labour does not seem to have answers to some of those questions on migration, particularly on illegal migration. —— deal with the taliban. and the conservatives are ultimately on a back foot on the economy and on the nhs and rishi sunak might try to move the topic on to something like migration, a traditionally strong topic for the conservatives, but ultimately we have just seen the highest number of small boat crossings and so they don't have much of a recall to talk about there either. �* , , ,.,, ~ much of a recall to talk about there either. �* , , ~ ., either. and i suppose unlike a traditional _ either. and i suppose unlike a traditional interview _ either. and i suppose unlike a traditional interview where . either. and i suppose unlike a traditional interview where a i traditional interview where a politician can try to shift the topic of discussion on to one from another, that is a valid technique with an interview, but when answering questions from members of the public, shifting the subject won't necessarily go down well even with the person asking the question or the viewers.— with the person asking the question or the viewers. yes, and that is one ofthe or the viewers. yes, and that is one of the game — or the viewers. yes, and that is one of the game changing _ or the viewers. yes, and that is one of the game changing things - or the viewers. yes, and that is one | of the game changing things coming into a debate like this, they have to take them directly from members of the public and you see politicians doing that on the campaign trail, going to work places and taking questions from staff but i think even those kinder environments are stage—managed because people are at work and would want to see something too difficult in front of the bass but here they have the opposite incentive and audience members here want to to land a tricky question on the politician so i think that makes it an unknown quality.— politician so i think that makes it an unknown quality. thank you for that. in an unknown quality. thank you for that in case _ an unknown quality. thank you for that. in case you're _ an unknown quality. thank you for that. in case you're wondering, i an unknown quality. thank you for. that. in case you're wondering, both men do not know the questions they will receive during this prime ministerial debate. also here at nottingham trent university is my colleague, nicky schiller, and he is elsewhere because he is looking out for the arrival of both sir keir starmer and rishi sunak. tell us more about where you nikki. yes. starmer and rishi sunak. tell us more about where you nikki. yes, i am outside — more about where you nikki. yes, i am outside of _ more about where you nikki. yes, i am outside of the _ more about where you nikki. yes, i am outside of the university - more about where you nikki. yes, i am outside of the university and i more about where you nikki. yes, i l am outside of the university and you are inside. i will give you an idea of what we will expect in the next hour or so when the next leaders arrived, and if simon, my cameraman, pans around, you will see the gates here at nottingham trent university and just a few minutes ago i saw david davis, the former conservative minister, walking by and i think you will probably be with you if you're not already in the spin room shortly and the two leaders will come through those gates and will be greeted here and then walk up the steps of the university here and then there is a very short walk across the courtyard into the area where the debate will take place. now, the two leaders were here a bit earlier on and we were moved out of that area while they had a look and of course the area was knocked down for security reasons so they have seen the stage and they know what to expect when they get inside that room. —— looked down. as you know, mishal husain mentioning with rita struck a party but bit early on, there are two podiums there and it is quite an intimate venue, so we have the audience quite close and there are about 100 people in the audience and the bbc hope we can get about ten questions answered in that time and mishal husain has also written an interesting article on the bbc website and add about what she has open to get from them. —— reeta chakrabarti. she is saying she is hoping to make sure they answer the questions that are asked because this is often the problem with these types of debates, the two party leaders will want to get their own messages across and that is what they will be doing in their final preparations and their team will know what message they have to try to get across to the audience at home but that often means they might not necessarily answer the question a member of the public has asked, so mishal husain is hoping to keep them on track with their answers are not let them divert off into another area and of course we have heard a lot from rishi sunak and sir keir starmer over the course of the election but you have to remember there has only been, up until this point, one other head to head debate and that was the itv debate that was at the beginning of this month that julie etchingham posted and you may remember, if you watched that, at times it got quite tetchy and they covered a range of issues and a cost of living question came up and the health service but they got quite tetchy during the one on immigration and it is quite heated and at one point, julie etchingham i to tell them to keep their voices down because they were getting quite heated so it will be interesting to see the dynamics of that tonight, if they do get into that heated debate between the two of them. in terms of the questions, they all come from the questions, they all come from the audience. the bbc, looking at those, trying to look at the questions that look at policy issues that both leaders can answer questions on, so not something just focused on one party or the other. in terms of the audience, we here at the bbc are often asked, how do you choose the audiences that come to these events? it is actually the independent polling company savanta that have chosen the audience that will be inside nottingham trent university tonight and in terms of the make up of the audience, there is about an equal number of people who say they will vote conservative to an equal number of people who say they will vote labour and there will also be undecided voters in there as well, so a mix of people in that audience, as i say, chosen by the polling company. there will be no opening statement, so it would be straight into the debates, but the