Five things Starmer needs to fix for the next televised debate

How will Sir Keir Starmer approach his next debate with Rishi Sunak on Sky News?

Sir Keir Starmer faces his next election debate with Rishi Sunak on Sky News on June 12.

Occurs just over a week after their first showdown on ITV. , it will provide another opportunity for the two leaders to prove their worth to the public.

Senior Labor sources said they were «very pleased» with Sir Keir's performance in the first face-to-face meeting on Tuesday.

But a YouGov poll after the event declared Mr Sunak the winner, albeit by a narrow margin. — thin separation.

Here, The Telegraph predicts what Sir Keir might be advised to do differently to win the crown in the second election face-off.

Cut that figure to £2,000. – and quickly

One of the first questions from journalists after Tuesday's debate was why it took Sir Keir so long to shut down Mr Sunak's main line of attack — that Labor would raise taxes by £2,000.

It was only after the ninth mention that he finally responded.

This meant Mr Sunak was given free rein to formulate this figure during the first 20 minutes of the debate.

This could be costly Sir Keir in the polls as YouGov's rushed verdict puts Mr Sunak ahead on tax issues.

Going forward, the Labor leader will likely be advised to immediately drop the £2,000 claim by denying it outright.

He may also decide to throw some of his own figures into the mix, such as Labour's claim. that the Tories have collected £71 billion of unfunded spending.

Don't overestimate

When he first rejected the £2,000 figure, Sir Keir was quick to give what Westminster observers would describe as «shaky» or «politically loaded» in an attempt to explain why the Tory calculations were wrong.

Only later did he boil down his answer to a much simpler term: «Trash.»

After spending too much time explaining why Tory's dossier is «nonsense,» Sir Keir risks confusing or even boring his audience.

So in the next debate, aides may encourage him to simplify his answers and get straight to the point.

Come up with a plan

Although initial polls showed the two leaders roughly tied on Tuesday, Sir Keir appeared to have indeed fallen into the Tory trap over NHS and immigration strikes, with Mr Sunak repeatedly asking him: «What are you going to do?» /p>

His plan for Rwanda may not be to everyone's liking, but the Prime Minister has at least been able to explain where he will send illegal migrants arriving in the UK.

He said Labor would consider reaching recycling deals with other countries, but made no commitment.

To avoid falling into the same trap next time, Sir Keir will need to give some straight answers with a clear plan.

Be individual — and make Sunak look irritable

One of the things that worked well for Sir Keir on Tuesday was his ability to empathise with the British public.

While he didn't win the YouGov poll, viewers were more likely to find him «relatable to ordinary people, likeable and trustworthy.»

He drew heavily on personal experience when asked about the cost of living, recalling how his family's phone was cut off when he was a child.

Sources said Sir Keir saw the first debate as a chance to tell his story. He was also said to have made a tactical decision to be as polite as possible.

In contrast, Labor officials sought to portray Mr Sunak as «irritable.»

The aim was to counter the «strong Sir Keir's leadership and what they described as Mr Sunak's tendency to «jump up and down» when he got upset.

Given that Sir Keir's empathy appears to have played well with the public, it is likely that the Labor camp will encourage him to maintain a personal relationship and take the moral high ground the next time the pair fight.

Be tough

Senior sources the Labor Party suggested that Sir Keir was hesitant to strike back. for £2,000 because he wanted to respect the terms of the debate.

But by doing so he may have missed an opportunity to get his message across where it matters.

Less than 10 minutes later, Sir Keir asked if he could respond directly to the £2,000 figure, but fell silent when moderator Julie Etchingham interrupted.

Next time he might want to be a little more brutal approach, choosing moments to break the rules.