The first televised debate before the British election offered side-by-side showdowns between predictable rivals.
Neither Rishi Sunak nor Keir Starmer managed to score a full hit.
Uncertain times require clear plans. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had his clear message when he met Labour leader Keir Starmer in the first televised debate before the British election on July 4.
Tory leader promised to cut taxes, protect pensions, and reduce immigration.
Opposition leader continued to accuse the prime minister of living in a fantasy world and knowing that the economy will sink even deeper in the fall. Keir Starmer claims that it is precisely for this reason that Rishi Sunak called the election in the middle of summer, months earlier than predicted.
Surveys before the debate showed moderate engagement from the public, and those who chose to watch got little real news as the duels continued in predictable tracks.
Sky News and Yougov, which measured voters' verdict on the debate, also concluded that it was almost a tie, with a slight advantage to Sunak. Neither left-leaning The Guardian nor right-leaning The Telegraph could easily declare a winner.
The difference between the two was perhaps most highlighted in the last question of the evening, about the European Football Championship and how England's national team coach Gareth Southgate will approach the tournament.
