It was the good, the bad and the ugly for Rishi Sunak during the latest TV election showdown
From Rishi Sunak, we saw the good, the bad and the ugly during the latest TV election showdown with other party leaders – and a tough and unforgiving audience.
The good came when he broke his silence on the Tory betting scandal early on in his half-hour session of questions, declaring he was “incredibly angry” and vowing that any law breakers would be “booted out” of his party.
The bad followed when he struggled to defend his own policy on national service for 18-year-olds and was tetchy with an audience member who asked about Brexit.
And the ugly came at the end when the audience angrily shouted “shame!” when he launched into Reform UK-style rhetoric about the European Convention on Human Rights and attacked what he called a “foreign court”.
That sort of talk may play well with right-wing MPs and activists, but it bombed here and will have alienated those voters thinking of switching to Labour or the Liberal Democrats.
So Mr Sunak started well, got bogged down in detail in the middle and then ended badly, though he eventually did manage to land some blows on Labour on tax – as he has continued to do so throughout the election campaign.
The two takeaways from the PM’s part of this election programme will be his threat to expel betting wrongdoers and his misjudging the audience on the ECHR.
But not surprisingly, that wasn’t good enough for opposition MPs.
Rishi Sunak faced tough questions from the audience
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was challenged on a number of issues by the audience.
Immediately after the programme, Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth told Sky News Mr Sunak still has not taken any action against Tory candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, who are being investigated by the Gambling Commission.
He should have suspended them immediately, as Sir Keir Starmer has demanded, Mr Ashworth said.
But despite the shouts of “shame!” from the audience on the ECHR near the end, Mr Sunak will feel that with the Tories losing votes to Nigel Farage he had to throw the Tory right and would-be Reform UK voters some red meat.
Those Tory MPs who love to hate the ECHR will no doubt have approved of Mr Sunak’s attack as far as it went – and no doubt accuse the BBC of selecting a “lefty” audience.
Before Mr Sunak, Sir Keir stumbled once again, as he did in his interview with Beth Rigby in last week’s Sky News Battle for No 10 programme in Grimsby, when asked about his support for Jeremy Corbyn.
Host Fiona Bruce repeatedly challenged Sir Keir on why he said Mr Corbyn would make a great prime minister in 2019, but the Labour leader kept dodging the question and looked shifty.
Eventually, Sir Keir said, rather lamely, that Mr Corbyn would have made a better prime minister than Boris Johnson.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer
Tories will no doubt taunt him on that claim for the rest of the campaign.
Sir Keir’s other tricky moments came when he was quizzed about his dispute with Labour MP Rosie Duffield on trans issues.
“I agree with Tony Blair,” he said. But he shunned the Canterbury MP and couldn’t bring himself to mention her name.
That was disrespectful. The Labour leader seems to have a problem with Ms Duffield. It makes him sound intolerant, which his critics would say is fair criticism.
The surprise here was a solid performance from the SNP leader John Swinney. He is less confrontational than the party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.
Scotland First Minister John Swinney
He has a funereal style of delivery that has previously seen him compared to an undertaker.
He could also be compared to a Church of Scotland priest reading from the prayer book, to be fair.
But he’s an old pro and a details man, as he demonstrated when answering tricky questions about the SNP performance on the NHS in Scotland and was courteous with members of the audience, even when the questions were tough.
It all began with Sir Ed Davey, who was immediately greeted with the question: “Aren’t you going to bankrupt the country?”
“No,” he replied.
Well, it would have been a shock if he’d said yes.
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Lib Dem leader Ed Davey fielding questions from the audience
The second questioner was applauded after he accused Sir Ed of breaking promises in coalition government, citing the Lib Dems’ U-turn on tuition fees.
He was also ridiculed by a member of the audience over his “horseplay” in the campaign, the stunts such as splashing around on Lake Windermere and riding on a rollercoaster at Thorpe Park in Surrey.
And inevitably, he was asked if he was proud of his record as Post Office minister during the Horizon scandal.
The questions were tough, but he dealt with them calmly. His style was that of a fireside chat.
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With four party leaders competing this was a game of four quarters.
And this tough and unforgiving audience gave the leaders no quarter.
A manhunt for a second and third prisoner who were released in error has put further pressure on Justice Secretary David Lammy.
Last month Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who was serving a 12-month prison sentence for sexual assault, was released in error when he should have been deported.
The Ethiopian national, who came to the UK on a small boat in the summer, spent roughly 48 hours at large before being apprehended in north London and deported.
But it emerged on Wednesday that within days of Kebatu’s mistaken release from HMP Chelmsford, HMP Wandsworth also mistakenly released prisoner Brahim Kaddour-Cherif.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed to Sky News: “Shortly after 1pm on Tuesday 4 November, the Met was informed by the Prison Service that a prisoner had been released in error from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday 29 October.
“The prisoner is a 24-year-old Algerian man.
“Officers are carrying out urgent enquiries in an effort to locate him and return him to custody.”
The same day Surrey Police put out a public appeal to locate fraudster William Smith, 35, who was also released in error from HMP Wandsworth on 3 November. He had been sentenced to 45 months in prison that day.
Mr Lammy, who was recently appointed justice secretary, is under renewed political pressure.
Hadush Kebatu, jailed for two sexual assaults in Epping. Pic: Essex Police / PA
How many prisoners are released in error?
