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The leaders of the two main parties clashed on Tuesday night in their first debate of the general election campaign.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer argued over issues including tax, the NHS, immigration and the cost of living in a debate that at times seemed bad-tempered, as the two men were repeatedly told to stop talking over each other on the debate on ITV.

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Below, Sky News looks at some of the key moments:

Tax and the economy

Mr Sunak claimed Labour’s plans for the country were not costed and would require tax rises of £2,000. He pointed to the Conservatives bringing inflation down, cutting NI and his pledge to cut taxes for pensioners through the “triple lock plus” as reasons why people should vote for him.

Sir Keir said Mr Sunak’s £2,000 claim was “absolute garbage” and his plans are fully costed. He pointed out the tax burden has risen to the highest level in 70 years under the Tories and used Mr Sunak’s vast personal wealth to suggest he doesn’t understand the cost of living crisis.

Pic: Jonathan Hordle/ITV via PA
Image:
Pic: Jonathan Hordle/ITV via PA

The NHS

Mr Sunak was groaned at and laughed at for claiming waiting lists were coming down and blaming industrial action on the backlog.

Sir Keir pointed to Labour’s plans to create 40,000 new appointments while bigging up his credentials as the husband of an NHS worker.

When Mr Sunak claimed “waiting lists are coming down”, Sir Keir responded: “They were 7.2 million, they’re now 7.5 million. He says they are coming down and this is the guy who says he’s good at maths.”

More on election debate:
Sunak came out fighting and just about shaded it
Snippy debate had an unsatisfactory rhythm

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Education

Mr Sunak said parents who “work hard” should be allowed to send their children to private schools, in an attack on Labour’s VAT policy to tax private schools.

Sir Keir said that one of Labour’s first steps would be to recruit 6,500 teachers to fill gaps, and he “will get rid of the tax break on private schools to pay for it, that’s a tough choice, I do understand that”.

Immigration

Mr Sunak offered his strongest suggestion yet that he could be willing to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if the government’s stalled Rwanda deportation plan remains blocked by the courts, but said flights should be taking off in July.

Sir Keir said the UK risked becoming a “pariah” state if it left international conventions and pointed to his plan to target criminal people-smuggling gangs to stop small boat crossings.

Climate

Mr Sunak defended his decision to water down policies designed to help the UK reach net zero carbon emissions, saying the targets will still be met, it will cost households less, and maintain the UK’s energy security.

Sir Keir said there was a “huge opportunity” in the renewable energy sphere that would see cheaper bills, energy security for the UK, and more jobs. He said he will deliver clean power by 2030, despite scaling back the initial investment he intended to put forward to get there.

Read more:
How Labour and Tory energy plans compare

Closing statements

Rishi Sunak appealed to voters wavering between the Tories and Reform UK in his closing statement at the ITV debate.

He said: “Either Keir Starmer or I will be your prime minister and a vote for anyone else makes it more likely that it will be him.”

He also told voters “you don’t know what you’d get” if they chose Labour.

While in his closing argument, Sir Keir said: “I don’t offer you the gimmicks or unfunded promises that Rishi Sunak does.

“I don’t pretend there’s a magic wand that will fix everything overnight. Instead, I offer a practical common sense plan to change Britain.”

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Southport attack victim’s teachers ‘don’t want her to be forgotten’

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Southport attack victim's teachers 'don't want her to be forgotten'

The teacher of one of the Southport stabbing victims has told Sky News they “don’t want her to be forgotten”, 10 months after the knife attack in which she was murdered.

Seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe was killed along with Bebe King, six, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar in an attack by Axel Rudakubana at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last July.

Jennifer Sephton, headteacher of Farnborough Road Infant School, will be skydiving to raise funds for the Elsie’s Story charitable trust, which has been set up in memory of the former pupil.

Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King were murdered in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed class.
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(L-R) Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King were killed in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed class


“She’d been with us for four years, throughout her education,” Ms Sephton told Sky News, “and we just want everybody to know Elsie’s spirit.”

Describing Elsie as “such a determined young lady,” Ms Sephton said Elsie had “a real zest for life, and a sparkle in her eye all the time.”

She added that Elsie’s Story, which has been set up by Elsie’s family, is about “continuing that legacy.”

Jennifer Sephton
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Jennifer Sephton

In the aftermath of the July 2024 attack, the gates outside Elsie’s school were lined with flowers, balloons, and cards bearing her name.

Since then, memorial benches and a tree have been planted in the school grounds, providing pupils and staff with a place to “remember and reflect”, Ms Sefton says.

“[Elsie’s death] had such an impact on all our community,” the teacher said, “it’s had an impact on her friends, their siblings, our school as a community and our staff.”

Read more:
Southport survivor wants end to use of traditional kitchen knives

Adrian Antell
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Adrian Antell

‘We want her name to live on’

Ms Sephton will be joined in the skydive by Adrian Antell, headteacher at the adjoining junior school where Elsie had been due to start.

“Elsie was due to come to us last September,” he told Sky News, “but what we’ve learned about her is that she had a wonderful impact in the infant school, and we don’t want her to be forgotten.

“We want her name to have to live on and to be thought of in a positive way.”

Mr Antell said they continue to support Elsie’s classmates, who joined the new school without her.

“There’s no instruction manual for this,” he explained, “every day is different, and every day is one step at a time.

“So all we can do as a school is to think about individual children and support them in the best way we can.”

