provided little illumination on how health and social care would be tackled in the next Parliament beyond election slogans.
Those who have argued that the parties are failing to give voters enough clarity on one of the biggest domestic issues will rest their case.
Trott defends Sunak on D-Day row and Mordaunt on defence and tax
In the spin room, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott is asked about the D-Day row.
She says Sunak "made a huge mistake" in leaving events early, and has rightly apologised.
She says Mordaunt was "really clear" about the government's good record on veterans, and went onto to say that Rayner does not believe in the UK's nuclear deterrent.
Trott also defended the disputed Tory claim that Labour would put up household taxes by £2,000 in the next Parliament, while arguing the Conservatives had no choice about increasing taxes because of Covid and the Ukraine war.
Clear dangers for Labour in idea election is a foregone conclusion
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
There was something very striking about those 30-second closing statements.
Angela Rayner attacked the Conservatives; Penny Mordaunt attacked Labour.
But then three of the remaining five politicians took it as given that Labour have won the election.
Stephen Flynn said “the Tories are finished so the choice is simple”.
Rhun ap Iorwerth added: “The Conservatives are gone, they are finished.”
Nigel Farage said “Labour are going to win – the debate is who forms the opposition in the next Parliament”.
Carla Denyer, from the Greens, was focused on arguing that Labour have become the Conservatives, while Daisy Cooper of the Liberal Democrats continued her debate strategy of specifically attacking the Conservatives.
To some extent the argument that the election is over is something every smaller party is always going to say. The fear they are trying to overcome in voters is that they are losing their say over who will be prime minister at the end of the election if they back one of the smaller parties.
But there are clear dangers for Labour too in the idea that the election is a foregone conclusion. Labour will not want any of their voters to think they do not need to turn up to the polls on July 4.
BBC Verify
Ben King
Starmer did not say Labour would put up taxes by £2,000
Penny Mordaunt said Keir Starmer had confirmed earlier this week that Labour “are going to put up your taxes by £2,000 per working household”.
This is false. Starmer did not confirm the £2,000 per household figure, which he has called “garbage”. Like the Conservatives, the party says they will not raise the rates of income tax, National Insurance or VAT.
On Tuesday, in a head-to-head debate with Rishi Sunak on ITV, he said: “We will raise specific taxes, and we have been really clear what they are.”
He mentioned putting VAT on private school fees and ending the non-dom status for wealthy individuals who don’t pay UK tax on overseas assets, as well as tax on oil and gas companies.
“We will raise those but we won’t raise the others,” he said.
Buzz returning to spin room
Malu Cursino
Reporting from debate spin room
Presenters are getting their mics on and a gentle buzz is returning to the spin room.
Politicians and their advisers are starting to file back into the room after tonight's BBC debate, and we'll soon hear them talk about how the last 90 minutes went.
Conservative Laura Trott and Labour's Jonathan Reynolds will be speaking to us at BBC shortly, you can watch it live at the stream on the top of our live page.
And that's it
And that's it - the debate is over. That was 90 minutes of intense back and forth between seven leading political figures.
But don't go anywhere - we'll have plenty of reaction and analysis from our correspondents about how the parties performed, and we'll hear more from the spin room.
Post update
Video content
Farage says there isn't "much difference" between Labour and the Conservatives, accusing them of engaging in "pathetic" arguments.
He says the Labour Party is set to win the election, and that the real debate is about who will lead the opposition, which he says should be Reform.
Farage claims Reform will become a "political phenomenon".