General election TV debate - live: Sunak and Starmer gear up for ITV debate

Voters across the country are braced for the first general election debate and the biggest moment of the campaign.

Tories would expect this to mark a game-changing moment and sensationally close the gap in the opinion polls.

Labour would hope to emerge triumphant from the debate to reaffirm their pledges and convert some indecisive voters.

We’ve had general election debates since 2010 and they often offer big moments.

Viewers can expect Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer to throw campaign lines, party slogans, stats and numbers at each other - and maybe personal jibes.

There are many smaller parties who are contesting seats across the country, and they’ll have their time to fight their case on a seven-way debate next Friday on the BBC.

But is now time for the two main leaders to face off for the title of Prime Minister today at 9pm on ITV.

Voters are expected to know which candidates will represent Labour in the Gosport and Barking contituencies.

The two names will emerge after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting today.

An email from the office of the general secretary says the party is “not recommending candidates for endorsement” as there are still “outstanding NEC processes yet to conclude,” Sky News reports.

“I remember the day Diane Abbott was elected as the first Black female MP very well. It was a truly historic moment, a new chapter in British Black history, and a victory of hope and justice over division and fear,” Jeremy Corbyn writes for The Independent.

The TV debate hasn’t started and the Tories are already hitting at Labour.

Vaughan Gething has said he is looking forward to tomorrow’s no confidence vote in the Senedd.

The Welsh Conservative party has ouched for a motion after weeks of scrutiny over alleged donations for his campaign.

During the first minister’s questions in the Welsh parliament today, Gething said: “I look forward to the debate, which I will attend. I could and should, in my view, have been elsewhere, but I will be in this parliament to respond to the debate.”

Three opposition parties have confirmed they will back the no confidence vote and Plaid Cymru is also expected to join. But it could be voted down by Labour.

SNP’s leader at Westminster Stephen Flynn has urged Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer to explain what public services could suffer cuts after the election.

In a statement, Mr Flynn said: “The Tories and Labour party are both wedded to austerity cuts, Brexit, creeping privatisation of the NHS and denying Scotland’s right to choose our future. In contrast, the SNP will always stand up for Scotland’s interests and protect our NHS.

“At tonight’s debate, Sunak and Starmer must come clean with voters and admit where the axe will fall in their damaging plans for billions of pounds in cuts to public services. They aren’t being honest with families in Scotland over the damage they will do to our NHS if they slash funding. “And they must end the conspiracy of silence on Brexit and admit the damage they will do to the cost of living, businesses and the economy - under their plans to stay out of the single market.”

Environment secretary Stephen Barclay has promised to bring a new “sustainable farming initiative” to pay for nature-friendly farming such as clean water, habitats and healthy soils, equipment grants to boost productivity.

Speaking at the Future Countryside conference at Syon House in London, he said: “For me the priority for the countryside is to ensure that food production is uppermost, as the golden thread through all our policy.

“Without that we don’t have food security, without that we don’t have profitable businesses to which the next generation are attracted within the sector.

“I think SFI brings those two things together and that is exactly where our focus has been.”