According to government statistics published in July, 262 prisoners were released in error in the 12 months to March 2025 – a 128% increase from 115 the previous year.
The report states: “Of the 262 releases in error, 233 of these releases in error occurred from prison establishments, while 29 were released in error at the courts.
“Releases in error from establishments could also be a result of errors by the court.”
This is out of a total prison population across England and Wales of roughly 86,000.
Sky News has contacted the HM Prison & Probation Service to know how many of the 262 prisoners have since been found and returned to custody.
In September 2024, Sky News reported how dozens of people released from jail under the government’s emergency prison scheme were freed by mistake.
The Labour government said it was forced to release hundreds of inmates early because prisons were at capacity.
William Fernandez. Pic: PA
Kebatu was due to be deported when he was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford.
Previous high-profile manhunts
William Fernandez, who was awaiting trial for sexual assault, was released from HMP Wormwood by error in March 2021. He then went on to rape a 16-year-old girl and sexually assault a young woman.
Joseph McCann. Pic: Police handout
In December 2019, the prisons and probation service “apologised unreservedly” after serial rapist Joseph McCann was freed to commit a series of sex attacks on women and children.
In July 2017, an inmate who was released from prison just months into a nine-year sentence due to a “clerical error” was arrested after weeks on the run.
A man who arrived on a small boat has been sent back to France for the second time in less than two months.
The Iranian man came to the UK on a small boat on 6 August and was initially sent back to France on 19 September, before returning to the UK on a small boat on 18 October.
He has been flown back again as part of the latest tranche of 19 returnees under the “one in, one out” agreement with France.
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The Iranian man told The Guardian he had been a victim of modern slavery at the hands of people smugglers in northern France.
As part of the one in, one out agreement, which came into play in August, 94 migrants who came to the UK illegally on small boats have now been removed.
In return, a total of 57 approved asylum seekers have been brought to the UK.
The man came to the UK twice on a small boat. File pic
Although the UK has sent back more migrants than it has accepted, the two countries have committed to exchange an equal number of people in each direction.
The end of October saw more migrants having crossed the Channel in 2025 than the entirety of 2024.
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Anyone looking to return to the UK after being removed under the UK-France agreement is wasting their time and money.
“This individual was detected by biometrics and detained instantly. His case was expedited, and now he has been removed again.
“My message is clear: if you try to return to the UK you will be sent back. I will do whatever it takes to scale up removals of illegal migrants and secure our borders.”
Fire crews have been tackling a major incident after flooding hit parts of southwest Wales overnight, with people trapped in their homes and vehicles.
Joint Fire Control (JFC), which includes South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, received more than 450 calls within a 12-hour period, mainly in Carmarthenshire, according to Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS).
Forty-eight people were rescued from a care home, more than 40 people were helped to safety from flooded homes, three people were rescued from a vehicle trapped in fast-flowing water, and more than 30 dogs were saved from flood-affected kennels at a shelter.
A major incident was declared after flooding at a retirement complex in Whitland in the early hours of Wednesday. At 1.35am, crews were deployed to rescue 48 people using “rescue sleds and water rescue equipment,” MAWWFRS said in a statement.
Pic: MAWWFRS
Three people were trapped in a vehicle in fast-flowing water. Pic: MAWWFRS
Earlier on Tuesday, in the remote village of Ffarmers, fire teams rescued three people and their two dogs who were stuck in a vehicle situated in fast-flowing water.
Fire chiefs said crews used extension ladders to reach the vehicle.
Two further incidents on Tuesday evening involved people being rescued from flooded properties in Ferryside.
Around 42 more people were rescued in nearby St Clears, where about 20 domestic and commercial properties were flooded.
Flood warnings and alerts have been in force across Wales. Pic: Natural Resources Wales
Later the same evening, crews were involved in an operation at Glanrhyd Dog Sanctuary, Kidwelly. Boats were used to evacuated dogs from a shelter which was ruined in the floods.
Owner Alison Clark told Sky News she was “broken beyond belief”.
Crews transported animals from Glanrhyd Dog Sanctuary, Kidwelly, to safety. Pic: MAWWFRS
All the dogs were rescued. Pic: MAWWFRS
“It’s devastating. Everything ruined or lost in the current. All white goods… freezers etc along with dog food, bedding and leads etc.
“We spent 80k on this move to make the sanctuary one of the best and now it is ruined.
“I’m broken beyond belief. My only saving grace is that I kept every dog alive.”
Among the rivers placed on flood warning – where flooding is expected – were the River Towy around Camarthen and between Llandeilo and Abergwili, the River Ritec at Tenby, the River Cynin at St Clears, the River Taf at Whitland and the River Teifi at Llechryd and Cenarth.
Carmarthenshire County Council said a rest centre has been set up in Carmarthen Leisure Centre for those suffering the “severe impact” of flooding in the Whitland and St Clears areas.
Seven schools were closed on Wednesday in the county and the council also confirmed multiple road closures were in place due to flooding or road conditions.
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Craig Flannery, Assistant Chief Fire Officer at MAWWFRS, said the rescues were “prolonged and challenging”.
“I have personally witnessed the dedication and professionalism of our staff dealing with multiple calls over a prolonged period, as well as the courageous efforts of our operational crews responding to these incidents across our Service area,” he said.
“Our crews have been truly exceptional in assisting and protecting our communities.
“We are also extremely grateful to all partner agencies who have assisted in responding to incidents during a prolonged and challenging period.”
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