Conservatives claim bias over TV leadership debate on C4

CHANNEL 4 was accused of bias by Conservative MPs after it hosted the first leadership debate on Friday night.

The 90-minute programme was the first time that all five leadership candidates had faced each other in a live televised debate. Another is to take place tonight on ITV, with a third scheduled for Tuesday on Sky, when only three candidates are set to remain in the running.

All five contenders, who stood alphabetically from left to right, answered questions from an audience of people who have not yet decided who they would vote for in the next general election. The event, hosted by the veteran broadcaster Krishnan Guru-Mur

‘Thanks to Channel 4 for their diligence in selecting an audience of genuine floating voters…’

thy, consisted of questions from the audience, followed by closing statements from each candidate of 45 seconds.

Channel 4 said it used a vetting process from Survation, the polling firm. But this did not stop Conservative MPs from questioning the decision to hold the first televised contest on the channel.

“Candidates can barely get a word in with this biased, woke presenter,” said Scott Benton, the MP for the Red Wall constituency of Blackpool South.

Eddie Hughes, the MP for Walsall North, sarcastically wrote on Twitter: “Thanks to Channel 4 for their diligence in selecting an audience of genuine floating voters...”

Ten of the 70 people in the audience said the debate had made them more likely to consider voting Conservative, but none of them raised their hands when asked if they trusted politicians.

Channel 4 has been contacted for comment.