FIREBRAND Nigel Farage will lock horns with Angela Rayner and Penny Mordaunt tonight in a showdown seven-way election debate.
Sparks are set to fly as the Reform chief and outspoken Labour and Tory bigwigs also take on senior representatives from the SNP, Lib Dems, Greens and Plaid Cymru.
The debate, airing on BBC One at 7.30pm, will be dominated by questions around immigration, the cost of living crisis and national security.
Rishi Sunak’s early exit from D-Day commemoration ceremonies in Normandy will also cast a shadow over the clash.
It comes as party leaders today finalised their full candidate lists for July 4.
And next week all-important manifestos, setting out each party’s promises for the future – are due to drop.
Speaking to The Sun before the debate, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Ninety minutes between seven people isn’t actually that long.
“I think we’re going to see the best of Penny tonight.
“Based on previous examples, it’s going to be a bit feisty.”
Probed on whether the debate came on one of the Tories’ worst days of the campaign, the Tory said: “I don’t think it’s ever a good day for debates.
“We don’t pick the news and we don’t pick the days, so we just have to take it.”