politicians, rishi sunak and sir keir starmer, will get a chance at the end to give a 32nd pitch as to why we should vote for them next week, and the weight that has been chosen as to who goes to post or who goes second is at the toss of a coin. i will keep an eye on these gates are for you and if i see any cars arriving, i will give you a shout. it is a bit easier for me this time, there were seven on the seven way debates but at least i only have to look out for two cars. just two key arrivals to watch out for, thank you very much indeed, nikki, just outside where i am here in the spin room at nottingham trent university and looking at the bc news website we now have the live page “p news website we now have the live page up and running with the two leaders gearing up for a final head—to—head tv debates before the election, saying the headlines, and there will be updates on what has been said and any further context or clarification required from my bbc news colleagues. it with me is the bbc news chief political correspondent henry seth man, good to see you. i'm curious, and this kind of events, how much is it about the broad policy areas and how much is it about the day—to—day development such as the betting stories that have been developing over the past few days? i stories that have been developing over the past few days?— over the past few days? i think it is a bit of both _ over the past few days? i think it is a bit of both because - over the past few days? i think it is a bit of both because the - over the past few days? i think it i is a bit of both because the leaders need to deal adequately with the day—to—day stuff in order to almost earn the right to talk about the broader messages they want to land and if you are rishi sunak and sir keir starmer you know you can't avoid what has been happening over the past few days and that someone in the audience or mishal husain will almost certainly ask about it so they will have lines prepared and able challenge on each other and i'm sure rishi sunak will point out that a labour politician has now been disowned by their party over alleged gambling but i'm sure keir starmer will say, i booted my candidate out within hours and it took you 13 days to do so. so i think you will see that type of dynamic layouts but both leaders will be trying to use that to get you broader arguments that to get you broader arguments that they have been trying to land that they have been trying to [and throughout this election campaign. i was listening to you on the today programme and i urge you make a clarification that i think is useful to hear again that actually the person from labour that has been suspended is claimed to have done something quite different to what the conservatives are claims to have done. ., ., ,. ., , done. one of the fascinating things about the sprawling _ done. one of the fascinating things about the sprawling saga _ done. one of the fascinating things about the sprawling saga is - done. one of the fascinating things about the sprawling saga is you - done. one of the fascinating things | about the sprawling saga is you now have quite a few different types of gambling allegations it mixed into the pot, so the claims being made about a few different conservatives but principally two conservative candidates is they gambled on the date of the general election and a bet that the general election would bet that the general election would be in july, bet that the general election would be injuly, so they were correct, and what the gambling commission is thought to be looking at although they have not confirmed anything publicly, is whether they knew when they knew when the gambling commission is thought to be looking at although they have not confirmed anything publicly, is whether they knew when they place those bets that the general election sunak had made that decision and would announce it within days, and if criminal offence. that is one set of allegations and they both have said they will cooperate with the gambling commission inquiries and we shouldn't prejudge it. and what the former labour candidate as of yesterday evening is alleged to have done is place a bet in different markets, what would happen in the precise constituency in which he is standing and he actually bet he were to lose and that is clearly something the gambling commission have also decided they want to look at but it is a different thing because obviously what happens in that constituency is notjust up to the candidates or even mostly up to the candidates or even mostly up to the candidates, it is up to the voters of that constituency. those are the specifics _ voters of that constituency. those are the specifics of _ voters of that constituency. those are the specifics of that _ voters of that constituency. those are the specifics of that story - voters of that constituency. those are the specifics of that story and | are the specifics of that story and that's come back to this debate and you have great contacts within both parties, how are they viewing tonight and how important is it to both sides?— tonight and how important is it to both sides? , , ~ ., both sides? both sides know it is a hue both sides? both sides know it is a huge moment. _ both sides? both sides know it is a huge moment, especially- both sides? both sides know it is a huge moment, especially because| both sides? both sides know it is a l huge moment, especially because it is the last set piece argument of this campaign and who knows what will happen over the subsequent week because it is a week tomorrow until polling day and i can't believe that as it has gone very quickly for me, i don't know about the viewers. i don't think everyone feels that way. this is my euros but i am weird. i think they both know this is the last big set piece moment of the election so they need to accomplish that specific tasks but those tasks are very different and no matter what they might say publicly, people i speak to on the conservative campaign and conservative candidates believe that as it stands they are losing this general election so they need rishi sunak to find a way to shake up the narrative of this campaign and turn it on its head and make next week look a lot different to how it might otherwise play out and for sir keir starmer and the labour party, the goal is the inverse, not drop the ball and there is plenty to speak to that sort of thing, but from sir keir starmer�*s point of view it a safety first and put rishi sunak it is anything but. bought keir starmer, is it reassurance? because if you look over the last few decades, labour don't win anywhere near as many elections as the conservatives. absolutely, and when i say safety first, what i mean is he wants to ensure that people who are as it stands intending to vote labour and pats telling pollsters that, don't have second thoughts over the next week and it is of course worth bearing in mind that election day is notjust bearing in mind that election day is not just election bearing in mind that election day is notjust election day any more and a lot of people in the country might have already voted by post so there is that extra dimension to it that people might be pulling out that postal form tomorrow morning straight after watching this debate and every moment matters now for these two leaders. to and every moment matters now for these two leaders.