Prime Minister's absence dominates TV election debate

Jeremy Corbyn and other senior opposition leaders piled into Home Secretary Amber Rudd over the Government's record in a heated General Election debate.

The Labour leader challenged Ms Rudd over the Tory record on tackling poverty while leaders from other major parties hit out at Theresa May's decision to miss the live TV showdown.

Ms Rudd shot back with a series of attacks on Mr Corbyn's plans, claiming he was treating taxpayers' cash like Monopoly money and accusing him of a "chilling'' record of opposing measures to tackle terrorism.

Mr Corbyn's decision to take part in the seven-way debate highlighted the Prime Minister's absence from the BBC show.

Mrs May has refused to take part in any head-to-head debates during the election campaign and was understood to be catching up on Government business while the 90-minute debate took place.

Alongside Labour leader Mr Corbyn and Ms Rudd on the stage in Cambridge were Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, Ukip's Paul Nuttall, Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas, Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru and Scottish National Party depute leader Angus Robertson.

Ms Rudd told viewers: "The only question to consider is who should be in No 10 to steer Britain to a brighter future? Jeremy Corbyn with his money tree, wish list manifesto and no plan for Brexit or Theresa May with her record of delivery?''

She said Mr Corbyn's spending plans did not add up, adding: "It's as though he thinks it's some sort of game - a game of Monopoly perhaps where you ask the banker for the red money to pay electrics, the green money to buy the railways and the yellow money to buy the gasworks.

"It's not like that. This is people's hard-earned money. We will protect that. We won't roll the dice.''

Ms Rudd sought to emphasise the Tory campaign message that Mr Corbyn, backed by some of the smaller parties, could form a "coalition of chaos'' aimed at preventing Mrs May from returning to Number 10 after June 8.

"You have heard the squabbling and discord of disagreement here tonight,'' she said.

"You have seen the coalition of chaos here in action but in the quiet of the polling booth you have a clear choice.''

Mr Corbyn directly challenged her over the Conservatives' record on poverty, saying: "Have you been to a food bank? Have you seen people sleeping around our stations?

"Have you seen the levels of poverty that exist because of your Government's conscious decisions on benefits?''

Setting out his personal pitch to voters, the Labour leader said: "It is leadership to lead a government that is prepared to say to our society 'we cannot go on like this'.

"We have to start putting more money into our public services and our resources, we have to have an economy that works for all and we don't have to have a spiv economy that hands tax relief to the biggest corporations and the wealthiest people while ignoring the desperate cries for social help of so many people in our country.''

Ms Rudd was laughed at by the audience as she called for people to "judge us on our record'' on the public finances.

The Home Secretary also came under pressure over the so-called "dementia tax'' shake-up of social care, the plan to axe the pension triple-lock and means-test the winter fuel payment worth up to #300 for elderly people.

Mr Farron said Mrs May's refusal to set out what the cap on social care costs would be or who would lose their winter fuel payments meant she was asking voters for a "blank cheque''.

"If tonight you resolve to vote Conservative on June 8, you are resolving to give Theresa May permission to do what she likes,'' he said.

The Home Secretary, who has responsibility for security measures, used the issue to launch one of her most personal attacks on Mr Corbyn over his opposition to "every piece of anti-terror legislation'' in the last 30 years.

"I really think he must be held accountable for that because I find it chilling.''

Mr Corbyn responded that Mrs May and other senior Conservatives had voted against anti-terror laws in 2005 and insisted his opposition was based on the principle that "there must be judicial oversight over what is done in our name''.

He also said British military intervention in countries such as Libya had left "ungoverned spaces'' which extremists had been able to exploit to mount attacks.

"What we need to do is recognise the human rights and justice for people all around the world and be prepared to support them, not just go in and bomb and do nothing about it afterwards, which is what happened in Libya,'' he said.

On immigration, Mr Corbyn refused to be drawn on the numbers they would allow to settle in the UK if he was in power but said there would be a "fair'' system based on the needs of the economy."

Mr Nuttall said current levels were "unsustainable'' and that Ukip would take action to "get the population under control''.

Ms Rudd said that once Britain was outside the EU they would be better able to control the numbers.

"We have said we will continue to reduce those numbers. As we leave the European Union we will have more chance to do that and to be able to decide who comes to this country,'' she said.

The Prime Minister's absence was repeatedly raised during the debate, with Mr Robertson saying "weak and wobbly'' Mrs May was " not so much the Iron Lady as the U-turn Queen''.

The audience clapped and cheered when Mr Farron told them the Prime Minister "can't be bothered'' to turn up and told them to switch over to The Great British Bake Off.

• General Election 2017