welcome to york, where in just half an hour's time theresa may and jeremy corbyn will face questions from a studio audience. we're counting down to the start of the bbc question time leaders special. with just six days to polling day, theresa may and jeremy corbyn are gearing up for a special edition of bbc question time. they won't appear at the same time, instead each will take questions separately from a studio audience. we're here in the spin room at the university of york along with commentators, bloggers and party representatives. this is where the battle of the party message will be played out during and after the event. the party leaders arrived here a short while ago where in tonight's programme, hosted by david dimbleby, each party leader will separately answer questions from the studio

audience for 45 minutes each. theresa may will go first and jeremy corbyn second. the order was decided by a draw. we'll bring you the full debate at 8.30pm, with on—screen analysis on the bbc news channel. we'll have the latest reaction from the bbc reality check team, who will be fact—checking the leaders comments in real time. and thoughts of the bbc‘s politics team and political commentators. then at 10pm, i'll be back with a special reaction programme hearing from the parties and the pundits. let's talk now to shadow business secretary rebecca long bailey, and culture secretary karen bradley. karen bradley, if i can start with you. you know theresa may well, you work the third the home office, and wa nted work the third the home office, and wanted a sense of how the campaign was going as you see it.” wanted a sense of how the campaign was going as you see it. i worked with theresa may futuna half years

and i've been honoured to serve in a cabinet for nearly 12 months. she is determined lady and leader and you can trust her to make the right decisions. in six days we're going to be facing the most important election for a generation. the decision is whether people want theresa may leading the brexit negotiations or if they wantjeremy corbyn. tonight they can see what they think of those two leaders. when you first had that message a couple of weeks ago, did your magic that at this stage polls and eve ryo ne that at this stage polls and everyone else seems to suggest theresa may is under pressure. we a lwa ys theresa may is under pressure. we always said that going into an election things can happen and the polls have been wrong in the past and they are tightening, there is no doubt about it. there is a risk that this time next weekjeremy corbyn could be negotiating deals to get himself into downing street in the event of a hung parliament. the

conservatives only need to lose 60s for that to be a reality. so tonight is an opportunity for people to see both readers and to decide who they wa nt to both readers and to decide who they want to go into the brexit negotiations ii want to go into the brexit negotiations 11 days after the general election. how will jeremy corbyn be approaching tonight? he will be giving it his all. we do not wa nt will be giving it his all. we do not want another seven years of conservative rule. my community has been destroyed by the cuts in the local authorities do to the nhs. we have seen very little support for business to help our economy grow and prosper, productivity is down, we are in a state of affairs where wages are 10% lower than they were before the financial crash. while we are offering in the manifesto is a bold and transformative vision. this does not incur when the sides to make life a little better, this will transform our economy and society and make britain a world leader.

today i launched our industrial strategy barak today i launched our industrial strategy ba rak committed today i launched our industrial strategy barak committed to making us strategy barak committed to making us and innovation nation, where we will increase our investment in research and development to 3% of gdp. it is currently the low competitors across the world. audiences like the one tonight have a knack of cutting to the chase and afg ha n a knack of cutting to the chase and afghan leaders questions they find uncomfortable. how do you think you will cope with those?” uncomfortable. how do you think you will cope with those? i think he will cope with those? i think he will cope with those? i think he will cope very well. to debate him head—on. i hope the audience will have cleared the social cap is going to be, where prime minister mac will put that, how many people will lose theirwintertour put that, how many people will lose their winter tour fuel allowance, we have been told i could be up to 10 million pensioners who feel they have been kicked in the teeth. the iff says there is no money in the conservative manifesto for the nhs or public services and there is no

