How leaders prepare for debates – and the dos and don’ts for Sunak and Starmer tonight
“It’s a nightmare for everybody involved.”
That’s how former Labour adviser Ayesha Hazarika describes TV election debates.
“The amount of prep is phenomenal,” she told Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast, adding that when she was working with former leader Ed Miliband on the 2015 campaign, preparation for the TV debates took “months and months”.
Former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson told the podcast she would get her team to “rip her to shreds” with the most “unfair” and “personal” questions imaginable to ready herself for the live broadcasts.
Tonight, the Sky News Battle For Number 10 Leaders’ Special Event will see Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer face questions from political editor Beth Rigby and members of our audience in Grimsby.
Here we look at how they might be preparing – and the main dos and don’ts.
‘It’s not really about what you say’
Body language expert and business psychologist Paul Boross has years of experience preparing politicians for TV debates in several countries outside the UK.
He says viewers’ lasting impressions are rarely based on what they say.
“People are not listening to every word you’re saying. They’re watching you to get a sense of what kind of person you are,” he says.
“The public get really tired of politicians ‘banging on’ about the same thing. In the context of this election, I’m sure if they hear the word ‘plan’ again, they’ll feel like they’re going to scream.
“People are more concerned with the impression you make. As human beings, that’s the criteria we’re judging them on – whether we like and trust them.”
When preparing for head-to-head debates, the two men’s advisers will have their personal traits vivid in their minds – and look to “polish the good” and “eradicate the bad”, he adds.
What does that mean for Rishi Sunak?
Pic:ITV/PA
Commenting on his performance at the first live TV debate, Mr Boross says: “He kept rising to the bait. He needs to sound in control and not as tetchy.”
He adds: “He also needs to find some sincerity. At the moment he seems a bit like he doesn’t care anymore – like he’s got enough money and he could just leave the country if he wanted to.”
And for Sir Keir Starmer?
Pic:ITV/PA
With Labour so far ahead of the Conservatives in the polls, Mr Boross says Sir Keir’s main aim should be to simply “avoid any big mistakes”.
But he adds: “He can seem a bit distant. He has to try and be less prosecutorial – and more human.”
He believes the key to displaying more “lightness” and “humanity” would be to use humour effectively.
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Outside of these individual quirks, there are a number of basic dos and don’ts the leaders can work on to prepare for tonight’s debate, according to Mr Boross.
Do…
Use people’s names
Saying a person’s name, whether they are the interviewer or an audience member, will create a “positive psychological impact” and make the interaction feel more “personal and meaningful”, Mr Boross says.
“Hearing your own name makes you feel valued and recognised.
“Good politicians repeat the name immediately when they answer the question – so they remember it initially – then repeat it throughout the conversation.”
Another way to establish a rapport with those in the room and at home is by mirroring the questioner’s language.
“Using the same language pattern as the person who asked you the question shows you’re listening and creates a bond of trust,” Mr Boross adds.
“Really good communicators always listen to what their audience is giving them and feed back in the same form – whereas bad communicators might answer a completely different question and end up alienating them.”
Members of the audience for the first head-to-head leaders debate in Salford. Pic:ITV/PA
Keep eye contact
Speaking on Electoral Dysfunction, Ruth Davidson recalled former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg’s tactic of regularly looking straight at the camera during the 2010 TV debates.
But Mr Boross says doing this too often can “feel a bit too much”.
“Completing ignoring the interviewer in favour of the TV camera would probably backfire,” he says.
Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg during a 2010 general election debate. Pic: PA
Instead, leaders should keep their eyes “constantly engaged” with the person speaking to them – and only address the viewer for opening or closing statements.
Using rehearsals to decipher where the camera is and what the TV shot will look like is also worthwhile, he adds.
Expect things to go wrong – and use humour to recover
“Things are always going to go wrong,” Mr Boross says. “So I train everyone to anticipate how things might go wrong.”
This may take the form of an unexpected question, a heckler, or a physical blunder, but both humour and self-deprecation can help “change the tone”.
“Humour can win the day, because it can prick the bubble of pomposity with a bit of humanity,” Mr Boross says.
He uses the example of Green Party leader Carla Denyer, who during the second leaders’ debate waited for Labour’s Angela Rayner and Conservative Penny Mordaunt to stop arguing, before interjecting: “That was terribly dignified, wasn’t it?”
