BORIS Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn will go head to head in a TV election debate for ITV, but the SNP and Lib Dems will be forced to watch from the sidelines.

Only Labour and the Tories will get to put their message across on the main event, to be broadcast on 19 November, and hosted by Julie Etchingham.

The other parties will get to take part in a live interview-based programme afterwards. 

The SNP's Ian Blackford said the proposed show would be "deeply misleading for audiences."

ITV also revealed plans for a multi-party debate at some point in the run-up, with all parties, including the Greens, Plaid Cymru and Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, taking part. 

Blackford said: “If Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn think they are good enough to be Prime Minister, then they should be up to debating the SNP – and broadcasters should not let them hide from that challenge.

“Instead of one head to head debate and then a further one – potentially including a party that has never won a seat at Westminster – there should be a leading debate that includes the SNP.

“That would reflect the party’s status as one of the biggest by membership in the whole UK, the third party in the current House of Commons and as the government of Scotland."

Blackford said politics in the UK had "long stopped being a choice between two tired old parties."

He added: "Viewers would be better served by debates with all the key players involved, not ones which exclude the party that is in line to hold the balance of power."

Johnson tweeted: “Looking forward to making the positive case to the country that we should #GetBrexitDone & deliver on the people’s priorities – #OurNHS, schools, tackling crime & the cost of living.”

Corbyn said: “This is a once in a generation election. So it’s welcome that Boris Johnson has accepted our challenge of a head to head TV debate.

“The choice could not be clearer: Boris Johnson’s Conservatives protecting the privileged few or a Labour government on the side of the many.”