Mordaunt v Rayner v Farage - THE VERDICT: MailOnline panel unconvinced (2024)

Voters have given their verdict on the winners and losers of the second debate of thegeneral election campaignas the leading figures from the seven major political parties went head-to-head last night.

During the debate, which comes after Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer battled it out on Tuesday, the parties locked horns over Britain's security threat, the NHS, climate, policing and immigration.

Voters said they felt Penny Mordaunt had been 'dealt a bad hand' by having to represent the Conservatives after Mr Sunak faced a backlash over leaving the D-Day events early.

Others said Labour HQ would be happy with how 'punchy' Angela Raynerperformed and claimed she fared better than her leader, Mr Starmer, did on Tuesday.

But overall, many were left unconvinced by the seven-way head-to-head and felt there was no 'game-changing moment'.

Here is what our panel of MailOnline readers had to say about the BBC's TV election debate.

'There was no game-changing moment from any of the parties': Medical student Jon Craven, 23, from Norfolk

Mr Craven felt Nigel Farage performed best in the debate by setting himself apart from the establishment while Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth made the least impact.

He said: 'Like him or loathe him, Farage is a good communicator and more experienced than a lot of those on the stage.

'Penny Mordaunt didn't do enough to set herself apart. She had a few key attack lines but she didn't land them. I thought she would come out stronger against Reform.

'She looked pretty uncomfortable when the whole D-Day thing came up and looked to be squirming quite hard.

'Her response didn't seem very authentic. There wasn't a lot she could've said but perhaps a clearer apology would've worked better but she looked pretty uncomfortable and the rest were pretty happy about that.

'The question from the medical student on NHS funding resonated with me because it highlighted the similarities between Tories and Labour on that point. For all the talk between them there wasn't a huge difference between their plans and not a lot of honesty from either of them about the state of the NHS or the reality of dealing with an older, fatter, sicker population.

'The question about crime was interesting because where I am in Bristol we have had a lot of violent attacks here. Penny Mordaunt's line about how much safer we have all become didn't resonate with what I see on a day-to-day basis.'

During the debate Nigel Farage said this was the worst general election campaign of his lifetime and Jon agreed. He said: 'I don't agree with Farage about a lot but I think on this point he is right. There has been a lack of honesty from everybody about the problems the country is facing.

'I'm 23, there's been a Tory government for as long as I can remember so the prospect of something else is exciting to me but a part of me still can't really count them out completely.'

He added: 'It was an interesting debate but I don't think we really saw a game-changing moment for any of the parties. Rayner looked a lot punchier and more aggressive than Starmer had on Tuesday.

'I suspect Labour HQ are probably happier with this performance. I think Penny Mordaunt probably had a reasonable night but given the Tory record, given the dynamics of the election, it's perhaps inevitable she came under fire from six sides and probably slightly struggled to get out the Tory message.

'It was interesting to see she was still repeating the £2,000 Labour tax claim. I think one thing I was curious about tonight's debate was how Farage would use it and how his performance would stack up.

'I think he was quite keen to set himself apart from the other parties and was quite effective in doing that.

The Lib Dems, Greens, Plaid, we probably didn't see much of them. It's hard to say they really broke through tonight.

'Overall, I think most people's votes probably haven't changed that much. Before this debate I was favouring Labour, and I probably still am favouring Labour now.'

After the first half, Jon said: 'I'd say so far of the seven people on stage it's Stephen Flynn from the SNP and Nigel Farage from Reform who really come out the strongest and left the biggest mark on the evening.

'Inevitably because of the format and the fact there are so many parties on stage, they don't really have fundamental disagreements with each other, plaid, green to some extent, Lib Dems and SNP. It's often felt like the Nigel Farage vs the rest show.

'He will be quite happy with that, the other performers in the main parties will be quite happy with that. The only people who are going to be upset with that are Penny Mordaunt and the Conservatives.

'So far, both Labour and conservatives in this debate have slightly slipped under the radar which I think Angela Rayner will be fairly pleased with but for Penny Mordaunt looking to make a big mark tonight and do something game changing in the campaign, she might be having a bit of a half-time talk.'

