British election debate without Conservative coward Theresa May

This video from England says about itself:

BBC Election debate – with Theresa May hiding (incomprehensibly)

All party leaders were present in a lively BBC debate in Cambridge – except Theresa May – which proved to be a misjudgement. Here are the opening statements and the closing statements (BBC News, Election Debate 2017. May 31, 2017)

By Conrad Landin in Britain:

BBC’s debate night of cheers, boos and … er … crowd surfing

Friday 2nd June 2017

AMBER RUDD was booed by a large crowd in Cambridge when she turned up at the BBC’s election debate in place of Theresa May.

Students, residents and trade unionists chanted: “Where is Theresa May?” and “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn” outside the Senate House on Wednesday night.

They sang a version of Winter Wonderland decrying: “One … Jezza Corbyn … But where’s T’resa May? She’s not here today, she’s afraid of competit-ti-on.”

The Daily Mail and right-wing pundits threw a tantrum after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was heavily applauded in the debate — and Home Secretary Ms Rudd faced laughter when she asked voters to “judge us on our record.”

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: “This is deja vu. In 2015 I called out the BBC audience for being hard left wing. It’s even worse this time.

“The BBC audience was full of leftwingers tonight and BBC executives should be sacked because of it.”

But a BBC spokesman strongly refuted the allegation, saying: “The BBC asked polling company ComRes to pick audience that is representative of the country demographically and politically.”

In a heated confrontation with Ms Rudd, Mr Corbyn said: “I would just say this to Amber, if she thinks this is a country at ease with itself: have you been to a foodbank? Have you seen people sleeping around our stations? Have you seen the levels of poverty that exist because of your government’s conscious decisions on benefits?”

Ms Rudd, who has been linked to companies in the Bahamas tax haven, repeatedly said Mr Corbyn would fund his election pledges via a “magic money tree.”

At the demo outside, sociology student Keira Dignan said she felt it was necessary to protest “so Theresa May doesn’t get away with not turning up and not representing her opinions.”

She added: “She’s using scaremongering, rather than actual policies, to get votes. She shouldn’t be hiding from her own people.”

Politics student Signe Kossmann said Ms May’s absence from the debate was “embarrassing.”

In the “spin room” at the Cambridge Union Society, Cabinet Minister Damian Green attempted to duck debating Labour spokespeople following the debate — instead insisting he was interviewed individually.

But shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry barged into his interview and insisted on debating him anyway.

A second interview with Mr Green was photobombed by shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner, who a ruffled Mr Green was seen saying: “Barry, this is embarrassing.”

Asked by the Star for his reaction to the televised showdown, Mr Gardiner cackled: “Jeremy won the debate!”

Referring to the response of the audience, he said it showed they would “put our future with Labour and Jeremy Corbyn.”