Parties spar over tax and child benefit in debate

Seven candidates from the political parties traded blows over immigration, child benefit, tax and trust in a debate on ITV News.

Representatives from the Conservatives, Labour, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru faced questions from an audience in Salford, as well as each other, in a debate taking place at the midpoint of the six-week general election campaign.

Conservative Penny Mordaunt targeted her attack fairly relentlessly on Labour, repeatedly accusing them of planning to raise taxes - a claim Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner sought to rubbish.

The smaller parties, including the SNP, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru, also focused on Labour, often arguing it was too similar to the Conservatives.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued he was now the "opposition to Labour", pointing to a single poll that suggested his party could beat the Conservatives into third place, albeit within the margin of error.

A tracker of all the election polls can be found here.

Responding to poll, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "We're only halfway through this election, so I'm still fighting very hard for every vote.

"If that poll was replicated on 4 July it would be handing Labour a blank cheque to tax everyone - tax their home, their pension, their car, their family.

"And I'll be fighting very hard to make sure that doesn't happen."

During the campaign, Conservative figures have urged the party's traditional voters not to back Reform UK, arguing it would put Keir Starmer in Downing Street.

On Thursday, Mr Farage sought to reflect that attack back on the Tories by saying a vote for them would "enable" a Labour government.

"A vote for you is actually now a vote for Labour," he told Ms Mordaunt.

The Conservatives, he said, had repeatedly promised but failed to reduce immigration.

"Why on earth should anybody believe the fifth manifesto that promises cuts to net migration":[]}