United Kingdom

Each time an election is called, there's the question of whether any will take place, how they will be organised and who will take part. Broadcasters are still experimenting - this time putting on two-way debates, seven-way debates, a climate change debate and a special youth audience debate, among

Boris Johnson was criticized by party leaders and represented by a dripping ice sculpture after refusing to appear in a televised election debate focusing on climate change, sparking a row between the UK broadcaster and the Prime Minister's Conservative Party.

The Brexit Party has dropped out of this Thursday’s leaders’ debate hosted by Channel 4, who the group say are too pro-Remain.

The limited support is likely to have come down to the fact the room were "balanced" based on the number of MPs each party has in the House of Commons, meaning even the SNP had more support in the room than the Lib Dems.

Political leaders can cope with confronting one another in exchanges of well-rehearsed soundbites; they can endure the most forensic grilling from professional interviewers; but faced with a Greek chorus whose pointed questions are supplemented by derisive laughter and grunts of incredulity, their

The audience will be selected by the Question Time production team to reflect how people in the country have voted. People apply online or by phone and will be asked about their past voting patterns and future voting intentions, whether they're members of political parties, and how they voted in the

The account’s avatar was switched during the debate from the party’s logo to a white tick against a purple background, and the account was used to promote pro-Tory statements prefixed with the word “FACT”. Shortly after the debate finished, the Twitter account name was changed back to CCHQ Press.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his challenger, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, staged their first debate of the election campaign on Tuesday night — and what was most notable were the sharp, aggressive questions from the audience, which expressed open mistrust, even disgust, for both candidates.

The Liberal Democrats have threatened legal action against the channel after they were overlooked for the debate, with party leader Jo Swinson insisting that ITV: "cannot and should not exclude the only woman leader who is able to be the next Prime Minister".

It marks an opportunity for Corbyn, currently trailing Johnson in opinion polls, to claw back the gap between him and his rival.

The principal reason is that, according to research from Harvard Business School, 72% of voters make up their minds more than two months before the election – meaning few people will change their minds by the time candidates are behind the debate podiums.