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No Theresa May, no TV General Election debate, says Jeremy Corbyn

The Labour leader thinks there is "no point" taking part with the other party leaders without the Prime Minister, says a source.

Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership debate with Owen Smith last year
Image: Jeremy Corbyn during the Labour leadership debate with Owen Smith last year
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Jeremy Corbyn would not take part in any TV election debates without Theresa May, a source close to the Labour leader has told Sky News.

When asked whether Mr Corbyn would attend a debate with the other party leaders if the Prime Minister is not taking part, the Labour spokesman said there "would be no point" because the "only choice in the election is a country led by Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May".

This is the first time Mr Corbyn's office has clarified its position on the issue.

There has been a great deal of speculation that broadcasters might choose to hold a debate without the Prime Minister attending - this would probably make that less likely.

It's a far cry from the election of 2010, when three debates were held between then party leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. It was felt then that they had become an established part of the British electoral calendar.

The Sky News 2010 leaders debate
Image: The Sky News 2010 leaders debate

It was not to be.

Since then party leaders have become more and more reluctant to participate. David Cameron did all he could to wriggle out of them back in 2015, rejecting the idea of a head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband.

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He eventually consented to a single debate with six other party leaders, which many felt to be something of a whitewash as the participation of the two men most likely to become prime minister was so diluted.

Now Mrs May has said she will not participate in any debates whatsoever.

She says she intends to meet people all over the country and that she debates Jeremy Corbyn every week in the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions, so the whole exercise is unnecessary.

It may be that Mrs May is riding so high in the polls she sees no point in letting that go to risk on an unpredictable joust on TV where expectations for Mr Corbyn would be low.

Likewise, Mr Corbyn prefers the campaign rally rather than debating within TV studios.

He also would not want to put himself in a position where, with the Prime Minister absent, he would become the primary target for smaller party leaders hoping to get a chunk of Labour's votes.