Sunak edges first TV debate by a whisker - a politics expert explains - video Dailymotion

Analysis from Dr Steve McCabe, Associate Professor at Birmingham City University.

Transcript

00:00Well, I've looked at a couple of polls, and by and large, it was pretty Eden Stevens.

00:06YouGov did a snap poll, which suggested immediately after the debate ended, it was 51% to Sunak,

00:1149% to Starmer, but hey, that doesn't really tell you a lot.

00:16Sunak, who's not regarded as a particularly brilliant campaigner, not good on the hoof,

00:21he came out fighting, so that was pretty notable.

00:24Starmer, who's the sort of the man with a huge lead, according to all the polls, he

00:28was very wooden.

00:29We will raise specific taxes, and we've been really clear what they are.

00:34We've already dealt with the tax break on private schools.

00:37We want to end the non-DOM status completely.

00:40Treasury civil servants have costed Labour's policies, and it's £2,000, but you asked

00:44the specifics.

00:45Nonsense.

00:46So let's have a specific difference.

00:47Please let Mr Sunak finish.

00:48The one key take from a rather unmemorable debate is Sunak perhaps having Starmer on

00:54the ropes regarding the £2,000 additional tax on the Labour.

00:58Yeah, and of course there's been a lot of discussion about that today, and it's led

01:03all the news items that I've certainly been listening to and watching.

01:06This is a clear case in point that the Conservative Party have put together information, they've

01:11perhaps got civil servants to do it, but nonetheless this is spurious information which they cobble

01:17together and they provide, if you like, the worst possible scenario that the Labour Party

01:23have come out and said absolutely adamantly there will not be these rises.

01:28Both candidates have been accused of being rather dull.

01:31The next debate will also feature Nigel Farage.

01:35How will that change the dynamic?

01:36This is a man who I think is one of the most, if not the most, influential politicians of

01:41recent memory.

01:42He will add a sparkle and, dare I say, a degree of controversy.

01:47He will raise very difficult issues, particularly immigration, which of course he doesn't believe

01:52has been handled well by the Conservative Party, and indeed, of course, he doesn't believe

01:56that the present Conservative Party have done Brexit properly.