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Home Secretary Amber Rudd has been booed after asking the public to judge the Conservative party “on our record”.
At the BBC election debate in place of Theresa May – who did not participate – Ms Rudd was asked about the absence of costings in the Conservative Party’s manifesto.
“Well I would say in answer to that question, judge us on our record,” Ms Rudd replied.
But the Home Secretary was met with jeers and boos from the audience in Senate House, Cambridge.
Ms Rudd continued: “We’ve reduced the deficit, we’ve reduced taxes for the lowest paid. And we’ve made sure that we’ve continued to invest in the NHS.”
The Home Secretary was also mocked on social media.
But she maintained that funding for public services required a strong economy, and that meant “difficult choices” needed to be made.
“We have to make sure we control our spending so that we have that strong economy,” Ms Rudd said.
Also taking part in the debate was Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, Ukip's Paul Nuttall, Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas, Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru and Scottish National Party deputy leader Angus Robertson.
Public service funding was a hot topic in the wide ranging debate.
Ms Rudd warned her rival’s spending plans would require a "magic money tree" as she came under attack over the squeeze on living standards and cuts to welfare as the debate heated up.
Mr Corbyn highlighted the poverty he said was caused by Conservative policies and promoted his plans to end the public sector pay cap and introduce a £10 an hour living wage by 2020.
Show all 47 1 /47UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today
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UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP
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UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street
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UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
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UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team.
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UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London
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UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo
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But Ms Rudd responded that the Tories had taken low earners out of income tax and had increased the amount of money paid out in disability benefits.
She said: "We are going to live within our means. Some of the offers you will hear tonight are just fanciful."
Additional reporting by agencies.
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