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Welcome to FTE election countdown, your regular update on the UK's general election from the financial time. election election countdown for the next few weeks to guide you to the highs and

lows of the campaign. This is one of our mini midweek updates to give you the latest

on what's been happening. In this episode we'll be having a look at the

first TV debate where Boris Johnson

and Jeremy Corbyn went head to head and nobody particularly emerged triumphant.

We'll also be looking at some of the party's manifestos with the Lib Dem launching their plan for government

and Labour's set to announce its plans in the coming days. I'm delighted to be

joined by Robert Shimsley, our chief UK political commentator, chief political

correspondent Jim Picard, and political correspondent Laura UK political commentator, commentator, Chief Political Correspondent Laura Hughes from our room in Westminster.

Thank you all for joining.

So let's start with the TV debate.

This was the first head-to-head debate between whoever will be the next Prime Minister on Tuesday evening on I TV

Robert Strangely you were there in Solford for the debate in the spin room

before we go to the debate just explain what the spin room is and why you decide to spend two

and a half hours on a train to go and experience it.

...