Corbyn’s spokesman says it is extraordinary that PM feels unable to face debate with leader of ‘only other possible government’ • General election 2017 - live updatesJeremy Corbyn will not take part in a television debate during the general election campaign if Theresa May refuses to turn up, his spokesman has said. May has said she is happy to be interviewed on television during the campaign but will not take part in any head-to-head debates. Broadcasters have said they could still hold a debate with the leaders of all the opposition parties, but Corbyn’s spokesman said the Labour leader would not take part in such a programme. In 2015 the Conservatives pressed for more parties, including the Greens and the SNP, to be involved, and David Cameron and Ed Miliband also faced separate television grillings. There was a separate “challengers” debate involving Miliband and the other opposition leaders, but this time Corbyn’s team are wary of being caricatured as part of an anti-Tory “coalition of chaos” – one of May’s key campaign attack lines.

Source: The Guardian April 26, 2017 15:54 UTC