Migration, tax among issues in final Sunak-Starmer debate

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer went head to head on June 26 in their last debate before the country heads to the polls on July 4, with both launching highly personal attacks over their and their parties’ credibility.

- 

With Mr Sunak’s Conservatives trailing Labour by around 20 points in polls, the Prime Minister went on the attack, accusing Mr Starmer of not being straight with the country on migration, tax and women’s rights, and urging voters not to “surrender” to the Labour Party.

Mr Starmer responded that Mr Sunak was too rich to understand the concerns of most ordinary Britons. A snap YouGov poll said the debate had been a tie, with both on 50 per cent.

On immigration, one of the top concerns for British voters, Mr Sunak rejected Mr Starmer’s argument that he would seek to return migrants to their home countries, saying many had arrived in Britain from Iran, Syria and Afghanistan.