What On Earth is Happening in the house of commons?!
On the 4th of June, ITV hosted the first General Election leaders debate, faced in a head-to-head battle both Sunak and Starmer will elaborate on their manifestos to the nation.
In the hour-long debate, I took it upon myself to watch and note down key topics that needed to be shared with you all!
Starting with the opening, Keir Starmer (leader of the Labour Party), pledged that he would change the roots of the Labour Party and “put it back in the service of working people”
“Put it (Labour) back in the service of working people”
Our Prime Minister Sunak argues that the Labour party would raise your taxes and raise your pensions and in contrast the Conservative party would cut your taxes, protect your pensions and erase immigration.
The ITV leader’s debate worked around the basis of members of the public conforming a live audience asking questions to Sunak and Starmer.
Rishi Sunak/ Prime Minister (left)
Kier Starmer/ Leader of Labour Party (right)
#1 Cost of Living Crisis
Sunak:
Understands the strain of economic struggles happening across the nation
Touched on the furlough scheme Sunak created in COVID
Comments that inflation rate has decreased ‘back to normal’ at the end of his Prime Minister reign
Stresses that if Starmer wins the election, Labour will raise taxes by £2000 pp.
Starmer:
Comments that the Conservative Government are out of control
In previous Conservative Government control under Liz Truss, he notes that Truss crashed the economy
If Sunak wins the election, it is a possibility that Liz Truss will be put forward as a candidate for his cabinet
#2 NHS
Sunak:
Refuses to pay the 35% pay rise demanded by the NHS
Explains that COVID19 caused NHS backlog
Believes that he has already given the NHS record funding
Wants to train more doctors and nurses
Starmer:
Wife works in the NHS in London
Starmer will make 40,000 new appointments a week… resulting in 2 million per year to clear the backlog and waiting times
*the waiting list is currently at 7.5 million
Refuses to pay the 35% pay rise demanded by the NHS… instead wants to ‘get in the room’ and negotiate with doctors to agree on a settlement regarding the demands for a pay rise.
#3 Immigration
Sunak:
The Rwanda scheme will reduce immigration by 1/3
Migrants will be detained and flights will go in July
If Rwanda scheme gets blocked by courts, Sunak plans to remove the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights
… this plan is ‘crystal clear’
Comments that Starmer previously voted against the law to arrest people smugglers, alluding to the fact that Starmer is lying when speaking about his plans for immigration
Starmer:
Noted that 10,000 illegal immigrants had arrived on boats in 2024
Wants to ‘smash the gangs’
#4 Education
Sunak:
Pledges to put £8 billion into social care
Starmer:
Wants to hire 6,500 new teachers for schools
More key points from both parties…
Starmer claims that Tories raised taxes 26 times during the 14 years in power… leading to the highest level of tax in 70 years
Starmer has introduced removing the tax break for private school fees to fund 6,5000 new teachers for schools.
Sunak would raise state allowance for pensioners as well as promising their pension won’t be subjected to tax
Sunak will introduce a MANDATORY national service for teenagers
Starmer believes the mandatory national service is a desperate idea and a poor re enactment of ‘Dad’s Army’
