KAPOW! FEISTY RISHI FLOORS STARMER OVER £2,000 TAX RISE

RUMBUSTIOUS Rishi Sunak overpowered Keir Starmer in a brutal television showdown with repeated blows on Labour tax hikes to which the opposition leader failed to respond.

- Sam Lister

In the first live head-to-head debate of the General Election campaign, a fiery Prime Minister warned voters: "Labour will raise your taxes. It's in their DNA.

"Your work, your car, your pension, you name it, Labour will tax it."

Spending

It came as Sir Keir refused repeatedly to rule out planning a £2,000 raid on family finances, dodging questions over how he will fill the massive black hole in his spending plans.

Saying he had a "clear plan for a more secure future for you and your family", Mr Sunak declared: "Beyond raising your taxes and raiding your pensions, no one knows what Labour would actually do.

"But you know what I would do? I'll cut your taxes, protect your pension and reduce immigration." In fiery exchanges over the hourlong ITV debate, both party leaders were reprimanded by host Julie Etchingham for talking over each other.

She was forced to repeatedly intervene as the pair clashed over a range of issues.

Tensions heightened as the debate turned to the small boats crisis, with Mr Sunak challenging Sir Keir: "What are you going to do with illegal migrants?" Ms Etchingham intervened: "Please gentleman, we will lower our voices." Mr Sunak insisted he was prepared to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights if the Rwanda deportation plan was blocked by the courts.

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