'Nigel Farage is talking the most sense... he's getting my vote': Cancer patient Denise Clarke

After Tuesday's leaders' debate, Denise Clarke, 59, insisted her vote was going to Labour - having previously voted Conservative.

But after watching Nigel Farage's performance on the BBC, she admitted she was now tempted to give Reform UK a go.

Denise, from Lewisham, South London said: 'I'm totally confused after tonight. I was heading for Labour but now I think Reform might have my vote.

'The Tories came across badly, but I don't think Labour really took advantage either.

'So, at the moment, I'm with Farage. He seemed to be the only one talking much sense. I think he was straight-talking and had a realistic plan for what needs to be done.

'I thought the others were puss*-footing around stuff too much.'

Denise said Farage's views on tackling immigration and imposing tougher stop-and-search laws in a bid to stamp down on knife crime resonated with her.

She said: 'Getting children out of poverty is a big thing for me. Where I live in Lewisham you see a lot of children in poverty.

'They're selling drugs for a tenner to go and do the shopping for their mum, which is creating the gang culture and driving knife crime up. That's all around my area.

'So yes, I think there should be more stop-and-searches.

'If you've got nothing to hide, then you've not got anything to worry about.'

Denise, who is reliant on the NHS for care after being diagnosed with cancer last August, watched the debate with her son Andrew Payne, 36, who served in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

The mother-of-four had to quit her Asda supermarket job as a consequence and is now reliant on Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment handouts.

She said she was 'disappointed' not to hear clear plans on how to fix Britain's NHS and drive down waiting lists.

On Angela Rayner, Denise added: 'I think she did well, to be fair. She seemed to get her points across, despite Penny Mordaunt constantly pointing at her and talking over her.

'And I thought it was wrong that Mordaunt defended Sunak over leaving the D-Day memorial. She was defending him because he apologised, but there's no defence for what he did.

'She should have condemned him.

'I thought the Lib Dems had a good night. I thought Daisy Cooper came across really well and made good points.

'To be honest, I think if the lot of them came together as a union they'd probably get the country worked out.'

'The Conservatives are showing no accountability': Geography student Roshini Jaan, 19, from West London

London student Roshini Jaan, 19, said the candidates' comments on tackling knife crime resonated most with her.

She said: 'Where I live I'm seeing a lot of knife crime around me and while I've not been directly involved it's a constant worry being a young woman.

'It's quite unsafe walking around in London and there aren't that many police officers. I think stop and search is a good idea.

'I feel like random stop and searches in boroughs with high knife crime are a good idea, not just on black and minority ethnic people but for all demographics of people would be a good deterrent.

'I would like them to get to the root of the problem and I liked the Green party's ideas about creating more youth centres because obviously the people getting involved come from hardships but that's being brushed under the mat. They need to get to the root of the problem which is how people are being brought up.

'For me Labour won the debate, Angela Rayner performed better than Starmer did on Tuesday. She was more composed and got to the point quicker. Keir and Rishi's debate was more just talking over one another.

'I thought she stood up well, especially when Mordaunt used the disputed £2,000 tax increase figure.

'I was very surprised they used the figure again but I guess it's their main point against Labour. The Conservatives brought taxes up the most during their time in power so this line feels dishonest. I think Labour were more honest and didn't lie whereas the Tories lied quite a lot.

'The SNP comment on immigration resonated the most with me, talking about the positives not the negatives. Some of the stuff Farage was saying about immigration was quite ignorant to be honest.

'I liked Labour saying they would scrap the Rwanda scheme, it's not the best.'

'At the end of the debate, I am still undecided': Dover fisherman Matt co*ker, 44

'Before the debate tonight I was more inclined to vote for Rishi Sunak.

'In Dover, the migrant issue of small boats is huge. It's massive.

'And although it has taken a long time I think progress has been made on that in recent weeks and months.

'Especially the last few weeks, the weather has been perfect and I was expecting to see huge, record numbers.

'When I heard today though about Rishi Sunak leaving the Remembrance event early, I could not believe that.

