Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn both dodged the seven-way “leaders debate” on ITV on Sunday night.
The leaders of all major parties were invited to take part in the stand-off but Labour and the Conservatives were represented by shadow justice minister Richard Burgon and chief secretary of the Treasury Rishi Sunak.
They shared the stage with Jo Swinson for the Lib Dems, the Brexit Party’s Nigel Farage, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP, Green Party co-leader Sian Berry and Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price.
Among the issues discussed were the London Bridge terror attacks, Donald Trump, the NHS, social care and climate change.
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Good evening and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the ITV "leaders debate" featuring the seven major political parties.
It kicks off at 7pm and is due to last two hours. Will they all survive the contest? Let's find out.
Neither Boris Johnson nor Jeremy Corbyn are taking part, however.
As a result the seven-way leaders' debate will feature on five party leaders from the Greens, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru, SNP and Brexit Party....
Jeremy Corbyn will be represented by Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary.
Boris Johnson will be represented by Rishi Sunak, the chief secretary to the Treasury.
ITV journalist Julie Etchingham is moderating the debate and the set looks like a cross between the TV shows The Cube and Take Me Out.
Here's the confirmed list of politicians taking part:
The debate takes place as the two main party leaders continue to blame each other for the terror attack on London Bridge.
Earlier this evening the two victims were identified as Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23. Three others were injured.
Boris Johnson has insisted that cuts to probation and other public services played no part in the attack. Instead, he says Labour are responsible for the law which allowed the killer to be released - nearly a year ago - on licence automatically half way through his 16-year sentence.
Boris Johnson denies huge Tory cuts were 'a mistake' and insists they played no part in London Bridge terror attack
'It was nothing to do with parole, nothing to do with the probation service'The attack prompted an urgent review of convicted terrorists out on licence and on Saturday evening a 34-year-old man was arrested in Stoke-on-Trent.
West Midlands Police released this statement at around 6pm today:
Officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit have arrested a man in Stoke-on-Trent.A search warrant was conducted last night (30 Nov) in connection to a wider on-going review of existing licence conditions of convicted terrorism offenders.As a result of a search of his home address, the 34-year-old was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.These searches continue.There is no information to suggest that the arrested man was involved in the incident at London Bridge on Friday.There was no immediate risk to public safety.
A selection of responses to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn's decision to skip the ITV election debate this evening.
There's just over five minutes minutes to go until the debate - keen viewers can tune into ITV now to catch the closing credits of a Harry Potter film.
Cue the dramatic music - to reveal (in order of importance?) Jo Swinson, Nigel Farage, RIchard Burgon, Rishi Sunak, Sian Berry, Adam Price and Nicola Sturgeon.
Host Julie Etchingham confirms all the leaders were invited but "neither the Labour nor the Conservatives decided to send theirs".
Jo Swinson says Boris Johnson "can't be bothered to debate" and claims that Nigel Farage is happy to help the Conservative leader win the general election.
"Get Brexit Done", says Rishi Sunak, for the Conservatives.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage complains that most parties at the debate don't want to honour the referendum and blames the Conservatives for a "half-in, half-out fudge".
"I want to get Brexit done properly," he adds.
Nicola Sturgeon says she wants to lock Boris Johnson out of Downing Street.
"To build a better future we need to stop Boris Johnson and the Tories and in Scotland that means voting SNP".
Adam Price, the leader of Plaid Cymru, complains that Wales is invisible in Westminster and calls on people to vote for his party.
Richard Burgon also brings out the party catchphrase, saying Labour will rebuild the country "for the many, not the few".
The first question is on the convicted terrorist who killed two people at London Bridge nearly a year after being released from prison.
In a rehearsal of the last two days of argument on this issue, Rishi Sunak says the attacker was released half way through his sentence because of a law passed in 2008 while Richard Burgon suggests the blame lies on cuts to public services.
Nigel Farage references the "Jihadi virus", blames "political correctness" and says anyone who carries out or plans mass murder should never be released.
The second audience question is about Brexit: Can any of the parties say their policy will bring the country back together?
Rishi Sunak says the SNP will prop up Jeremy Corbyn, resulting in further delay, and concludes, predictably: "Get Brexit done".
Jo Swinson commits to remaining in the EU - saying Brexit is causing chaos and costing the UK money better spent on other problems.
Sian Berry for the Greens supports a second referendum, but says that Brexit would be a disaster.
Nigel Farage says a second referendum would cause even more division and ignoring the vote for Leave would be the death of democracy. "There is no perfect answer, but we have to deliver Brexit."
Richard Burgon comes under attack from all sides for Labour policy on Brexit - that is negotiating a new Brexit deal and then holding a referendum with this new Brexit deal vs Remain, during which Jeremy Corbyn will remain neutral.
Nigel Farage gets the first (minor) applause of the night for his attack on Nicola Sturgeon and her stance on Scottish independence and remaining in the EU.
Richard Burgon comes second with his response to the Brexit Party leader, suggesting Nigel Farage takes his orders from Donald Trump.
The third issue up for debate is Scottish independence.
Richard Burgon says there will be no backroom deals with the SNP and rules out another referendum in "the early years of a Labour government."
Asked which referendum she wants first (Brexit part 2 or independence) Nicola Sturgeon says she wants Scottish people to be able to decide their future.
Freedom of movement and immigration only received a few minutes before the commercial break - but moderator Julie Etchingham says the debate will return to it later on in this two-hour spectacular.
In short: Rishi Sunak says immigration will be reduced under the Conservatives, Richard Burgon brings up the Windrush scandal and says migrants should be respected. Nicola Sturgeon didn't get a chance to say anything.
Now its foreign affairs and Donald Trump.
Jo Swinson says there are three people in the "special relationship" - Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage - and attacks the Conservatives for developing a friendship with someone accused of sexual assault and discriminatory policies in the US.
Nigel Farage says Boris Johnson should choose to focus on the US and Nato rather than Europe - conveniently forgetting that Donald Trump is not a fan of Nato, and that European countries are also part of Nato.
The leaders clash over Donald Trump's designs on the NHS.
Richard Burgon says: "The only way to stop the UK becoming a new version of Donald Trump's USA is to ensure Boris Johnson does not become prime minister."
Nigel Farage says Donald Trump is "our most important friend in the world" and claims the biggest lie told during the election campaign is that Donald Trump wants to buy the NHS.
Challenged about Mr Trump's apparent admission to grabbing women, he appears to suggest that everybody would be in trouble for their remarks at some point or another.
Gasps in the audience as the Plaid Cymru leader quotes in full Mr Trump's reference to 'grab them by the pussy'.
