Sunak vs Starmer: will TV debates help or hinder the 2024 general election?

Gladiatorial entertainment or snoozefest? Sean O’Grady looks at the pros and cons of the televised election debate

Julie Etchingham hosted a particularly crowded election debate in 2019 (EPA)

In a sign this will be at least as acrimonious as any previous election, Keir Starmer’s rejection of Rishi Sunak’s challenge of six television debates has been described by Tory chair Richard Holden as “chickening out” (even though the Labour leader has offered two, one each on the BBC and ITV).

Labour says it “won’t be tearing up the format established in previous elections just to suit this week’s whims of the Tory party”. However, that’s a little disingenuous because there never has been an established format (quite the opposite, and Sky News has usually had a share of the action). The Euros football tournament will also consume a significant amount of broadcasting time. For all concerned, television debates can be a mixed blessing...

Will we have TV debates?