'I'm a massive supporter of the military and the armed forces. That seemed like a real own goal. I could not believe it.

'It was always going to be brought up tonight.

'At the end of the debate I'm a bit confused.

'I think it was wrong how they treated Nigel Farage. He should have been respected more.

'After all that debate I'm not exactly clear who I will vote for but I am more knowledgeable. I thought this debate was handled and controlled better than last time.

'I was very impressed with the Green Party. The lady really carried herself well.

'Climate change is something I think of a lot. That's a big issue for me. I think they could contribute. But at the end of it all, I am still undecided.

'I want to do more research and work. I need to check things out before I make my final decision on who to vote for.'

Mr co*ker said he was likely to tune into the future debates.

He said: 'It feels to me like Labour are more hungry for victory. They seem more organised and planned.'

'Penny Mordaunt was dealt a bad hand': Business owner Elliot Horner, 26, from Lancaster

Small business owner Elliot Horner said 'maverick' Nigel Farage put the sword into the Tories' chances of election success during the debate.

Elliot, 26, who runs the Lune Brew Co craft brewery in Lancaster said: 'I'd not vote for Reform UK personally but Farage probably turned some heads tonight with the way he presented himself.

'A lot of the UK is so disparate at the moment and people look for strong characters so I think he might have won Reform a few votes.

'Even when people were shooting at him, he came back pretty strongly.

'I think after the last couple of days the Tories have had, especially with Sunak abandoning the D-Day beaches, a lot of their traditional voters go to Reform.

'Penny Mordaunt pulled the short straw. She had the worst job tonight, having to come out and defend Sunak after what he did.

'She kept apologising for him but if you're going to win an election, having to come out with grovelling apologies is going to put you on the back foot.

'I don't think the Tories have got any confidence in Sunak at the moment.'

Elliot, who also runs beer business Cannabrew, praised Angela Rayner's performance for Labour.

He said: 'I thought she came out really strongly out the traps and went for the Conservatives.

'She was on the attack, which I sort of expected. She had a good night.'

At the halfway point, he said: 'I can't help but wonder if the Tory party have any confidence in Rishi to lead them anymore after this debate

'The Lib Dems and Daisy came out quite strong and gave answers quite directly which is refreshing to see. She was giving numbers and years to answers which is great, you never see that from politicians.

'In terms of Labour, they definitely came out hard and particularly against Penny and the Conservatives, to be honest that was quite good fun to watch.

He said the Plaid Cymru leader 'came out with really strong answers and definitely a personable chap'. But he added: 'However, he did lead a really poor attack on Nigel Farage and Reform - that was a shame, it would have been good to see a better attack

'The second questions, Lib Dems mentioned about increasing the NHS staff and doctors by 8,000 people, however I really failed to see how this will help doctors, in particular junior doctors with their strikes and increasing their wage. If anything it will put more strain on the system, which is underfunded,

'From a business perspective, something that definitely interests me and a lot of people in the UK, the only member out of all seven to mention anything about businesses was the SNP. That seems a bit bizarre to me because currently he would be getting my vote and I'm from England and definitely not Scottish in any way, shape or form.

'The Green Party, they seem to give lovely answers however I can't help but think it's just cute. It sounds a bit bad to say because they are obviously morally on the high ground, however there's not enough substance there particular when the nuclear question came up they gave really wishy-washy answers.

'I struggle to see how they are doing well.

'The better help a business gets, the more money we all get effectively. '

'Plaid Cymru and the SNP should be proud': Lawyer Benedict Sharrock-Harris, 32

Lawyer Benedict Sharrock-Harris didn't think Penny Mordaunt did her party any favours by repeating the claim that Labour will increase tax by £2,000 for each family.

He said: 'The thing that struck me as most surprising was Penny Mordaunt following through on the lie that Rishi Sunak told last time at the Sunak Starmer debate where he had put forward the £2,000 increase in tax reputedly as set out he claimed by civil servants

'It had come to light in the week in between that this wasn't civil servants who had come out with this number for the Labour policies. But rather had come from Conservative advisors, therefore it was surprising Penny Mordaunt followed through on this when Rishi Sunak had been so criticised in the intervening week.'

