Labour claimed victory in the election debate after Theresa May failed to even attend.

The PM’s was represented by the home secretary Amber Rudd, who was attacked by all sides for her boss’s no-show.

A Labour spokesperson described May’s absence as a sign of her “weakness”.

“It’s a sign of a Tory campaign which is treating the public with contempt, trying to hide from scrutiny. They showed tonight they have no answers to the challenges facing Britain and that they would make pensioners and working people worse off,” they added.

The “debate highlighted the clear choice at this election: between a Labour Party that will invest in and transform our society to build a Britain for the many, and a Conservative Party that has held people back and stand only for the few.”

“Only Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May will be prime minister after June 8, but tonight, in what was effectively a job interview for Number 10, only one of the two candidates bothered to turn up. Theresa May won’t even debate her opponents here in the UK, in an election she called. How on earth can she be trusted to negotiate in Europe and get the best deal for the British people?

“Jeremy Corbyn clearly won the debate. He showed himself as a leader who wants to change the country for the better, to make it work for the many not just a few.

“Tonight proved that Jeremy Corbyn and Labour are the only party that will build a Britain for the many not the few.”

The absence of May – who earlier in the day found time to attend a cheese festival in Somerset – was derided by Labour candidates on twitter, with shadow education secretary Angela Rayner tweeting:

Apparently the Tories are to relaunch their campaign yet again today, l just hope the PM comes out of hiding and turns up to launch it? — Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) June 1, 2017

Labour’s campaign chief Andrew Gwynne gave his verdict:

So much leadership from Theresa May she couldn’t even be mithered to turn up tonight… give it a rest Amber! #WeakAndWobbly #BBCDebate — Andrew Gwynne (@GwynneMP) May 31, 2017

Yvette Cooper tweeted: