Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will face off in the first live television debate of the UK general election campaign on Tuesday night, broadcast on ITV1 at 9 pm. This highly anticipated debate will take place in Manchester. Sunak, whose Conservative party trails Labour by over 20 points, aims to highlight what he claims is Starmer’s “lack of a plan.” Despite a YouGov net favorability rating of -48, Sunak’s team acknowledges that a single debate is unlikely to drastically shift the campaign’s momentum.

Televised debates are a relatively new addition to UK politics, with the first occurring in 2010. Starmer has agreed to only two head-to-head debates with Sunak, reflecting a strategy to minimize risks. Both leaders have been rigorously preparing for this one-hour debate.

Simultaneously, Nigel Farage has re-entered the electoral scene, declaring himself as the leader of Reform UK and launching his campaign in Clacton, Essex. Farage aims to lead a “political revolt” against both the Conservative and Labour parties, citing public dissatisfaction with their handling of issues like immigration and public services.

Further televised debates are planned, including a multi-party debate on June 13 and another head-to-head between Sunak and Starmer moderated by the BBC on June 26 in Nottingham.