General election debate: Seven parties take part in ITV clash as Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn skip encounter

Politicians clash over NHS, climate change and Donald Trump

General Election 2019: Opinion polls over the last seven days

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn both dodged the seven-way “leaders debate” on ITV on Sunday night.

The leaders of all major parties were invited to take part in the stand-off but Labour and the Conservatives were represented by shadow justice minister Richard Burgon and chief secretary of the Treasury Rishi Sunak.

They shared the stage with Jo Swinson for the Lib Dems, the Brexit Party’s Nigel Farage, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP, ​Green Party co-leader Sian Berry and Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price.

Among the issues discussed were the London Bridge terror attacks, Donald Trump, the NHS, social care and climate change.

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Key Points

• Nigel Farage defends Trump: 'Men say dreadful things sometimes'
• Leaders clash over early release of London Bridge terrorist
• Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn dodge leaders' debate
• Leaders of Lib Dems, Greens, Brexit Party and SNP feature in seven-way clash

[1 December 2019 21:14 · Peter Stubley]

The independent fact-checking charity, Full Fact, have looked into a few of the claims made during the debate.

Here are two fact checks on the true size of the national debt and the performance of the UK's economy compared with the rest of the world.

[1 December 2019 21:22 · Peter Stubley]

Meanwhile political satirist Armando Iannucci has said that he would cast a stuffed animal as Boris Johnson in a film about the prime minister.

Speaking at the British Independent Film Awards, he told the Press Association: "I would probably use small animals. Just stuffed animals. The smaller the better. The animal that shits the most."

[1 December 2019 21:26 · Peter Stubley]

Here's the face that Richard Burgon pulled when Adam Price asked why Labour had not introduced free social care in Wales, which provoked laughter from the audience.

[1 December 2019 21:28 · Peter Stubley]

Robert Peston receives a question from a viewer: "Would all party leaders commit to answering questions while wired up to a lie detector?"

"I think we will leave that one there," says the ITV's political editor.

[1 December 2019 21:39 · Peter Stubley]

Robert Peston concludes that the politicians from every party performed reasonably well and he is "not 100 per cent sure the dial was shifted significantly" by the debate.

His favourite moment was Richard Burgon's face pull and non-reply to the leader of Plaid Cymru (see below).

[1 December 2019 21:54 · Peter Stubley]

Boris Johnson may not have taken part in the debate but he was constantly mentioned throughout the two-hour water torture session.

The prime minister was accused of "trying to be like" Donald Trump and modelling himself on the US president. They certainly like wearing ties that drape well below the belt.

However, with the US president due to visit the UK on Tuesday, Mr Johnson is said to be keen to minimise his screen time with Mr Trump. Or is that just another bit of spin?

[1 December 2019 21:55 · Peter Stubley]

That's it for our coverage of tonight's debate. Our politics liveblog will be back tomorrow morning. Goodnight.