Who won the final head-to-head TV debate? Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak exchange blows

This was the final head-to-head TV debate before polling day. Thank God, eh? Small mercies.

Labour’s Keir Starmer and the Conservatives’ Rishi Sunak faced questions from a studio audience in Nottingham, with the BBC’s Mishal Husain chairing. All three did well to contend with a loud protest taking place outside.

At this stage in the campaign, the narrative of the election is fairly well established. The Tories are resigned to defeat. Labour is heading for a potentially massive majority – the only question is how large.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer during the BBC debate in Nottingham. Picture: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire

For Mr Sunak, this was one of his last chances to inflict some damage on his opponent, and he relentlessly hammered home his attack lines. It wasn’t particularly edifying, but it was, at times, crudely effective.

The Prime Minister probably had the better night, but most have made up their minds already. Others are struggling to muster much enthusiasm either way.

In a particularly brutal moment, one audience member summed up the latter sentiment. "Are you two really the best we’ve got to be the next Prime Minister of our great country?” he asked. Cue applause.

Rishi Sunak

It took a matter of minutes for Mr Sunak to raise the spectre of tax rises under Labour. This has been a key message of the Tory campaign, and the Prime Minister raised it again and again and again.

“You can have tax cuts with the Conservatives, or you can have thousands of pounds of tax rises under the Labour Party,” he said, later warning: “Do not surrender your family finances to Labour’s tax rises.”

Mr Sunak used a version of this line repeatedly. “Don’t surrender our borders to the Labour Party,” he urged when an audience member raised the issue of illegal immigration.

The Prime Minister won applause when he mocked Sir Keir’s approach to this issue. "Are you going to try and do a deal with the Taliban?” he asked. “It’s completely nonsensical what you are saying. You are taking people for fools.”

Best moment: Mr Sunak’s jibe on immigration, above, met with loud applause.

Worst moment: "If you listened to people in the audience across the country more often, you might not be quite so out of touch,” Sir Keir told Mr Sunak at one point, to more applause.

Scotsman rating: 3.5/5

Keir Starmer

Sir Keir was at his best when putting forward his central message of change. The country has endured 14 years of chaos, he said. “We have to turn the page and start rebuilding our country.”

Likewise, the Labour leader was at home on issues of integrity and public service. There was “too much self-entitlement” in politics, he said. It was time for a reset. He wasted little time before referencing partygate, and Mr Sunak’s own fine for breaking the rules.

Sir Keir said the Tories are making unfunded commitments, and people are struggling because the economy is broken. “Lots of promises – promises, promises, promises. But where’s the money coming from?”

However, he struggled a bit on other issues, such as illegal immigration. Mr Sunak’s repeated attacks over tax will also hit home with some, even if his figures are dodgy.

Best moment: His line about Mr Sunak being out of touch landed with the audience.

Worst moment: There is no doubt Mr Sunak landed a few punches over illegal immigration.

Scotsman rating: 3/5