Tory anger as BBC’s big Question Time election special clashes with England v Denmark on June 20… as leaders prep for first showdown tomorrow

Senior Tories are angry at the BBC‘s planning of an important election manifesto, which will take place Rishi Sunak and sir Keir Starmeron the same evening as a major European Championship football match.

The Prime Minister and Work leader have been invited to appear in a BBC Question Time special on June 20, which will also include the Lib Dem And SNP leaders.

But that is the same evening as England play Denmark Euro 2024which will be a crunch fixture Gareth Southgate‘s national side.

A key Tory source expressed gloom over the election manifesto’s ratings given the clash with football. “No one will be watching,” they told MailOnline.

The Question Time show on June 20 will be part of a series of TV debate programs between Britain’s top politicians ahead of election day on July 4.

The first direct debate between Mr Sunak and Sir Keir takes place ITV tomorrow, with both leaders frantically preparing over the weekend.

Mr Sunak is expected to use Tuesday night’s debate – which will be moderated by host Julie Etchingham – to accuse Sir Keir of pursuing ‘power for power’s sake’.

But Sir Keir is ready to hit back and focus on ’14 years of Tory chaos’.

Senior Tories are angry over the BBC’s scheduling of a major election programme, featuring Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, on the same night as a major European Championship football match.

The Prime Minister and Sir Keir, pictured, have been invited to appear in a BBC Question Time special on June 20, which will also feature Lib Dem and SNP leaders

England will play Denmark in Euro 2024 on June 20, which will be a crucial match for the Three Lions and captain Harry Kane (pictured)

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden posed as Sir Keir during preparations for Mr Sunak’s debate on Sunday.

And policy adviser Tom Webb, who was said to have a knack for making impressions, played the Prime Minister’s role in the Labor leader’s own preparations.

Tomorrow’s debate will take place in front of a studio audience at 9 p.m.

A senior Tory source said The times: ‘Starmer is going to talk about the past. It’s all he talks about.

‘This is an opportunity to talk about the difference between the two. He [the PM] will argue that Starmer has no beliefs, no principles.

“This may be the first time people are tuning into the campaign. It’s an opportunity.’

A senior Labor source told the newspaper that Sir Keir would be ‘the accuser in the debate’ and ‘Rishi will have to stand there in the dock and defend himself for 14 years’.

England will play Denmark in their second group match of Euro 2024 on June 20. The match starts at 5pm and will be broadcast on the BBC.

The two-hour BBC Question Time special, presented by Fiona Bruce from York, will then start at 8pm.

It means many voters will still be able to celebrate – or commiserate – England’s result in pubs when the election manifesto begins.