Taking part in TV debate is a no-brainer for Jeremy Corbyn
The Labour leader's decision makes Theresa May look cowardly and Mr Corbyn will get the plaudits if he has a strong performance.
Wednesday 31 May 2017 22:43, UK
What is increasingly clear in this campaign is that Theresa May - who called the election amid huge leads in the polls - has the most to lose, and the underdog Jeremy Corbyn the most to gain.
That is why agreeing to take part in the BBC's seven-way TV debate, even though it will not be the hoped-for head-to-head with the Prime Minister, was a no-brainer.
He , and would get the plaudits if it went well.
It is understandable why the Labour leader initially said he would only take part in a TV battle if the Conservative leader attended, rather than do battle with smaller, less significant parties.
But after his party's floundering start, it is his campaign which now seems to have the momentum.
His policies - despite scepticism about how they would be funded - are cutting through, amid deep concerns about public services.
Yes, he struggled embarrassingly with the costs of his childcare policy, at a time when he desperately needs his ambitious agenda to look deliverable.
But he exceeded expectations in the on Monday, and his decades of campaign experience and perhaps the uptick in the polls, have given him a relaxed demeanour even as the questions entered difficult territory.
As seen in his well-attended campaign rallies, Mr Corbyn enjoys being on the stump, while Mrs May, since her U-turn on social care, appears a little chastened.
Her excuses for not attending the debate, ranging from wanting to spend with real voters, to wanting to concentrate on Brexit, look like evading scrutiny.
Tonight, the Labour leader will want to focus on funding for the NHS and schools, his pledges to abolish tuition fees and renationalise the railways.
He will be faced with less welcome questions about his immigration policy, his past support for the IRA, and how much he would want a Government he leads to pay to Brussels and what he would want in return.
Mr Corbyn still faces the question which unravelled Ed Miliband's campaign in 2015 - what would happen in a hung Parliament, and would he do a deal with the SNP, who would demand an independence poll in return.
But after scoring an early hit by accusing Mrs May of running scared of TV debates, he now has a chance to get his party back into the game alongside Home Secretary Amber Rudd and the other party leaders.
A seven-way debate does not always yield a clear winner, but barring any gaffes - Mr Corbyn has calculated that the only way is up.