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Scientists embark on crucial study to save Britain’s bees

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Scientists embark on crucial study to save Britain's bees

Scientists from Kew Gardens are using a new study to track which trees bees prefer to try to stem the decline in our vital pollinators.

Bee populations are falling all over the world due to a mixture of habitat loss, climate change, and the use of pesticides, with a devastating impact on our biodiversity and food production.

But it’s feared that not enough comprehensive, global research is being done to understand the issue or find solutions.

Pollination Research Lead, Dr Janine Griffiths-Lee told Sky News “Nearly 90% of our flowering plants depend on the contribution of pollinators, but in the UK the population of flying insects in the last 20 years has decreased by around 60%. 
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The study is building up heat maps of the most popular trees


 

Now, scientists based at Wakehurst in Sussex (Kew’s “Wild Botanic Garden”) have begun placing advanced bioacoustics sensors in some of their trees, to track which ones the bees are more drawn to.
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Non-invasive monitors track the buzz created by bees’ wing beats

UK becoming a no-fly zone

Researchers based at Wakehurst in Sussex, known as Kew’s “Wild Botanic Garden”, have begun placing advanced bio-acoustics sensors in some of their trees to track which ones bees favour.

They hope it’ll help urban planners know which trees to plant in built-up areas, as a way of combating the worrying decline in bee numbers.

Pollination research lead Dr Janine Griffiths-Lee said: “Nearly 90% of our flowering plants depend on the contribution of pollinators, but in the UK the population of flying insects in the last 20 years has decreased by around 60%.

“It’s really hard to be able to put a figure on the decline of our pollinators, but we do know that globally the number is declining.

“And with that comes crop yield instability and the loss of an essential ecosystem service.”

Their new, non-invasive monitors listen for the buzz created by bees’ wing beats, building up heat maps of the most popular spots.

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bees
kew gardens
Kew scientists are using a ‘brand new’ study to track which trees bees prefer - to try and stem the decline in our vital pollinators.
Image:
Bio-acoustics sensors are placed in trees to track which ones the bees are more drawn to

‘We’re facing twin crises’

Dr Griffiths-Lee said: “If you think about the tree’s footprint, it’s very small, but they’re huge 3D structures covered in pollen and nectar, which are essential resources of pollinators.

“So we really wanted to think about which are the best trees for bees for us to plant, and that can inform landscape planners, urban architects.”

Eight different species of tree were chosen for the study, including horse chestnut and lime trees, with a mixture of native and non-native species.

The scientists have also been gathering DNA from pollen, which also helps them to map which plants and flowers the insects prefer.

Wakehurst’s director, Susan Raikes, calls the 535-acre estate a “living laboratory”, and said the project’s all about searching for nature-based solutions to the impacts of climate change.

“The stakes couldn’t be higher, really. We know that we’re facing these twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change,” she added.

“We need to be able to understand, as the climate changes, which plants from warmer climes will be good here in the UK for pollinators in the future.

“If all of our native plants are struggling, then we need to find new sources of pollen – for us all to survive.”

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Gary Neville out of Sky Sports’ Premier League finale after ‘unprecedented action’

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Gary Neville out of Sky Sports' Premier League finale after 'unprecedented action'

Football pundit Gary Neville is to miss coverage of the Premier League finale on Sunday after being banned by Nottingham Forest, whose owner he recently criticised.

Neville had been due to commentate on Forest’s game against Chelsea on Sky Sports, which is being billed as a Champions League qualification shoot-out with both teams aiming for a top five finish.

But posting on Instagram, the former Manchester United and England defender said the broadcaster told him on Thursday that Forest “would not give me an accreditation or access to the stadium as a co-commentator”.

“I’ve had no choice but to withdraw from the coverage,” he added.

“I’ve dished out my fair share of criticism and praise in the last 14 years of doing this job and have never come close to this unprecedented action.”

Screengrab from the X feed of Sky Sports News of an incident between Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo and club owner Evangelos Marinakis after the Premier League match at the City Ground, Nottingham. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. See PA story SOCCER Forest. Photo credit should read: Sky Sports/X/PA Wire. NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or fa
Image:
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis (R) with manager Nuno Espirito Santo after the Premier League match against Leicester. Pic: Sky Sports News/PA

Sky backs Neville’s decision

Neville said while Forest “have every right to choose who they let into their own stadium”, it was “disappointing that a great club […] have been reduced to making such a decision”.

He said “it’s symptomatic of things that have happened over the last 12 months with the club”.

Sky Sports described Forest’s move as “an unprecedented and unwelcome step” and said it has decided “to present the game from Sky Studios in west London.

“As he was no longer able to commentate from the ground, Gary has chosen to not be part of the coverage on Sunday – a decision fully supported by Sky.”

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Neville has been highly critical of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

He described Marinakis walking on to the pitch and exchanging words with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after the club’s draw with Leicester earlier this month as “scandalous”.

Neville urged Nuno to quit the club and his social media post further enraged Marinakis, who had threatened Sky with legal action over comments made by the pundit earlier in the season.

After Forest’s 2-0 defeat at Everton last year, the club issued a statement on social media questioning the integrity of video assistant referee Stuart Atwell after claiming they had been denied three penalties.

Neville’s response to that, comparing Forest’s actions to those of a “mafia gang”, prompted an apology from Sky after they had been contacted by Marinakis’ lawyers.

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