reference to costing or spending plans. i hope she is held to account oi'i plans. i hope she is held to account on this policy issues tonight and ensure the audience will do that. between you and me, how do you think theresa may has ran the campaign so far? a lot of criticism for not turning up to the debate. she always said she was never going to go to that debate and she sticks to her plan, unlike jeremy corbyn that debate and she sticks to her plan, unlikejeremy corbyn who decided on the morning of the debate. it took in six weeks to decide. rebecca omega point about the economy and we will not have a strong economy unless they get a good dealfrom brexit. —— rebecca has made the point. this is why it is the most important election in a generation because in one week there isa generation because in one week there is a risk thatjeremy corbyn will be in numberten in is a risk thatjeremy corbyn will be in number ten in barking on brexit negotiations not upside the snp, the liberal democrats and who knows who else. theresa may stood on the steps

of downing street a few weeks ago deluded with paranoia accusing europe of getting involved in the general election. she is not winning friends are influencing people. she says that no deal is better than a bad deal, although businesses are saying that is the worst outcome. they have picked some winners and losers, abbas spoke the author nissan, while leaving other companies out in the cold. this is not a strong and stable the go shooting position that this government has set out to achieve. are you nervous about tonight? i'm not nervous, i thinkjeremy corbyn will smash it. i hope that people see the risk that the rays and that it is not safe to vote for the labour party. so we're hearing from the politicians and the pundits, but what about the viewers? sophie long has been to a bar here in york. i'm just in the centre of york, just along the banks of the river ouse, in a wine bar,

and there's been quite a debate here ahead of tonight's special programme. let me just introduce you and give you a taste. steve, hi, have you been following the election campaign? yes, i have, yeah. and what you think of theresa may's campaign so far? i think she shot herself in the foot by trying to hurt the old—age pensioners. i'd like to ask her why she thinks it's ok for our friends who own a £150,000 house to have their son left with £100,000, and for my wife and i, who own a £450,000 house, that if we get dementia, we have just got £100,000 left, and it's cost us 350, and our friends it's cost 50. so you don't think that's fair. i don't think it's fair at all. i will still vote for her, i would normally vote ukip, but i will vote for her to keep the nutcase out. let's speak to ruby and joe, you have a different perspective, you work at this wine bar, and you're a bit younger, shall we say, than steve

there, just in your 20s. have you been following the campaign? what do you think of it? yeah, i've been following for labour, following jeremy. why is that? my main concern is the nhs, that i don't want it to be sold off or privatised and it remains accessible and beneficial for the uk. so you'll be looking for questions on that tonight in tonight's debate. how about you, joe, what you think? ijust think that labour has come out with the manifesto that been fully budgeted, and corbyn as a leader, he's just so relatable and actually wants to spend the time getting to know the voters. that is the view of the voters and they will be asking questions tonight. let's speak to sir michael stoute on, the defence secretary. are you nervous? no, but it is a big debate because this decision is only six days away and the country has to

choose the right person to lead us into a successful brexit negotiations. we say that is theresa may, she has proven her leadership credentials already, and thenjeremy corbyn has it all to do tonight, to explain how he will finance is spending promises, to explain his third offence record, and to defence how he will be propped up by liberal democrats scottish nationalists, what can you call it a quality government could that be? what do you think about how theresa may has ran the campaign so far? we never believed we were 20 points ahead five weeks ago, we never believed that. inevitably as the campaign goes on the focus begins to sharpen. only two people can become prime minister next friday morning, theresa may and jeremy corbyn, that is the choice the country faces. theresa may and jeremy corbyn, that is the choice the country facesm is the choice the country facesm is difficult for the incumbent prime minister and it is difficult because

she is going first as well. how do you think she will respond to the questions on past policy, the nhs, how has she been rehearsing? she has been preparing to defend our record... that got a laugh from the audience in a previous debate. we have seen a massive drop in unemployment, we have a strong record of putting more money into public services, getting the deficit down, but above all she has set out a clear vision for this country of how we negotiate this brexit decision that we all took last year and how we build a stronger future for britain after that. how important is tonight? it is very important, it is the last chance for people to focus on who will be prime minister next friday, who has the leadership potential to take this into country brexit and to build a stronger, fairer britain have the

