Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn will appear one after the other on a BBC Question Time general election special, in a compromise deal agreed after the prime minister refused to take part in head-to-head debates.

The two main party leaders will answer questions from a TV studio audience in York in a programme hosted by David Dimbleby. It matches a similar format agreed before the last election when David Cameron refused to appear on the same stage as Corbyn’s predecessor Ed Miliband.

The programme will be broadcast on 2 June, six days before the election, and will be followed by a series of prime-time interviews by Andrew Neil with the main party leaders.

The Scottish National party leader, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, will appear in a separate programme on 4 June.



Jonathan Munro, the head of BBC newsgathering, defended the corporation’s decision not to challenge May’s refusal to appear in head-to-head debates by featuring an empty chair in her place.

Speaking to the BBC’s Daily Politics programme, he said: “The prime minister decided, as is perfectly within her rights, not to take part in the programmes. We don’t really believe in the empty chair, because the empty chair is tactic to embarrass someone to come and talk to us.”

Munro added: “Surely the interest of the audience is best served by hearing all the cases from the parties they can vote for. The freedom of speech comes with a freedom not to speak, and if political readers decide for whatever reason not to take part, we are not really into strong-arming people into the studio.”

May will appear alongside her husband, Philip, in an interview for the One Show on Tuesday night. Munro confirmed that the BBC had also invited Corbyn to appear alongside his wife, Laura Alvarez, on the One Show sofa, but said the offer had not yet been accepted.

He said: “It is up to Mr and Mrs Corbyn about whether they want to appear as a couple or not. The invitation has certainly been extended.”

May was the first leader to refuse to take part in head-to-head debates, saying she preferred on-the-ground campaigning. Corbyn then said he would not be involved in a debate made up of opposition party representatives. But both Labour and the Conservatives have agreed to the alternative format.

Labour and the SNP have repeatedly accused May of running scared of head-to-head debates with their respective leaders. Labour said May’s refusal to take part in a full debate was anti-democratic.

The BBC announced there would also be a live TV debate hosted by Mishal Husain at the end of May featuring senior figures, including some leaders, from all the seven main parties. It will include Ukip, despite the party’s lack of representation in Westminster.

ITV has said it will hold an election debate with or without either May or Corbyn, but is not planning to embarrass them with empty chairs. The details of ITV’s election programmes have yet to be finalised.

Sarah Champion, the shadow minister for women and equalities, gave a qualified welcome to the compromised debate format.