Election latest: Voters think Rishi Sunak beat Keir Starmer in first TV debate, snap poll finds (2024)

Amidst all the interrupting, criticising, and attack lines, the two prime ministerial hopefuls did manage to discuss some of the issues at stake as well.

YouGov viewers were asked how they think each man performed in the various sections of the debate.

Rishi Sunak came out on top in the sections about tax and immigration (just).

But Sir Keir Starmer was victorious in the discussions about the cost of living, the NHS, education, and climate change.

See the detailed results below...

Viewers polled by YouGov after the TV debate gave a rather mixed reaction.

1,657 people were asked to pick three words describing how they felt about the debate.

See the results for yourself...

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

It's still buzzing and busy here in the spin room, with a few surprised faces from both camps over the leaders' performances.

But Labour's national co-ordinator Pat McFadden takes time to talk to me in his characteristic calms tones (when it comes to media performances anyway...).

Asked how he thought his boss performed, he said: "I thought tonight went well on a range of issues - from the economy to the cost of living, to housing, to the health service, [Sir Keir Starmer] showed that he understood the kind of problems people are facing."

Turning to Rishi Sunak, he said: "The problem for the prime minister is that endlessly chanting 'the plan is working'... the more he does it, the more out of touch he seems with ordinary people's lives."

While the Labour leader appeared to cut through on some issues, others fell flat with the audience - including Sir Keir's plans for the environment and Great British Energy. Surely that was a blow for the man in charge of the campaign?

I didn't really get an answer, just a justification of why it is a campaign focus...

"This is a really important nettle to grasp because if we don't grasp it, it will be more expensive for the country in the long run and more expensive for consumers," said Mr McFadden.

And what about that poll that I surprised him and Mr Ashworth with an hour ago, now he has had time to digest it. Didn't they think Sir Keir would smash it out the park tonight?

"No, we don't take anything for granted," he said.

"That is a pretty even split for polling for the debate. We work very hard, we make no assumptions about this election and we keep doing that from now until polling day."

But surely it makes him nervous after riding high on poll leads of 27 points this week?

"Well, I was ignoring that anyway because the only poll that matters is the one on 4 July," said Mr McFadden.

"Everybody should remember Labour is the challenger, the Conservatives are the incumbent.

"They have been in office for 14 years. And I do believe there is a mood for change out there in the country - but change will only come if people vote for it."

We have some more detail from the snap YouGov poll of the debate performance of the two prime ministerial candidates.

While Rishi Sunak just edged the win by 2%, digging into the detail reveals a more interesting picture.

Asked about the performance of the two men overall:

60% of viewers thought Sir Keir Starmer performed "fairly well" or "very well", whereas 55% of viewers gave Rishi Sunak the same ratings.

Sir Keir Starmer also won plaudits from 2019 Conservative voters, with 36% saying he performed "fairly well" or "very well".

Viewers were also asked about how each man came across.

Sir Keir Starmer was rated more "trustworthy" (49%), more "likeable" (50%) and more "in touch with ordinary voters" (66%).

But crucially, Rishi Sunak was rated more "prime ministerial" (43%).

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

It is frantic in the spin room as journalists climb over each other, stand on chairs and clamber round the campaign teams, trying to get their questions answered.

But I managed to get a bit of time with Health Secretary Victoria Atkins to ask her what she thought of Rishi Sunak's performance.

"I think it went really well," she said.

"And I say that because he had the chance to show the absolute commitment and the energy that he brings to governing our great country."

Meanwhile, she thought Sir Keir Starmer "looked like a deer in the headlights at points as he is not used to answering questions".

She refuted claims the PM came across as tetchy, saying: "We are talking about governing our country. I want someone who is determined I want someone who will speak up.

"I want somebody who will not take nonsense, whether it is from Keir Starmer or Vladimir Putin."

And when I put to her Mr Sunak's performance had lacked somewhat on how to help young people - with his national service plan getting one of the biggest laughs of the night - she went on a bit of a tangent about the NHS app.

But I was the first to reveal to her the YouGov poll showing Mr Sunak won the day - just - and while she denied she looked surprised (she did), she said: "That means Rishi won!

"I fully accept that we have got an enormous amount to do, as we should do in our democracy... so we will be taking that win and building on it in the weeks to come.

"I am so pleased to hear that because I was proud of the prime minister tonight.

"I think the policies he set out were really, really interesting and I hope the public saw some of the passion and the care that I see when I see him across the cabinet table."

Labour are "leaving Manchester stronger tonight", the shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth has told our deputy political editorSam Coates.

"That is because Keir Starmer made clear his commitment to fixing the NHS with 40,000 more appointments each week," he says.

"He talked about his commitment to bring down bills as we transition to clean energy and to transform education."

Mr Ashworth says he believes the British public "will decide it is time for change" after watching Sir Keir at the debate in Salford.

Pressed on whether Sir Keir really got to the heart of the questions he was asked, Mr Ashworth says "let me be clear about one topic - this issue Rishi Sunak raised about tax is a lie.

"Rishi Sunak out of desperation had to collapse into lying in that debate.

"We do not have a plan to tax households in the way in which Rishi Sunak described, and we are not putting up income tax, or national insurance and VAT.

"The only party that has made uncosted commitments in this campaign is Rishi Sunak's party."

The outgoing levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, is giving Sky News his reaction to tonight's TV debate.

It is put to him that Rishi Sunak did not do anything to transform the race, but Mr Gove disagrees, saying "it exploded Keir Starmer's claim to be a credible candidate for prime minister".

He "was found wanting" on everything from migration to taxes, he says.

Mr Gove claims the Labour leader showed he was not across the detail on his party's economic policy, as well as on energy.

During the debate, Mr Gove says the Labour leader said Great British Energy would produce energy, when in fact it's mainly an investment vehicle.

"Ed Miliband [Labour's shadow energy secretary] will have been watching this with his head in his hands as his own leader can't even recall what their climate policy is," he says.

The veteran cabinet minister adds: "You can tell from the downcast faces of Labour shadow cabinet figures - they recognise that their leader flopped tonight, their leader was exposed as a dud."

Liz Kendall, Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary, tells our deputy political editorSam Coatesthat SirKeir "set out a positive message of change for the country" during the debate.

She says one of the main things the Labour leader did was "connect with people about their real worries".

Asked if the public learnt a great deal about the Labour leader, Ms Kendall says Sir Keir was "really clear" about his plans to tackle the cost of living, cut NHS waiting times and to help young people.

"It's right to say if you want to judge who is the best person to run the country for the next five years, look at their record over the last 14 years," she says

"Rishi Sunak doesn't want to stand on his record because it is a record of failure."

Outgoing Tory minister Michael Gove is ecstatic about the polling - perhaps a little too ecstatic, given it was only two points between his man and Sir Keir Starmer.

He tells reporters that the PM was "clearly the winner" and the Labour leader was "flat on the canvas" - to snigg*rs from the crowd around him in the spin room.

Reminded of the small margin, Mr Gove says: "I'll take that! A win is a win!"

Aiming his ire at Sir Keir, he references the so-called "Ming vase" strategy Labour is said to have been taking - basically attempting not to rock the boat to keep their lead in the polls.

"Well, that Ming vase is now shattered into pieces on the floor," says a gleeful Mr Gove.

An odd level of hype for a small victory in the polling perhaps, but, as the minister said, a win is a win…

A key moment in the debate was when the Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer clashed over the length of NHS waiting lists.

Mr Sunak was defending the fact that the waiting lists had not fallen rapidly, which he partly blamed on industrial action.

That triggered quite the groan from the audience.

Watch that moment below...