brexit. that is theresa may and jeremy corbyn has a lot to prove tonight. thank you forjoining us. everyone will be looking at the body language. whenever there's a debate like this, no matter the format, the leaders will be aware that we're watching a performance, and body language, of course, has a lot to do with how we receive their message. let's speak now to darren stanton, who's a body language expert. hejoins me from nottingham. as we have been hearing, bothjeremy corbyn and theresa may have been primacy —— have been practising. what will they have been told to avoid? i think any gesture that there is insincere or defensive. i look for a baseline, both politicians are very well coached. it any questions are as that the politicians are not happy to answer, they will be a break in their pattern of behaviour. so folding their arms are putting their hands in the pockets, these are breaks and

the gestures that the politicians generally use. when you think of american elections, sweating is an issue. people think that sweating comes across as insincere or that they have something to hide, so i think sweating could be something that makes the voters think there is something not right. in terms of how they and so the question the audience will follow. they have got to be straight tonight. absolutely. with 96% of communication being nonverbal, voters will notjust be hearing what they say but also what they are not saying and is their body language consistent with the message they are trying to convey. is this a discussion that can be lost more easily than it can be one? i think lost more easily than it can be one? ithink so, lost more easily than it can be one?

i think so, i think it will be very interesting and potentially very close. if one politician says the wrong thing, even if they have had a perfect performance, one thing to be the tipping point that makes the difference to the whole debate. what are the little things that most of us are the little things that most of us do not notice? what will you be looking for that gives away how they are feeling any particular moment? the way people present themselves is linked to a motion, so there are micro—expressions that are very fleeting flashes of the motion and these generally are happy or sad or fear or surprise or content, so if either politician says they are happy to answer the question but then they shall fear, why would they be masking that a motion? i will be looking for inconsistencies in terms of what they are saying and what their emotions are betraying. of what they are saying and what

their emotions are betrayinglj would be terrified sitting in front ofan would be terrified sitting in front of an audience of 150 people knowing that at least half of them were about to expose me, so how will they have camped themselves down before this? they will have had coaches, maybe rehearsing as best they can because if we rehearse as much as possible when they do go into the real setting the mind will imagine it has been through it before, so i think a little bit of nerds is a good thing but essentially it is just the fact that they rehearse so much. —— a little bit of nerves. it will be very very interesting. thank you forjoining us this evening. i'm going to talk to someone who is responsible for the labour campaign. andrew, is this where you thought you would be six days before polling day? i am pleased with the way that

we have been able to get our progressive view of the different, more equal britain and across to people and we are seeing that many of the policies we happily tied are resonating with people, it is the change for the better people want to see. if you had said six weeks ago, would we be here, i remember getting last that by one of the bbc radio stations that interviewed me and they said, come on, you do not have a chance of winning this election, you are 20% behind in the polls and you are 20% behind in the polls and you are 20% behind in the polls and you are going to get battered. i said, let us have a bit of optimism and fairness here, because i think when people understand exactly what the labour party is about, the vision of a fairer and more equal britain, we will see that public opinion shift, and that is what has

happened in the last six weeks. opinion shift, and that is what has happened in the last six weeksm theissue happened in the last six weeksm the issue not jeremy happened in the last six weeksm the issue notjeremy corbyn the man and people have heard from him directly now. that is part of the reason why peoples have shifted, because the print media is traditionally hostile towards the labour party, that has always been the case, and we don't always get a fierce hearing in the media. what we have seen is because of the impartiality rules that govern the broadcast media, that actually people are listening and hearing the real labour party message and seeing the real leadership qualities, not what they might read in some sections of the print media. how have you advisejeremy corbyn to respond tonight? it is a difficult big and there is a lot to play for. my big and there is a lot to play for. my advice is just to be who you are,

because one of the reasons i think people are moving towards the labour party is because for two long politics has been stage—managed in this country, we have played by the same rule books on the left and right of british politics, but people are beginning to see we are robots and we sound the same and look the same. now people are starting... here we have a labour ma nifesto starting... here we have a labour manifesto and the labour top team that does not play by the traditional rule books, they look and sound like ordinary people with and sound like ordinary people with a desire to improve our country for the better. what are you saying to those in your own party who said at the beginning of the campaign that the beginning of the campaign that the leader was a liability. the thing about a six—week campaign is that we are out there knocking on doors and trying to convince people that there is a better way of doing things, politics is not have to be

