Five fiercest moments from Penny Mordaunt and Angela Rayner’s blazing TV debate – leaving Nigel Farage a sideshow

ANGELA Rayner and Penny Mordaunt have launched into several fierce clashes in their debate this evening.

Their tense rows included divides over the NHS, defence, immigration and taxes.

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The Deputy Labour leader and Commons Leader went head-to-head in their even-way showdown election debate this eveing.

Viewers watched the BBC Election Debate, hosted by BBC news presenter Mishal Husai, and saw the heated scraps unfold.

'NO PLAN'

Penny Mordaunt slammed Angela Rayner for having "no plan, no target and no clue" on how to bring down migration.

Firebrand Rayner was put on the defence over claims her party doesn't want to tackle the number of foreigners coming to Britain.

Before a live TV audience on the BBC, Ms Mourdant hit out: "Keir Starmer spent most of his life campaigning for free movement.

"These people do not want to control migration."

Ms Rayner blasted back that while her party will stop Rwanda flights taking off, they will also pump money into "smashing the people smuggler gangs".

The pair had already clashed in an explosive row over British nukes.

Mordaunt accused Rayner of secretly wanting to abolish trident.

The deputy leader had previously voted to end the maintenance of subs.

Pointing to this, Ms Mordaunt said that under Labour the "deterrent" effect of nukes would be rendered useless - a gift to Vladimir Putin.

The two big guns also debated over the economy, Rayner told Penny: "You've just said we need a strong economy but you backed Liz Truss, who crashed our economy and made people like me redundant."

Mordaunt hit back: "Even Liz Truss, on her worst day, still recognised we needed a nuclear deterrent in this country."

Rayner insisted: "So do I", but was cut off as Plaid Cymru were brought in to answer the question, which was initially about the NHS.

They also clashed over the topic of nuclear defence.

Penny quickly turned her fire on Angela Rayner for voting against renewing Britain’s nuclear deterrent.

TAX SCRAP

Rayner and Mordaunt also engaged in a heated debate over housing and the cost of living crisis.

The pair continued to scrap over the contested £2,000 figure.

Rayner said: "The cost of living, Liz Truss crashed the economy and we've been at the mercy of the global energy crisis.

"Labour's first plan is to secure to economy, we will never go fast and lose with public finances."

She spoke about the publicly owned energy company in their proposal which will "give taxpayers money back and create thousands of jobs back into the UK."

Penny responded to the viewers question about how the party can help the lives of working people and said: "What you've been going through is exhausting and we need to bring it to an end.

"This election must be about us cutting your taxes. We have got to cut peoples taxes and alleviate burdens on business.

"Angela Rayner and the Labour party, and Keir Starmer confirmed this earlier this week, are going to put up your taxes by £2,000."

Penny insisted the UK economy is "doing much better" and outgrowing the US.

She added: "The PM made very clear promises. We are making process, the recovery is there. We must ensure this is not chocked off. We must ensure your taxes are lowered.

"You need disposable income in your pockets, you need your taxes to be cut.

"That’s in our DNA as Conservatives, that’s not in Labour’s DNA.

"Angela mentioned GB energy, you know what that stands for? Giant Bills."

NET ZERO

Mordaunt blasted the Labour party again for their GBE plans.

"If they get in you won't be able to buy a petrol car," she fired.

"If your boiler goes you'll have to spend tens of thousands of pounds on a heating pumps and other things to convert your home.

"My constituents can't afford that."

Rayner chimed in: "Because of your policies."

The wannabe Tory leader continued: "This is a company your money is going to be put into, that doesn't produce any energy.

"This is the insanity of Labour's policy, they're expecting a load of people to invest in oil and gas - at the same time saying they're not going to expand the sector.

"And the final thing. If you do this too fast all you do is destroy our supply chain."

Rayner again interrupted and jibed: "You have been."

She continued: "Its astonishing because the Tories have been in power now for 14 years and they haven't had an industrial strategy or manufacturing sector in the UK that is about creating-"

Mordaunt cut in once again and demanded to know: "How much energy will it produce?"

"We've just listened to you Penny," retorted Rayner.

"GBE will be owned by the UK taxpayers that will bring clean energy, bring down bills," she added.

"We've heard from them for 14 years they would do something for skills and manufacturing. They constantly spout lies, when the reason is they're 14 years an abstract failure. You have failed the British people and people can see that."

Mordaunt spoke over Rayner and blasted: "You currently can't afford to pay for them, that's where that £2,000 comes from."