Parties may ask court to halt ITV leaders’ debate

The Liberal Democrats and SNP may seek an injunction to halt the ITV leaders’ debate, due to be staged tomorrow, as the High Court today determines whether the channel acted unlawfully by excluding them.

Both claim ITV’S decision to hold a head-to-head debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn breaches Ofcom’s code requiring “due weight” to coverage of parties in an election. The court has just 36 hours to deliver a verdict and neither party has ruled out “other options”, such as an injunction.