as it has been in recent years, that isa as it has been in recent years, that is a unifying factor across the parliamentary labour party and the candidates out knocking on doors as we speak. we now that a labour government is better than any alternative conservative government thatis alternative conservative government that is on offer. we want to put that is on offer. we want to put that case, to change our country for the better on education, on health, on the economy, making sure our elderly people had dignity in old age, and that is the vision we are putting forward and why people are coming home to the labour party. thank you very much. now we can speak to thank you very much. now we can speakto sam, thank you very much. now we can speak to sam, the former director of community is and is forjeremy corbyn. we are also joined by a journalist and former conservative spin doctor. how should theresa may be approaching tonight? i think it is important, we heard michael

fallon testifying to that earlier andi fallon testifying to that earlier and i think it is interesting how people in your spin room are building up the significance of this evening. it will potentially set the tone to the run—up to the election and bearing that in mind, i would hope, and i'm sure that by minister mac has been preparing carefully to make sure she has antlers for some of the areas that have not been a nswered of the areas that have not been answered adequately throughout the campaign, as well as adding some new material to take us through to polling day. —— and sure that theresa may has been preparing carefully. jeremy corbyn faces the same audience and follow—up questions, not what he is normally used to. how would you advise him to deal with that? he's seriously --

she once the brexit negotiations but she once the brexit negotiations but she is refusing to say since head—on. she seems to be kowtowing to donald trump's climate change decision today. i thinkjeremy corbyn will do very well tonight. once we have unvarnished genomic cordon, people are realising that he is honest and he has integrity. —— unvarnished jeremy corbyn. for theresa may, it is falling apart, it isa theresa may, it is falling apart, it is a disaster. you already hear i’uitioui's is a disaster. you already hear rumours about the 9th ofjune. i advise jeremy corbyn to take things head—on, be honest, and set out your vision for this country and how were going to transform it for the better. tax plans that say 95% of people will not pay any more and

those at the very top, the super—rich, will those at the very top, the super— rich, will pay those at the very top, the super—rich, will pay a little more so we can super—rich, will pay a little more so we can have super—rich, will pay a little more so we can have more nurses, super—rich, will pay a little more so we can have more nurses, are fire service is not slashed, our navy and raf are not better mated and we have 10,000 new police officers on the street under labour. is this where you thought theresa may and the conservative party would be at this stage of the campaign? at the start of the campaign at the polls were extraordinary. speaking to friends of mine at various levels of the conservative party, no one believed those polls at face value. people we re those polls at face value. people were talking about a conservative win, but not in those amounts. that said, asi win, but not in those amounts. that said, as i have indicated, i do not think it has been a very skilful campaign, there have been some problems with it, they the focus so much onjeremy corbyn and his

personality has played to his advantage and we have lost touch slightly with what theresa may's vision for post—brexit britain is about. she was good at the beginning spelling out something quite interesting that appeal to people beyond the conservative party, when she first came to power as prime minister, and in her speech that she gave to the conservative party conference last october. i am hoping we will get bored of that in the final days. sam, if i can we will get bored of that in the final days. sam, ifi can return to you, the attack tactic, will that work in front of an audience who had jeremy corbyn in front of them. i willjeremy corbyn deal with that? jeremy corbyn is about common decency in principle. i have come back from the campaign trail in the north—east of england and what is

interesting is that the labour party manifesto usually cutting through those working—class voters that it or is that they could go at that, perhaps they voted for brexit or in the past ukip, but what i'm finding all the country is they are saying, the labour party has an agenda after taking back control of our country properly, rather than giving away all our national assets to foreign bidders. it is an interesting dynamic that the tories but they keep coming and pick up all the ukip thoughts and we're finding that lots of those people are saying it is too risky to have the tories, the dementia tax, the cuts to local schools, people have had enough and they are thinking what the labour party has put forward is sensible, costed, and will make their lives better. finally, is tonight's

