As is customary at the start of a general election campaign, there is a debate about the debates. Rishi Sunak, 20 points behind in the polls, wants as many of them as possible. Sir Keir Starmer, 20 points ahead, as few.
Debates do make an impact. Voters still recall “I agree with Nick” from 2010, while Sunak came to national attention when filling in for Boris Johnson in 2019. But they have never been decisive. Given the tumultuous events of the past four-and-a-half years, from partygate and inflation to the Liz Truss “mini-Budget”, the Prime Minister is not a solid debate performance away from level-pegging.
