The General Election on ITV

The General Election on ITV

Tom Bradby, Julie Etchingham and Robert Peston will lead ITV s General Election coverage in a series of programmes in the run up to election day, throughout the night after the polls close, and into June 9th.

Anchored by Tom Bradby or Julie Etchingham, ITV News at Ten will be extended by 10 minutes each weekday from May 8th and ITV's Peston on Sunday will have a series extension, with programmes through to June 25th.

Presented by Julie Etchingham, ITV will broadcast primetime half-hour Tonight programmes ahead of the election. These Tonight Election Specials - starting with Tim Farron on May 8th, followed by further films featuring interviews with Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Paul Nuttall, as well as Nicola Sturgeon, Leanne Wood and Caroline Lucas - will focus on the leaders covering their lives, interests, policies and their vision for the future.

ITV has broadcast major Leaders' Debate programmes during the past two General Elections, making broadcasting history in 2010 with the first TV debate, and airing the only seven party Leaders' Debate in 2015. Both debates were respectively the highest rating current affairs programmes in the years they were broadcast. The 2015 ITV Leaders' Debate attracted a peak audience of 7.4 million (a 33% share of viewing), and averaged 7 million viewers (a 31% share of viewing) across the programme.

The largest academic study on the 2015 debates* found that they had reached sections of the population least likely to be touched by the rest of the campaign - including younger and first time voters.

ITV will again broadcast a major debate programme in 2017, inviting the leaders of the seven parties that were represented in the 2015 ITV Leaders' Debate the Conservatives, Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrats, UKIP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens.

The ITV Leaders' Debate will air on Thursday May 18th at 8pm, and will be moderated by ITV News anchor Julie Etchingham. As in the previous two General Election debates, leaders will have the opportunity to make short opening statements at the beginning of the programme and closing statements at the conclusion of the debate. During the live debate, the leaders will have the opportunity to each in turn answer questions that are asked direct by members of the studio audience, before the floor is opened up to a period of free flowing debate.

ITV's Director of News and Current Affairs, Michael Jermey said: "ITV will be offering our viewers a wide range of programmes on this snap election. Listening to voters and helping them put their questions direct to the politicians will be at the heart of what we ll do.

We have a strong record on organising debate programmes and giving viewers the chance to put their questions straight to the politicians. The ITV Leaders Debate moderated by Julie Etchingham and the debates in the nations will give viewers an opportunity to get answers.

On election night we plan to have the fastest results service and hope more viewers than ever will choose to spend a dramatic night with ITV."

ITV viewers in Wales will be able to watch a live ITV Wales Election Debate programme on Wednesday May 17th at 8pm, with five party leaders in Wales. The debate, in front of an invited audience, will be moderated by ITV Wales Political Editor, Adrian Masters.

In Northern Ireland, UTV will broadcast a 60 minute debate at 9pm on Wednesday May 24th, which will be moderated by UTV presenter Marc Mallett.

STV's Scotland Debates programme will air on Wednesday May 24th in ITV Border Scotland and will include the leaders of the four main political parties in Scotland - the SNP s Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson of the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour s Kezia Dugdale and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie.

ITV News

Throughout the campaign, ITV Network News and the ITV regions will be closely following how the election campaign progresses, providing in-depth analysis for viewers, getting answers to the questions that matter, listening to the voices of voters and challenging politicians across the UK. For the duration of the campaign period, News at Ten will be extended to 40 minutes each night and will be followed by ITV regional news bulletins as usual.

ITV News' team of specialist editors, headed up by Political Editor Robert Peston, will be unpicking the most complex issues of the election campaign for viewers and challenging the decision-makers at the heart of politics, supported by ITV's expert political journalists at Westminster - including Libby Wiener, Carl Dinnen and Paul Brand. As the campaign progresses, developing business and economic issues will be charted and analysed by Business Editor Joel Hills and Economics Editor Noreena Hertz.

Two dedicated teams, headed by Social Affairs Editor Penny Marshall and correspondent Martin Geissler, will be travelling the length and breadth of the UK to find out how the election landscape is changing and why, gauging how election issues are affecting everyday lives and gaining an insight into the minds of voters in some of the key battlegrounds.

In addition, ITV News will dedicate target teams to follow the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat party leaders, focusing on their campaigns. Political Correspondent Emily Morgan will follow Theresa May on the campaign trail, Health Editor Rachel Younger will be with Jeremy Corbyn and correspondent Emma Murphy will follow Tim Farron's team.

From the local election results on 5th May, through to General Election day on 8th June, ITV Evening News with Mary Nightingale will take to the campaign trail to hear from politicians and voters on the issues that matter most to viewers. Mary will host the programme from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and will be joined by ITV's team of specialists to look at the i

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