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BBC TO HOST MULTI-PARTY ELECTION DEBATE AND QUESTION TIME LEADERS SPECIALS

Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie, along with BBC political editor Chris Mason, will head an array of BBC expert talent to host the general election night TV coverage on BBC network news.



They will be joined in the BBC’s London studio by Reeta Chakrabarti, who will be analysing the results as they come in. Jeremy Vine – and the famous swingometer – will be broadcasting from Cardiff, Kirsty Wark from Glasgow, and Andrea Catherwood from Belfast. Professor Sir John Curtice, the ‘expert’s expert’ will be with Laura, Clive, Chris and Reeta to offer his vast psephological knowledge and insights.



Fiona Bruce, Victoria Derbyshire, Naga Munchetty, Nick Watt, and Alex Forsyth will be among the well-known BBC faces reporting from key locations around the country.


Sophie Raworth and Jon Kay will take the helm on Friday morning, with deputy political editor Vicki Young alongside them as the shape of the country’s new political map becomes clearer. Christian Fraser will be using graphics to build up a full picture of the new House of Commons. Nicky Campbell will anchor extended coverage from Glasgow.



The BBC has invited the seven biggest political parties in Great Britain to participate in network election debates during the campaign. There will also be national debates in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.


In addition, there will be Question Time specials with leaders of the political parties. The weekly editions of Question Time will move to primetime on Thursday nights during the campaign.


Dedicated election results programmes on BBC One in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will be presented by Martin Geissler, Mark Carruthers, and Nick Servini respectively, with Anne McAlpine hosting a Gaelic language election roundup on BBC ALBA.



After polls close, in what has become an iconic moment, the exit poll – and eventually the election result – will be projected onto the front of the BBC’s London HQ at Old Broadcasting House.


CEO of BBC News, Deborah Turness, says: “In this election, we have one thing on our minds above all else – the voters. Throughout the campaign we’ll be giving them the facts and information they need to make up their own minds. We know the way people are consuming news is changing; we’ll have the most comprehensive ever offer across every platform, so we can be where people are.”


“And once the ballots are cast, a truly fantastic line-up of journalistic talent, headed by Laura and Clive, will bring voters the results and help make sense of them. We’ve assembled a fresh, dynamic team to bring insight, experience - and perhaps a little wit – to audiences for the whole election night and beyond.



“It’s incredible to have such breadth and depth of expertise to call upon, up and down the country, when it matters most.”


On audio, Rachel Burden and Nick Robinson will host live election night radio coverage on BBC Radio 4 through to the Today programme the following morning, with BBC Radio 5 Live joining for a simulcast from midnight. They’ll be joined by Henry Zeffman, the BBC’s chief political correspondent, who’ll provide extra political analysis. BBC World Service will offer its global audiences a mix of dedicated UK election coverage and international news throughout the results period.


Newscast – under the banner of Electioncast for the duration of the campaign – will host an election night watch-along, with listeners invited to apply to join the audience for the watch party through the night.



The BBC’s digital audiences will be offered a complete results service on the night, with live pages and live video streams, and cameras and reporters across the length and breadth of the UK.


Network election night coverage will be helmed from Studio B in London Broadcasting House, home to the News at Six and Ten and Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. The studio was revamped in 2022 to improve the viewer experience and to save money by allowing it to be used more flexibly, including for elections.


The general election takes place on Thursday 4th July.



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