Rishi Sunak was repeatedly laughed at during tonight’s Sky News debate programme – over the economy, waiting lists and his future as PM.
First he was laughed at when host Beth Rigby asked him: “How do we know that if you won the General Election, you’d still be prime minister in two years time?” “I can appreciate people’s frustrations,” he said. “Of course, we haven’t got everything right, but I don’t think any government does. And I know it’s been very difficult for many people.”
Next he provoked laughter with his answer on the national debt. “National debt, it’s gone up since you made the promise hasn’t it?” Ms Rigby asked. “Yes,” the PM answered sheepishly. “But it was always meant to come down over time.”
But he persisted in defending his record – and when Ms Rigby pressed him on his failure to deliver on his promise of bringing debt down, it again prompted laughter. “No,” he insisted. “Because I made the pledge I was very clear that we measure our debt reduction according to an an independent authority – no tricks, no ambiguity at all.”
Later he was laughed at twice while trying to claim he’d brought waiting lists down, when in fact they have risen. He said waiting lists were “…just over 200,000 lower than it was a few months ago.”
But the audience laughed as Ms Rigby noted: It’s gone up from when you made the pledge.” They laughed again when he said: “Yes it has, I’m being very clear about that. But now it’s coming down.”
Elsewhere he was booed and heckled over his party’s management of the NHS and his claims to want to cut taxes. And he was branded “out of touch” by an audience member as he was challenged on his failure to turn the economy around. Finally, after a difficult interview for Mr Sunak, the audience applauded as Ms Rigby suggested many voters thought it was time for the PM and the Tories to “get your P45.”
Keir Starmer won the Sky News debate the Battle for No10 by a clear margin, according to a snap YouGov poll. The rapid survey showed the Labour leader winning by a margin of almost two to one – with 64% saying Mr Starmer performed best compared to 36% for Rishi Sunak.