Nigel Farage lands huge blow against Penny Mordaunt over migration as ITV audience erupts

Nigel Farage drew widespread laughter from the ITV General Election audience in Salford, after scrutinising Penny Mordaunt over the Tories' record on immigration.

He asked the senior Tory: "Given that your 2010 manifesto, your 2015 manifesto, your 2017 manifesto said you'd reduce net migrations to the tens of thousands, your 2019 manifesto said immigration would massively reduce and that net 4.3 million people have come into the country since that time - why on earth should anyone believe the fifth manifesto that promises cuts to net migration?"

Ms Mordaunt replied: "Because of the record of this Prime Minister."

The audience reaction in the studio was perhaps the largest of the night - with widespread laughter and Mr Farage waving his hands and saying: "Enough. That's fine - I'm happy."

Once the laughter died down, Ms Mordaunt said: "We've had figures out today that show that visa applications have fallen by 30 percent and the OBR's own forecast say that we will halve immigration by next summer."

"That's the trajectory we're on and we will give Parliament the chance to set an annual cap on family and work visas. That will be enshrined, a legal cap."

She continued: "And that is what we are offering. That is why you can have confidence that those numbers - they are projected to come down."

"And the only altenrative you have in this election is that or what the Labour Party have on offer - Nigel is a Labour enabler."

In response, Mr Farage simply said: "Penny, I don't believe a single word that you say."

Earlier in the debate Mr Farage and Angela Rayner locked horns over Labour's plan to scrap private schools' VAT exemption.

Under Labour, private school fees would see 20 percent VAT slapped on them. Critics say that will force some parents to stop paying for their children's education and place increasing pressure on the state sector.

The Reform UK leader tackling the policy, said: "Look, you know, if you put 20 percent on private school fees all you'll finish up with, probably 25 percent of those currently in private school will then be a burden for state schools.

"It is self-defeating policy that removes parental choice."

Angela Rayner retorted: "Those schools could absorb some of those costs so they didn't have to pass it on."