Rishi Sunak was laughed at and booed as he blamed NHS failings on industrial action during a debate with Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday, 4 June. The leaders were asked about NHS waiting lists as they went head-to-head on ITV in their first televised clash of the 2024 general election. Asked how long it would take to fix the “broken” health service, Mr Sunak pointed to damage done by the Covid-19 pandemic and insisted “we are now making progress: waiting lists are coming down”. He then blamed industrial action, prompting groans from the audience.