— these two leaders. to mention the olls and these two leaders. to mention the polls and let _ these two leaders. to mention the polls and let me _ these two leaders. to mention the polls and let me ask _ these two leaders. to mention the polls and let me ask you _ these two leaders. to mention the polls and let me ask you about - these two leaders. to mention the i polls and let me ask you about that, an extraordinary and out of them and some people would say that is fine and filling us in on how the campaign is going and others may be concerned it is too influential in the nature of the campaign. what is your analysis is somewhat right in the middle of the media coverage? there is certainly an awful lot and i think there are two kinds of poles now, notjust those that i think there are two kinds of poles now, not just those that say 30% for this party and 40% for that party, there are also polls, or models, really, which aim to take a larger than usual pole and project from that. than usual pole and pro'ect from that. ~ , than usual pole and project from that._ exactly, - than usual pole and project from that._ exactly, | - than usual pole and project from that._ exactly, i havel than usual pole and project from i that._ exactly, i have had that. the mrps. exactly, i have had to sa that that. the mrps. exactly, i have had to say that many — that. the mrps. exactly, i have had to say that many times _ that. the mrps. exactly, i have had to say that many times over - that. the mrps. exactly, i have had to say that many times over the i that. the mrps. exactly, i have had| to say that many times over the past few weeks. but what it means is that people can now look at all sorts of different models of what may happen in their particular constituency and if they turn out to be accurate, that may help them decide how to vote, especially if they want to vote, especially if they want to vote tactically. if they turn out to be wrong, there is the risk everything has been happening in a sort of weird, not quite misinformation, but a slightly strange information space and of course, one of the things we can't know is even at the general election result does turn out to be quite different to what these polls and bottles are suggesting, it doesn't mean they were wrong at the time, people may have looked at them and shaped how they decided to put on a certain assumption of what the inevitable result might be so the dynamics are quite complex. we talked to a _ dynamics are quite complex. we talked to a pollster yesterday who said, we are asking people how they would vote tomorrow when we conduct these polls, so they are snapshot of that moment but not necessarily where the electorate will end up. absolutely, and when people go into the ballot box or fill out the ballot at home, that is when they decide and that is the moment that matters and the moment keir starmer and rishi sunak are trying to influence. and rishi sunak are trying to influence-— and rishi sunak are trying to influence. . ~' , ., , . influence. thank you very much indeed, archie _ influence. thank you very much indeed, archie tickell _ influence. thank you very much i indeed, archie tickell correspondent and a reminder that we have our live page and a reminder that we have our live page running on the bbc news website. —— our chief political correspondent. and there are journalists and some senior politicians behind us and i think most of them will arrive in the coming hours and everyone covering around us for this head—to—head debate with mishal husain hosting —— gathering around us. there will be the labour leader sir keir starmer and the prime minister and leader of the conservatives, rishi sunak. earlier, i spoke to the leader of the 0nward think tank and eleanor laing third from the independent and i asked sebastian payne from the think tank about his ports on the format and impact of the set piece moments. —— his thoughts. i think they can be super interesting because they are a bit like prime minister's questions, a barometer of the campaign and how they are doing and how they are under pressure and in the first head—to—head debate it was widely seen that rishi sunak got his message across well and keir starmer was a bit leaden but then i think sir keir starmer did a bit better in the grimsby one hosted by sky news but this one is the last electoral big event and people are going to the polls injust over a week now and i think this is a moment for rishi sunak to get his message across on warning of tax and the dangers of a labour government and for sir keir starmer, bringing that ming vase across the slippery dance floor, and he has that big lead and would be heading to downing street so at this stage she wants to make sure he doesn't trip up and drop that ming vase so the stakes are different for both candidates and it is interesting, that point that not long ago we didn't have any tv debates and in this campaign, we have had seven—way debates and head—to—head debates and a cornucopia of politicians and i think that is a good thing for our political process. thank you, sebastian. what about you, eleanor? i agree with sebastian and i think these debates have been a really good chance for the public to get an insight notjust into the policies but the character of the person who might be our next prime minister or the one who currently is and is continuing thatjob. i agree that we have seen an improvement from keir starmer who struggled in those early debates but we have seen a slightly better tone from him and a bit more confidence but the fact is it is difficult to move the dial significantly at this stage, as sebastian said, this is the last chance for them to put their message across to the public but ultimately, the polls are where they are and it is all about s