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Jon Craig: Sunak has really got to take the gloves off and come out fighting

First on tonight’s edition of Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge, we are hearing from our chief political correspondent Jon Craig, who is in the “spin room” at the location of tonight’s TV debate.

He tells reporters that the room is “filling up with Fleet Street’s finest” and “television and radio broadcasters”.

There’s “a real buzz now” ahead of the debate itself at 9pm.

The spin room itself is in a room next door to the Coronation Street Experience, and “politics is nothing but a soap opera”, Jon says.

“Rishi Sunak has really got to take the gloves off and come out fighting because of a poll revealed on Sky News yesterday showing that massive Labour lead – a bigger majority than even Tony Blair got in 1997.”

Jon says to expect “some quite personalised attacks on Sir Keir Starmer” and his record as Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Sunak is also likely to raise what the Tories say are “inconsistencies in some Labour policies”.

But he also notes that Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth has been talking about “unfunded Tory policies”, and also says Sir Keir is likely to talk about the economy, cost of living, and the NHS – “issues that Labour believe they are strong on”.

Jon notes that Mr Sunak “can get a bit tetchy” – something his advisers will want to prevent – and the Labour leader will be looking to break away from his lawyerly appearance after years in courtrooms.

The two men have been “practising like mad”, he adds.

Farage has milkshake thrown over him after election campaign launch in Clacton

Nigel Farage has had a milkshake thrown over him after launching his election campaign in Essex.

The new leader of Reform UK was leaving the Wetherspoons Moon and Starfish pub in Clacton-on-Sea, where he is standing to be an MP, when a young woman in a grey hooded jumper threw a drink in his face before throwing the cup at him then walking off.

It appeared to be a McDonald’s milkshake.

He was seen wincing as the liquid hit his face, then wiping it away as he was ushered out of the way by his team.

The other candidates vying to become MP for Clacton are:

• Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Labour;
• Giles Watling, Conservatives;
• Natasha Osben, Greens;
• Matthew Bensilum, Lib Dems.