How did Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn square up in studio grilling?
Beth Rigby looks at the uncomfortable moments each politician faced on the show, and judges who came out on top.
Tuesday 30 May 2017 13:39, UK
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have been grilled by a studio audience and then Jeremy Paxman on the central themes of this General Election. How did they square up?
SECURITY
:: Jeremy Corbyn
Not easy territory for the Labour leader as he was mauled by the audience on his links to the Provisional IRA and his views on the nuclear deterrent.
Perhaps prepped for these questions, Mr Corbyn handled them relatively well - saying he had gone with his party on Trident renewal ("it's not a dictatorship") and insisting that his priority on Northern Ireland was to secure a peace process.
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But his most uncomfortable moments of the entire show included when Paxman quizzed him on the Falklands War: "Did you think the Falklands War was a Tory plot? No. Why did you say it then?"
Mr Corbyn was then asked whether he would take out a terrorist such as Jihadi John in a drone strike. He dodged this by replying: "This is a hypothetical question."
While conceding to Trident's renewal, he would not be drawn on what circumstances he would use it in - eventually saying he would "write the appropriate letters".
:: Theresa May
Having served as home secretary for six of the past seven years and with police numbers being cut by 20,000 since 2010, you might have thought the Prime Minister would come unstuck when quizzed by serving police officer Martyn Hargreaves over her handling of the police and security services. But she did a good job - explaining counter-terrorism funding is protected, and the shift of investment had to move from bobbies on the beat to cybersecurity.
Verdict: May win. Corbyn passable.
SOCIAL CARE AND U-TURNS
Mrs May was forced to u-turn over her key manifesto pledge concerning social care following a backlash from her own party and the public. The plan was to ask pensioners to pay for all of their care costs - in a care home or their own home - bar their last £100,000 in assets, which they could pass on.
Amid collective fury from Middle England, the Prime Minister announced she would, after all, also introduce an absolute cap on the total cost of bills. But there was no detail on the level of that cap.
Like thousands of others out there, 89-year-old Philip Webster said he was worried about not being able to leave money to his children.
Mrs May insisted that she "clarified" the position on a cap because of "scaremongering" in the manifesto. But she also defended the policy, arguing that "if you don't address our social care system now, it will collapse". She was given a round of applause.
She was tripped up later by Paxman who attacked her on both the social care u-turn and the reversal of planned National Insurance tax rises in the Budget.
It does not bode well for Brexit, with Paxman saying: "I'd think she's a blowhard that collapses at the first sign of gunfire".
Verdict: Best result May could have hoped for. The u-turn was the biggest bungle of the Tory campaign, but she escaped a mauling from the audience.
BREXIT
:: Jeremy Corbyn
For Mr Corbyn, two difficult issues were raised by the audience - mirroring the ravine Labour has to try to traverse between its working-class Vote Leave base and its metropolitan Remain supporters.
On the one hand, Mr Corbyn was asked why he will not be more robust on immigration and commit to a cap, while on the other, he's asked why the 48% who wanted to remain in the EU should pick him over the Lib Dems.
On immigration, he says the levels will probably be a bit lower - and on the matter of the why Remainers should stick with him, Mr Corbyn argues that the will of the people must be respected.
:: Theresa May
A safe spot for her. Goaded by Paxman over her apparent shift from Remainer to Leaver, she insisted that she wanted to "respect the will of the people" (cue applause). She added she was going to be a difficult woman when it came to negotiations, and she would walk away if she didn't get a good deal.
Verdict: May win. Solid ground. Asserts her position as the Brexiteer-in-chief.
EDUCATION AND WELFARE
Mrs May promised £4bn more funding for schools in her manifesto yet, in real terms, schools still face per-pupil funding falling by 3%.
Teacher and mother-of-two Nicola Middleton tackled her on spending cuts. The Prime Minister was rather boxed in, but tried to argue that Labour's spending plans don't add up when it comes to education. There was jeering and heckling from the crowds.
Mr Corbyn also had a stumble, telling Paxman that he would oversee an uprating of benefits. It would cost about £3.5bn, according to Lib Dem Vince Cable, and is not in the manifesto.
Verdict: This was one of Mrs May's most awkward moments - genuine irritation from the audience. But what of Mr Corbyn? It was a lucky escape that Paxman didn't tackle him on his off-the-cuff spending commitment. Hardly a ringing endorsement of Labour's economic competence.
MONARCHY
Perhaps not a key election theme! Nonetheless, Paxman was keen to challenge Mr Corbyn on his Republican views and apparent desire to abolish the monarchy.
"It's certainly not on anybody's agenda, it's certainly not on my agenda and do you know what, I had a very nice chat with the Queen," Mr Corbyn said.
Pressed further, the Labour leader side-stepped again - telling Paxman: "I don't think she should be brought into political discussion."
Verdict: Paxman laid a trap for Mr Corbyn and he didn't fall into it. His remarks that we have democracy where we have a titular head of state and "that law will prevail" was hardly a ringing endorsement of the Queen. But he avoided a devastating headline.
OVERALL
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As the incumbent, with a record in government to defend, this was always going to be a tougher performance for Mrs May.
She came through relatively intact, and avoided a blow-up on social care and the NHS (despite a tough question from a midwife on "chronic underfunding"). Brexit and security were her strong suit. She would do well to stick to those over the next nine days.
Mr Corbyn exceeded expectations and was more relaxed with the audience. He had conviction in his views and managed to avoid being skewered on security and the monarchy. A marginal, slight win for Corbyn, but he has a lot of ground to make up.
:: Watch the highlights of May v Corbyn: The Battle For Number 10 on Sky News at 4.30pm.