Jeremy Corbyn has said he will take part in Wednesday evening’s televised leaders’ debate, reversing his original decision, and has called on Theresa May to join him.



The prime minister was asked repeatedly during an election visit about her refusal to join in the BBC1 debate. She dismissed accusations she was fearful, repeating her view that it was better to meet voters in person than be part of a lineup of “squabbling” politicians.

May appeared to criticise Corbyn for being too keen to appear on television, saying: “I’m interested in the fact that Jeremy Corbyn seems to be paying far more attention to how many appearances on telly he is doing. I think he ought to be paying a little more attention to thinking about Brexit negotiations.”

However, Corbyn’s change of mind places renewed focus on May’s decision to avoid all head-to-head TV debates before the election. Amber Rudd, the home secretary, is scheduled to represent the Conservatives at the BBC Election Debate in Cambridge.

The shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, had been due to stand in for Corbyn. But in the wake of a largely favourable response to his appearance on a TV event earlier in the week, the Labour leader used a rally in Reading to announce he was appearing instead.

Corbyn urged May to reverse her decision “and let the public make up their minds”. He said: “I invite her to go to Cambridge and debate her policies.”

Quizzed about her continued boycott following a visit to a factory in Bath, May said she had repeatedly debated with Corbyn at prime minister’s questions, and that she did not feel it was necessary during the election.

“I’ve been very clear from the start that the sort of campaign I want to do is about taking questions, meeting people,” she said. “I’ve not been off the television screens, I’ve been doing things on the television, but predominantly taking questions from voters and listening to voters.

“I think debates where the politicians are squabbling among themselves doesn’t do anything for the process of electioneering. I think actually it’s about getting out and about, meeting voters and hearing directly from voters.”

Asked whether the real reason she was declining was a fear that voters “won’t like what they see”, May rejected this.

“No. I’ve set out very clearly what I think an election campaign should be about. It’s about getting out and around the country, it’s about meeting voters, hearing questions directly from voters. I think that’s important.”

In a statement, Corbyn said he was taking part “because I believe we must give people the chance to hear and engage with the leaders of the main parties before they vote”.

He said: “The Tories have been conducting a stage-managed, arms-length campaign and have treated the public with contempt. Refusing to join me in Cambridge tonight would be another sign of Theresa May’s weakness, not strength.”

The debate, to be shown on BBC1 at 7.30pm, will also feature Tim Farron of the Liberal Democrats, Ukip’s Paul Nuttall, the Green party co-leader, Caroline Lucas, the Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood, and Angus Robertson, the SNP’s leader at Westminster.

Other participants in the debate also renewed calls for May to take part. Farron tweeted: “Theresa May called this election and now won’t even turn up to debate the issues. Come and defend your record.”

.@theresa_may called this election and now won't even turn up to debate the issues. Come and defend your record. #whereistheresa — Tim Farron (@timfarron) May 31, 2017

Lucas tweeted: “Great news, Jeremy Corbyn. Now will Theresa May crawl out from where’s she’s hiding to debate?”

Robertson said: “Theresa May called this election in the hope of crushing parliamentary opposition but instead the campaign has exposed her weak and wobbly leadership, as well as Tory plans to attack the incomes of older people and their increasingly reckless approach to Brexit.”

Farron said: “It is a shame Jeremy Corbyn didn’t come to the ITV debate, but it’s good he has changed his mind and is coming to the BBC one tonight. The real question is - where’s the Prime Minister? She called this General Election to suit herself and the Conservative Party and she’s too frit to turn up to debate the rest of us. It is not too late, Theresa, to change your mind, to turn up.”

The change of heart is likely to have been prompted in part by Monday’s Sky News and Channel 4 event, at which Corbyn appeared before May. The Labour leader was widely considered to have performed well in the format, prompting speculation about his participation in the leaders’ debate.

Corbyn’s change of mind came during a buoyant period in Labour’s election campaign, with a series of polls showing the party’s gap to the Conservatives shrinking, albeit to varying extents.

A YouGov seat projection for the Times on Wednesday predicted a hung parliament, although the pollsters say this comes amid a significant margin of variation.

Asked at an earlier event in Westminster event what this would mean for possible coalition arrangements, Corbyn said only that he still hoped Labour would win outright.

He said he thought Labour’s campaign was “going very well”.

Corbyn’s decision to take part means he will no longer attend events planned for Wednesday in Swindon, Stroud and Bristol, with other frontbenchers filling in for him.

Corbyn recounted his TV appearance on Monday, in which he and May took questions from an audience and the presenter Jeremy Paxman. Each leader did so separately, never being in the studio at the same time.

“How ridiculous is that?” he said. “Come on, prime minister, come and have a chat, come and have a debate. I can be ever so polite, but there are a number of questions I want to put to you.”



At the same event, Corbyn criticised May for her language when she said he would be “naked in the negotiating chamber” if he led Brexit talks.

“I certainly wouldn’t use language like that myself,” Corbyn said when asked about May’s comments, following a press conference to lay out Labour’s plans to commit extra resources to health, education and social care.

“I think it’s totally inappropriate to describe anyone as naked. Even me.”



