PM Recovers From Tired Start To Secure Debate Win

Keir Starmer appeared on the back foot at times as the last televised showdown between the Labour leader and his Tory rival saw Rishi Sunak secure a narrow victory, thanks to a middebate rally.

- KATE DEVLIN

The tragedy for Sunak, however, is that if the rest of the campaign is anything to go by, it will make no difference at all to the outcome. Sunak began the night seeming tired and subdued. He repeatedly furrowed his brow as he trotted out the same attack lines on Labour he has used since the start of this campaign – to little or no effect on his party’s opinion poll ratings.

At one point a tetchy Sunak even had a go at what the BBC puts on its website. This more low-energy Sunak came as a surprise. Before the debate Labour sources said they were prepared for an energetic PM to throw the kitchen sink at his opponent. In their first debate, the prime minister had come out fighting. He was fluent, articulate and laser-focused on his message – that Labour would cost households more in tax.