Sunak v Starmer - THE VERDICT: MailOnline panel have their say
Voters have given a damning verdict for Keir Starmer following a second head-to-head debate between Rishi Sunak and the Labour leader - as the Prime Minister bruised his opposition in a fiery performance.
Attacks were thrown from each side in the BBC studio as the Prime Minister and the Labour leader locked horns over welfare, taxation and immigration.
It comes after a hectic week for both parties - as at least five Tory candidates are being investigated by the Gambling Commission, with a further Labour candidate being suspended by the party for betting that he would lose his own contest.
And with just a week to go before the nation casts its votes, MailOnline's panel of readers, who have been called upon to provide verdicts after each televised debate on the campaign, said that Sunak was far more convincing over immigration and taxation.
But they admitted that Starmer had won them over by swiftly dealing with the gambling scandal.
As they react to the second-to-last debate of the election season, this is what they have to say...
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak take part in BBC's Prime Ministerial Debate, in Nottingham
Attacks were thrown from each side in the BBC studio as the Prime Minister and the Labour leader locked horns over welfare, tax levels and immigration
It comes after a hectic week for both parties - as at least five Tory candidates are being investigated by the Gambling Commission
'Where are they going to go? He's not answering that one' : Cancer patient Denise Clarke, 59
Mrs Clarke has been reliant on the NHS for care after being diagnosed with cancer last August
Amid leaders' debate, Denise Clarke, 59, praised Labour for quickly dealing with the gambling standards, although she admitted that he did not seem to have a plan for the future.
But Denise - who is currently on Universal Credit after a cancer diagnosis meant she had to give up her job at Asda supermarket - said that he had a point when he spoke about bringing down waiting lists and getting people back to work.
Denise, from Lewisham, South London said: 'Keir Starmer acted faster in the gambling situation - he suspended somebody straight away whereas the Prime Minister was holding it off.
'The waiting lists do have to be dealt with and we won't get people back to work if they're sick, and they will be sick because they're waiting so long for an operation, so that does need to be dealt with. Keir Starmer has that point.
'Combining the waiting lists with getting back to work seems to make sense to me. Get people off the waiting lists, get their operations done, get them back healthy so they can go to work. I'm sure most of them want to - I know I want to!
'The gangs do need to be taken down buyt they can't just let everybody in. We don;t have space for everybody. I don't quite know what Keir Starmer's going to do about that.
'I think the processing does need to be done but at the same time where are they going to go? He's not answering that one, is he.
'Neither of the two managed to cut through': Student Archie Parker-Goff, 21
Archie, from Chester, has just finished studying for an economics degree at Bristol University.
Student Archie Parker-Goff told how he believed neither of the two political heavyweights managed to cut through BBC TV debate - but admitted that the audience seemed to be siding with Sunak.
Archie, 21, from Chester, said: 'I think neither of the two candidates really managed to cut through just with so much that's going on.
'While Starmer tried to illustrate what he thought and get back on message of those who can work should work, I think the audience in the auditorium responded more positively to Rishi, who pointed to some sick note reform that he tried to put through, and indeed, the Labor Party's recent record at voting against all of these measures.
'I think Starmer did well to point out that he's got experience as leader of the CPS in the past working with international police organizations.
'But the audience was more vocal in its support when Rishi pointed towards the Rwanda scheme.
'[It was] by no means conclusive, but I think Rishi probably looked stronger than he has done in previous debates.'
'Keir Starmer is the clear leader': Lawyer Benedict Sharrock-Harris, 32
Lawyer Benedict Sharrock-Harris said that Keir Starmer was the 'clear leader' following the BBC debate.
The 32-year-old said that the Labour leader's ideas were 'realistic' - whereas the Prime Minister was givingout 'soundbites'.
He said: 'I would say there is a clear leader between the two, and it is Keir Starmer.
'Lnlike how many media outlets would put for a long time, it is clear that Labor is the party that is trusted on the economy and Keir Starmer was much more comfortable on this, and he seemed to be more realistic.
'Whereas Rishi Sunak was just pushing sound bites again and again, running the same few things on taxes, talking about surrender again and again, saying that he was going to be compassionate to people on benefits, whereas it's clear that all that they want to do is attack people on benefits, suggesting that they are lazy and that there is money to be cut here, and there are people who should be in work who are not just because they are lazy.
'I think one of the best blows that Keir Starmer landed was that if he actually talked to people, he wouldn't be so out of touch. And that went down really well with the audience.
'Surprisingly, even on immigration, I think labor did better. They had a referred to it as a national security issue, which I think was a bit unfortunate, but certainly nothing like Rishi Sunak's attack on people who are fleeing desperate situations, referring to them jumping the queue, calling them illegal migrants.
'I think it was a good statement from Keir Starmer about the timing of the election asking why Rishi Sunak had done this prior to the first Rwanda flights going off, if it was such a wonderful thing.
'Immigration is going to be Keir's downfall': Dover fisherman Matt Coker, 44
Dover fisherman Matt Coker, 44, said that Sunak got the better of Starmer over immigration - and it would be the Labour leader's downfall.
He said he did not seem to have 'the details' and Sunak was giving some much better answers.
He said: 'We are halfway through now, and, and at the start, it was fairly neck and neck as far as I was concerned.
'Because, you know, I think Keir does talk a good argument - I mean, that was obviously his profession for a while.
'And I think they were both making it sound like they really did want to make a difference.
'But then the thing is, with Starmer, he doesn't seem to have much in the way of the facts and figures and the background. And Sunak was actually giving some good answers, some really good answers.
'And he does argue well, you know, you can tell he is quite passionate about what he wants to do, and he wants to do it whether people will think it's right or wrong. And I think that's quite good to see.
'And then the immigration question came, and I do think that is going to be the downfall for Keir Starmer, because he really expanded on nothing in that. He just says the same thing.'
'Sunak is getting the better of him': Medical student Jon Craven, 23
Medical student Jon Craven, from Norfolk, said that he thought Sunak had got the better of Starmer in the election.
The 23-year-old said that he thought the Labour leader was 'waffley' - although he admitted he didn't think Sunak's performance would sway the election.
He said: 'I think it's very clear that Sunak and Starmer have very different styles to one another. So Sunak is a little bit angrier, he's a little bit tetchier and he's a bit more direct.
'I think this hasn't come across that well in previous interactions with the public but I think head to head with Starmer, he's probably getting the better of him this time.
'So I think Starmer's slightly more waffly style isn't really doing him any favors here.
'He's mostly been on the defensive on topics of immigration, welfare, and he's had some quite difficult exchanges on tax. Now, there certainly are things that he could be attacking the Conservatives for, and he could be attacking Sunak for, but he's not quite managed to get in gear and get his attacks over yet.
'I think so far, you'd have to say that Sunak has probably had the better night overall.
'Is it going to matter for him? Probably unlikely, but overall, I think so far, he's going to be a lot happier.'
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