Green leader Carla Denyer (left) waits for Angela Rayner and Penny Mordaunt (right) to stop speaking. Pic: PA
Don’t…
Talk over others
Talking over an opponent is often viewers’ biggest criticism during political debates – so waiting for others to finish speaking is an important thing to practice, Mr Boross says.
“It really irks people because it’s disrespectful – it smacks of rudeness and it’s childish.
“Psychologically we’re all considering what we’d do in that situation, and what would irritate us. So it’s better to wait and then kill them with your line.”
Speaking out of turn also suggests a lack of confidence, he adds.
Sir Keir Starmer addresses Rishi Sunak. Pic: ITV/PA
Stick to the podium
Although politicians often use podiums or lecterns to rest their notes on, Mr Boross suggests “getting away” from them as soon as practically possible.
“It hides your open body language, so subliminally people are asking what you’ve got to hide,” he says.
“Tony Blair used to always keep his hands up, which goes back to that Wild West concept of ‘I have no weapons… I have nothing to hide’.”
He adds that practicing moving to the side of the podium will not only make the leaders appear “more open and honest” it also proves they can speak fluently without notes.
Physical positioning is likely to be more important for Mr Sunak, Mr Boross says, whose smaller height means more of him is hidden by the podium.
Former Labour leader and PM Tony Blair during a Sky News debate in 2005. Pic: Reuters
Forget facial expressions
Rehearsing your physical reactions, including facial expressions and body language, is just as important as your answers, according to Mr Boross.
“Your face gives away so much, that if you let it slip, you’re in big trouble,” he warns.
With both leaders sometimes lacking in sincerity, he adds, visualising the people or things that mean most to them while they speak could be a useful tactic.
“I often ask people to think about what they really care about – and talk with that thing or person in their mind’s eye – because then their whole demeanour will change.”
The Battle For Number 10 Leaders Special Event, Wednesday 12 June 7pm-10pm on Sky News – free wherever you get your news.
Freeview channel 233, Sky 501, Virgin 603, BT 313 and streaming on the Sky News website, app and across social channels. It is also available to watch on Sky Showcase.
It was perhaps not quite how officials, in London at least, had envisaged the announcement of the state visit would be made.
In the Oval Office, Donald Trump revealed the news in his own way.
“I was invited by the King and the great country. They are going to do a second fest – that’s what it is. It is beautiful,” he said during an impromptu Oval Office moment.
The question was, did this “fest” – which Mr Trump suggested could happen in September – amount to the much hyped second state visit for the American president?
Or was this actually just the smaller visit that had been offered two months ago as an initial bilateral visit at which the state visit would be discussed?
Back in February, Sir Keir Starmer presented the president with a letter from King Charles and the offer of a state visit.
The letter proposed an initial meeting between the King and the president to discuss details of the state visit at either Dumfries House or Balmoral, both in Scotland, close to Mr Trump’s golf clubs.
The King wrote: “Quite apart from this presenting an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, it would also offer a valuable chance to plan a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom… As you will know this is unprecedented by a US president. That is why I would find it helpful for us to be able to discuss, together, a range of options for location and programme content.”
As he revealed the news of his “fest” with his “friend Charles”, Mr Trump said: “I think they are setting a date for September…”
Sources have since confirmed to Sky News that it will amount to the full state visit.
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Sir Keir Starmer handed Trump the invite earlier this year. Pic: Reuters
‘Even more important’
It’s possible the initial less formal presidential trip may still happen between now and September. Mr Trump is in Europe for the NATO summit in June and is due in Scotland to open a new golf course soon too.
“It is the second time it has happened to one person. The reason is we have two separate terms, and it’s an honour to be a friend of King Charles and the family, William,” the president said.
“I don’t know how it can be bigger than the last one. The last one was incredible, but they say the next one will be even more important.”
His last state visit in 2019, at the invitation of the late Queen, drew significant protests epitomised by the giant blow-up “Baby Trump” which floated over Parliament Square.
The president was hosted by the Queen in June 2019. Pic: Reuters
Britain’s trump card
September is a little earlier than had been expected for the visit. It may be an advantage for it to happen sooner rather than later, given the profoundly consequential and controversial nature of the first few months of his second term.
