Jeremy Corbyn is still to confirm whether he will take part in Wednesday’s BBC TV debate with other political leaders, at which the home secretary, Amber Rudd, will stand in for Theresa May.
Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, is believed to have been lined up to represent Labour in the BBC election debate in Cambridge, but it is understood no final decision has been made and the official decision will be announced on Wednesday morning. Corbyn has previously said he would not attend unless he was debating the prime minister.
Rudd will attend the BBC debate along with the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, Ukip’s Paul Nuttall, the Green party co-leader Caroline Lucas and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood.
The SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon, has confirmed she will not attend and her party will be represented by her deputy, Angus Robertson.
Corbyn and May were grilled by Jeremy Paxman and a live studio audience on a Monday night programme hosted by Sky News and Channel 4, in the first set-piece political debate of the campaign featuring both the leaders, but they did not face each other.
Corbyn was widely considered to have performed well in the format, prompting speculation that the Labour leader may reconsider his decision not to attend the debate on Wednesday, given Labour’s momentum in the polls.
Rudd is likely to be pressed on her enthusiastic support for the remain campaign during the debate, including when she accused Boris Johnson of “misleading the public” and said: “He’s the life and soul of the party but he’s not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening.”
On Tuesday, Farron challenged Corbyn to reconsider his decision to shun the debate. “Jeremy Corbyn should come to the debate and make the case for his policies rather than sending someone who probably cast a vote of no confidence in him only a few months before,” he said. “Don’t be a chicken, come and debate.”
Each of the panellists will make short opening statements, which will be followed by questions and debate and then closing statements. Parties have drawn lots to choose the order of statements and questions. Farron will open the programme and Rudd will make the final closing statement.
Corbyn and May will face a second audience in a Q&A at a BBC1 Question Time leaders special on Friday night in York, where each will take questions from the audience for 45 minutes, moderated by David Dimbleby, but the leaders will not debate each other.
On Sunday, Sturgeon and Farron will feature in a Question Time programme with the same format.