debate, debate is the wrong word, but her performance tonight, how crucial is it that she does not make a mistake or get something wrong?|j a mistake or get something wrong?” think it is very important that we see the best of theresa may this evening, it is the final one of these set piece debates or interviews and it will set the tone that the next couple of days, but it is important that she puts to rest some of the suggestions that we have heard from sam on how the economy could support the kind of plans we have heard from jeremy corbyn. i have heard from jeremy corbyn. i have been critical of the focus on jeremy corbyn's personality in the campaign, that is been at the expense of picking holes in the labour party manifesto and how undeliverable it is. it is important she does that this evening. thank

you both very much forjoining us tonight. joining me is owen bennett, deputy political editor at the huffington post. and vicky ran schoolbag young, our editor the stakes are a large? jeremy corbyn has the campaign, but with the momentum comes the chance that the quicker you go the tiniest thing contribute up. if he misspoke or gave the wrong figure again, it could derail the momentum. theresa may has to get a strong and stable performance, she does not need to be flashy, she does not need to put on a fantastic performance, she just needs to show that she is not worried by the polls, she's taking it in her stride, and i think that

will put a lot of boaters' fears to bed. is this occurs to lose because of that reason? people's have different expectations ofjeremy corbyn? even though labour seem to have this rise in the polls, the conservative party are still ahead and there is a long way for the labour party to golf. it is very much hers to lead. if could be strong and keep trying to —— could be strong and she keeps trying to see it as a choice between her and jeremy corbyn, who do you want running the country, i think that is the line she will go down tonight. here are pictures of the two leaders arriving here earlier tonight. they have rehearsed, they have done what they can, the difficulty is that

this is a yorkshire audience which isa this is a yorkshire audience which is a difficult act. you never know if the question is will curve ball or if they will heckle or what the mood of the room will be. on monday, the audience were laughing at theresa may will stop if they start getting onjeremy corbyn's back and start booing at him, it will be interesting to see how he copes with that. we will perhaps speak to you later on. the key young is here with me. this is important. most people are probablyjust me. this is important. most people are probably just starting me. this is important. most people are probablyjust starting to finalise how they are going to vote in this election, the campaign has been going on for weeks but we are getting to that last bit now where people are focusing on who they are going to choose to be their next prime minister, and that is what theresa may will be trying to do, she has been in the role for a year and will be saying that she is the

person to lead us into brexit negotiations, but she cannot have it all her own way, she needs to take questions, so if someone acts about local school funding or a local hospital, she will need to answer that and she cannot do that with sound bites. jeremy corbyn has been a backbencher all his life and now he has to convince people that he could be prime minister. the body language will be interesting. neither of these two leaders that they would be in the position that they would be in the position that they are six days before the election. the wider point that neither of them, although pamina sir has been at the top of government for many years, she has not done a campaign like this. —— although theresa may has been at the top. for her, this is the first time she has been exposed to this as well as jeremy corbyn. he has been elected

twice to the labour leader, he has done some hustings and debates. explain the importance of this spin room, because in half an hour this will be busy. each party has sent a number of people to come here to speak to us that the words, to talk about how they think it went, and how they think the other side did not do well, and they will be pointing at what one or the other is said and why that is significant or could have a big impact on the campaign, so everyone will be watching it very closely. last time there were difficult questions for david cameron and ed miliband. the format was harder than a lot of leaders shouting at each other. we will be back at 10pm immediately after that programme. at 8:30pm, it is time to go over the road here and join david dimbleby.

tonight the prime minister, theresa may, the leader of the conservative party, and the leader of labour party, and the leader of labour party, jeremy corbyn, face the voters. welcome to question time. so over the next 90 minutes the leaders of the two larger parties will be quizzed by our audience in york. this audience is made up, just a third say they intend to vote conservative. the same number say they're going to vote labour and the rest either support other parties or have yet to make up their mind and you can comment on all of this from home either on twitter or facebook