The decision by the British government to play its “state visit trump card” up front back in February drew some criticism.
And since February, Mr Trump’s position on numerous issues has been increasingly at odds with all of America’s allies.
On Ukraine, he has seemingly aligned himself closely with Vladimir Putin. His tariffs have caused a global economic shock. And on issues like Greenland and Canada, a member of the Commonwealth, he has generated significant diplomatic shock.
A risk worth taking
Mr Trump is as divisive among the British public as he is in America. Sir Keir is already walking a political tightrope by choosing the softly softly approach with the White House.
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The UK government chose not to retaliate against Mr Trump’s tariffs, unlike some allies. Sir Keir and his cabinet have been at pains not to be seen to criticise the president in any way as they seek to influence him on Ukraine and seek an elusive economic deal on tariffs.
On that tariff deal, despite some positive language from the US side and offers on the table, there has yet to be a breakthrough. A continuing challenge is engaging with the president for decisions and agreements only he, not his cabinet, will make.
British officials acknowledge the risk the state visit poses. In this presidency, anything could happen between now and September.
But they argue British soft power and Mr Trump’s fondness for the Royal Family and pomp – or a “fest” as he calls it – amount to vital diplomatic clout.
For a special relationship under strain, a special state visit is the tonic.
Politics
Laws may need to be bolstered to crack down on exploitation of child ‘influencers’, senior MP suggests
Laws may need to be strengthened to crack down on the exploitation of child “influencers”, a senior Labour MP has warned.
Chi Onwurah, chair of the science, technology and innovation committee, said parts of the Online Safety Act – passed in October 2023 – may already be “obsolete or inadequate”.
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Experts have raised concerns that there is a lack of provision in industry laws for children who earn money through brand collaborations on social media when compared to child actors and models.
This has led to some children advertising in their underwear on social media, one expert has claimed.
Those working in more traditional entertainment fields are safeguarded by performance laws, which strictly govern the hours a minor can work, the money they earn and who they are accompanied by.
The Child Influencer Project, which has curated the world’s first industry guidelines for the group, has warned of a “large gap in UK law” which is not sufficiently filled by new online safety legislation.
Official portrait of Chi Onwurah.
Pic: UK Parlimeant
The group’s research found that child influencers could be exposed to as many as 20 different risks of harm, including to dignity, identity, family life, education, and their health and safety.
Ms Onwurah told Sky News there needs to be a “much clearer understanding of the nature of child influencers ‘work’ and the legal and regulatory framework around it”.
She said: “The safety and welfare of children are at the heart of the Online Safety Act and rightly so.
“However, as we know in a number of areas the act may already be obsolete or inadequate due to the lack of foresight and rigour of the last government.”
Victoria Collins, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for science, innovation and technology, agreed that regulations “need to keep pace with the times”, with child influencers on social media “protected in the same way” as child actors or models.
“Liberal Democrats would welcome steps to strengthen the Online Safety Act on this front,” she added.
‘Something has to be done’
MPs warned in 2022 that the government should “urgently address the gap in UK child labour and performance regulation that is leaving child influencers without protection”.
They asked for new laws on working hours and conditions, a mandate for the protection of the child’s earnings, a right to erasure and to bring child labour arrangements under the oversight of local authorities.
However, Dr Francis Rees, the principal investigator for the Child Influencer Project, told Sky News that even after the implementation of the Online Safety Act, “there’s still a lot wanting”.
“Something has to be done to make brands more aware of their own duty of care towards kids in this arena,” she said.
Dr Rees added that achieving performances from children on social media “can involve extremely coercive and disruptive practices”.
“We simply have to do more to protect these children who have very little say or understanding of what is really happening. Most are left without a voice and without a choice.”
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The researcher pointed to one particular instance, in which children were advertising an underwear brand on social media.
She said: “The kids in the company’s own marketing material or their own media campaigns are either pulling up the band of the underwear underneath their clothing, or they’re holding the underwear up while they’re fully clothed.
“But whenever you look at any of the sponsored content produced by families with children – mum, dad, and child are in their underwear.”
Dr Rees said it is “night and day” in terms of how companies are behaving when they have responsibility for the material, versus “the lack of responsibility once they hand it over to parents with kids”.
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