Tory leadership TV debate on day of second round of voting

Contenders in the race to replace Theresa May will take part in a TV debate just hours after finding out if they have survived the second round of voting by their colleagues.

All candidates left in the race will be invited to take part in the BBC debate moderated by Emily Maitlis at 8pm on June 18, two hours after the results of the second ballot of MPs is announced.

Members of the public will be invited to pose questions to the would-be prime ministers.

BBC executive producer Jonathan Munro said: “This is a programme which allows the BBC’s audiences to set the agenda, and ask the questions which are at the forefront of their minds.

“It’ll be broadcast at a key moment in the process of narrowing down the field of candidates in the race for Downing Street.”

The first TV debate of the leadership contest will be broadcast on June 16 on Channel 4, hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and follows the first ballot of Conservative MPs on June 13.

Later in the process, once the final two candidates are known, they will be invited to take part in a special edition of BBC One’s Question Time.

And on Sky News, the two final candidates will take part in a live debate with a studio audience made up of Conservative voters presented by journalist Kay Burley.