What's happened
Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are set to participate in the final leaders' debate tonight, with Nigel Farage notably absent. The campaign is intensifying as major debates and polls predict significant losses for the Tories, with Reform UK gaining ground and overtaking them in recent polls.
What's behind the headline?
What the papers say
According to The Mirror, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer will face off in the final leaders' debate, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will be absent. The Independent reports on a major new survey showing voters prefer Farage over a Conservative leader as the opposition to Labour. Sky News highlights Farage's challenge to be included in a political leaders' event and a head-to-head debate with Starmer. Metro covers Farage's claim that the Conservatives are 'about to implode' after Reform UK overtakes them in a new poll.
How we got here
The UK general election campaign has seen intense debates and polls shaping the political landscape. Nigel Farage's return to politics as the leader of Reform UK has disrupted the traditional party dynamics, with the party gaining ground and overtaking the Conservatives in recent polls. The absence of Farage in key debates and the rise of Reform UK as a significant player in the election have added complexity to the campaign.
Go deeper
- How is Reform UK's rise impacting the traditional party dynamics in the UK?
- What strategies are the Conservative and Labour parties employing to counter Reform UK's growing popularity?
- What are the potential implications of Nigel Farage's return to politics for the UK general election?
Common question
More on these topics
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The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists.
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Nigel Paul Farage is a British politician. He has been leader of the Brexit Party since 2019, and served as Member of the European Parliament for South East England from 1999 until the United Kingdom's exit from the EU in 2020.
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party, and also known colloquially as the Tories, Tory Party, or simply the Conservatives, is a political party in the United Kingdom.
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Reform UK is a populist political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded as The Brexit Party with a focus on Euroscepticism in November 2018, until being renamed on 6 January 2021.
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Rishi Sunak is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2022.
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Question Time is a topical debate programme, typically broadcast on BBC One at 10:35 pm on Thursdays. It is usually repeated on BBC Two and on BBC Parliament, later in the week. Question Time is also available on BBC iPlayer.
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The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Headquartered at Broadcasting House in Westminster, London, it is the world's oldest national broadcaster, and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees.