Editorial: Rishi Sunak was better in last leaders' debate by Keir Starmer seems too far ahead to be hurt by it

The last debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer was held last night, and it was a fractious one.

​The Conservative leader adopted a new assertive tactic amid a stubborn Labour poll lead that makes victory next week near certain.

Mr Starmer’s party is 20 points ahead which in normal circumstances would mean a handsome majority in the House of Commons, but in the event of a three-way split opposition to Labour (between Tory, Reform and Liberal Democrat) could result in the biggest parliamentary landslide since the war.

Even if the Labour lead halves it will most likely emerge with a clear overall majority of MPs.

After last night’s debate you would expect that poll advantage to be reduced, because Mr Starmer only talked in a general way about the Conservative failures over 14 years but was unable to answer Mr Sunak’s insistence that Labour had opposed the sorts of overhaul of human rights presumptions that have blocked both the removal of illegal migrants and efforts to enshrine safe spaces for women in which ‘trans’ men cannot intrude.

The most persistent attack from Mr Sunak was on benefits, when he hammered home Labour opposition to government attempts to tighten eligibility criteria, amid a welfare bill that has soared since covid, and was high even before it. Millions of people who could work have been signed off as unable to do so.

Labour is unlikely to be damaged by last night. Too many voters have made up their minds. But a Starmer premiership is either going to have to do immediate u-turns or find an almost bankrupt country and a sullen established working-class population that feels its interests are put second to those of new arrivals to the UK.

As for NI, barely any Stormont politicians seem so much as to discuss these issues let alone show a willingness to tackle them.