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Friday, Sep 18, 2026

When and where to watch the Conservative leadership debates

When and where to watch the Conservative leadership debates

The contenders to become prime minister face three televised debates over five days

Keir Starmer has said Tory MPs are “tearing each other apart on a daily basis” as the fight to be the party’s next leader unfolds. On Friday night a live instalment of the psychodrama will be broadcast on Channel 4 – the first of three televised debates between the candidates.

The Guardian will be liveblogging all of the debates. Here is a short guide to where and when they can be watched.

First debate – Friday 15 July, 7pm Channel 4


Britain’s Next PM: The Conservative Leadership Debate will air from 7pm to 9.30pm and will be presented by the Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy. It can be watched live on Channel 4 or on demand on All 4.

Second debate – Sunday 17 July, 7pm, ITV


The second debate will air on ITV from 7pm on Sunday 17 July. It can be watched live or on catch-up on ITV Hub.

Third debate – Tuesday 19 July, Sky News


The third debate, on Sky News, will be hosted by Kay Burley, with questions from a live virtual audience. By this stage more candidates will have been eliminated through further rounds of voting in Westminster.

From Monday, there will be further ballots each day to whittle down the remaining contenders with the candidate that comes last being knocked out. The leadership hopefuls will be reduced down to two by Wednesday, just in time for parliament breaking for summer on Thursday. Conservative party members will then vote on their chosen leader and the winner will be unveiled on Monday 5 September.

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