Chief Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson will be forced to face SNP firebrand Nicola Sturgeon as the top politicians take part in ITVs live EU referendum debate on the evening of 9 June. The two-hour-long show will kick off at 8pm and also feature shadow business secretary Angela Eagle and energy secretary Amber Rudd on the Remain side.
Johnson will be joined by German-born Labour MP Gisela Stuart and Conservative minister Andrea Leadsom on the Leave team. The programme will be moderated by ITV News Julie Etchingham and will see each politician make a short opening and closing statement, while members of the London studio audience will field questions to the panellists throughout the show.
The programme comes after ITVs first EU referendum show, which saw the pro-EU prime minister David Cameron and Ukip leader Nigel Farage part in an hour-long question and answer format on 7 June. The broadcast attracted an average of four millions viewers and a 19.7% share.
IBTimes UK will be attendance at ITVs spin room in Westminster to get reactions from politicians on both sides of EU referendum campaign after the 9 June and we will be hosting a live blog throughout the event, so make sure to follow our Twitter and Facebook accounts.
The programme will be aired after the Remain camp secured a significant coup, with senior Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, the chair of the Health Select Committee, defecting from Vote Leave. Sir John Major and Tony Blair also made interventions in the campaign, as the former prime ministers put their political differences aside to warn against a Brexit in Northern Ireland on the afternoon of 9 June.
The latest opinion poll from YouGov, of more than 2,000 people between 5 and 6 June, put Remain one point ahead of Leave (43% versus 42%), with 11% of respondents undecided.
