Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May and the main opposition leader have appeared separately before a live TV audience who grilled them during a final debate.<br /><br />The event in the northern English city of York occurred six days before the country’s general election.<br /><br />After a campaign dominated by Britain’s exit from the European Union the polls have narrowed. <br /><br />May was put on the spot over her decision to go to the polls early. <br /><br />“You’ve called a general election for the good of the Conservative party and it’s going to backfire on you!” a man asked angrily.<br /><br />“No I called a general election because I believe that the British people have a right to vote and to say who they want to see leading them through the Brexit negotiations. And I believe they should have a prime minister who has an absolutely resolute determination to respect their will,” was May’s reply.<br /><br />The prime minister said she was confident the UK could get a good deal with the EU but repeated that no deal would be better than a bad one. <br /><br />Despite Labour’s official pro-EU stance, before the referendum leader Jeremy Corbyn was accused of being lukewarm over Britain’s membership at best – and at worst of trying to sabotage the Remain campaign.<br /><br />“Why should the British public trust you and your peers to negotiate Brexit?” he was asked by a young member of the audience.<br /><br />“We’re very clear on Brexit. A referendum took place. A decision was reached. We’re leaving the European Union. We have a great team. We have a great team of very experienced people. Keir Starmer (Labour’s Brexit spokesman) is one of the leading lawyers of this country. I think I can trust Keir Starmer with negotiations more than some other people who are undertaking those negotiations.” <br /><br />Corbyn was also pinned down repeatedly on his scepticism over nuclear deterrence – while Theresa May faced some tough encounters over nurses’ pay and the state of mental health services.<br /><br />The United Kingdom holds its general election on June 8. Brexit negotiations with the European Union are due to begin 11 days later.<br />
