In heated debate, Britain's Sunak, Starmer go head-to-head on the economy

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives for the first pre-election leaders debate, leading up to the general election, in Manchester, Britain, June 4, 2024. REUTERS/Phil Noble

LONDON (Reuters) -Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour challenger Keir Starmer went head-to-head on Tuesday over how to boost Britain's economy, with the PM accusing the opposition party of wanting to increase taxes if it wins power at a July 4 election.

Both Sunak, a Conservative, and Starmer stuck to their campaign lines in their first debate just weeks before a general election opinion polls suggest Labour is set to win, with Sunak saying only he had a plan to spur Britain's paltry economic growth and Starmer portraying the Conservatives as presiding over 14 years of economic chaos.