At the halfway point, he said: 'There was quite a surprising dividing line on one side especially on the question of migration.

'You've got plaid, the Greens, Lib Dems and SNP willing to talk about migration and its benefits and the more humanitarian approach whereas Nigel Farage is not on that side of the line and the Tories too.'

Mr Sharrock-Harris said a TV debate with several parties isn't going to have enough time for each person to speak and he didn't like the way Conservative Penny Mordaunt spoke over her Labour rival Angela Rayner.

He said: 'It is especially grating when people with less polished accents are being spoken over by posh middle class people with a classic London accent.'

But Mr Sharrock-Harris felt that Penny Mordaunt came over better than her leader Rishi Sunak in the first televised debate earlier this week and he believes she hasn't done herself any harm if there is a Tory leadership contest after the election.

He added: 'Both the party leaders of Plaid Cymru and the SNP have come across very well. They've done themselves proud.'

'Similarly to the Sunak vs Starmer debate, all the candidates were low on detail': Student Archie Parker-Goff, 21, from Chester

Student Archie Parker-Goff told how he believed political heavyweights were put on the ropes during the 'scrappy' BBC TV debate.

Archie, 21, said: 'This evening's debate was always going to be more interesting with seven participants.

'It's tricky to say who were the winners and the losers on the night.

'I thought beforehand it may have been tricker to tell because leaders outside the major, major parties are able to have a go and I think that showed.

'I think it was quite a scrappy debate - Labour and the Tories failed to differentiate on a few things and the small parties had an opportunity to field some of their plans.

'I think if the strategy of the smaller parties was to label Labour and the Tories as being very similar, then they probably did a good job.

'I've yet to be convinced by either of the two major sides at the minute. There's a good 35 minutes spent on number picking and calling out - it's not very productive.

Archie, from Chester, has just finished studying for an economics degree at Bristol University.

He has a job lined up and is set to start work in November.

He said: 'It was interesting to have the smaller parties as well because there were some quite different ways of looking at things.

'I thought the smaller parties' ideas of how do we get police on the ground and integrate them into the communities more, having a Bobby on the street, was refreshing.

'If there was a takeaway from it was probably maybe we should be looking at that a little bit more than we have been doing.

'Whilst all of them said the same things about increasing police numbers it was actually plaid, SNP, the Greens and the Lib Dems who had a little bit of emphasis about community based policing and this was something that I thought was a good idea.'

'Labour will have the keys to No 10 very soon': Londoner Eldon Davis, 45

Londoner Eldon Davis, 45, thought Labour's Angela Rayner emerged victorious in the debate after a fierce war of words with the Conservative Penny Mordaunt.

The business owner said: 'I believe that Angela Rayner presented a more prepared version of Labour. This was with specific numbers and figures and a clearer stance on military spending and education policy, making her more effective in the debate than Penny, who at times seemed to be speaking over her.

'However, I feel that neither candidate presented a compelling vision or doctrine.

'I feel Labour's stance seemed like their strategy was mainly to criticize the Conservative Party without providing innovative policy ideas.

'The GB Energy scheme seems rushed I think.

'Much like the Conservatives - get the youth into national service.

'Penny's position focused on lower taxes, protecting pensions, security, and continuity rather than major innovations, which seemed very safe policy for those that want to keep what they have.

'The surprise standout was Daisy, who was arguably the strongest debater, but I still have reservations about voting for the Liberal Democrats due to trust issues stemming from their past coalition with the Conservatives.

'Especially around tuition fees. Even though it was 14 years ago, all of that is something I still remember and it has stayed with me.

'The Green Party had some interesting ideas and ambitious plans for recruiting health staff, but it all seemed a bit too radical for me, and I'm concerned about their stance on nuclear deterrent. Their ideas seem very idealistic. How could they really be implemented in the real world if they got in power?

'I do think that Labour came out as winner over the Conservative Party and I have the feeling they will be taking the keys to Number 10 very soon.'

What did YOU think of the debate? Put your thoughts in the comments below