Question Time leaders' special: May under fire over NHS and education –as it happened

Q: Many students like me use zero-hours contracts. We don’t want to lose them, because they suit us?

Corbyn says many people on zero-hours contracts have a huge amount of stress. They only find out if the will get work every day.

He says Labour wants firms to offer a minimum amount of hours. That works for students, he says.

He is not going to stop people working, he says.

The student says the gig economy, and its flexibility, suits people like him.

Q: How many jobs would be lost if the minimum wage goes up to £10 an hour? And how will you help the 3m micro-businesses that could be affected.

That’s a fair point, Corbyn says. He says when the Labour government introduced it, unemployment did not increase.

But that is because the Labour increases were small, the questioner says.

Corbyn says big firms could afford this. But he recognises small firms may have difficulties. He would find ways of helping, he says. There would be a pathway to it with help to achieve it.

Q: My husband was deported last year. He was too highly educated. Would you reduce the threshold for family union.

Corbyn says his manifesto does address this. The system is unfair. He would allow proper family reunion.

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Dimbleby asks if he would use Trident in retaliation. He tells Corbyn he is speaking to the country about the most expensive weapon we have.

Corbyn says people says the most effective use of it is not to use it.

Dimbleby says Corbyn is dodging the question. What about the reality?

Corbyn says we have to try to protect ourselves. He would not use it in first use. If he did use it, millions could die.

Some in the audience jeer.

A man in the audience asks if he would allow North Korea or Iran to bomb the UK.

Of course I wouldn’t, says Corbyn.

Getting disarmament could be difficult, says Corbyn.

“Impossible,” says the man.

A young woman in the audience says she does not understand why so many people in the room are keen on killing millions of people.

Q: What would you do if Britain was under nuclear threat?

Corbyn says he would do everything possible to avoid that situation.

He says the prospect of anyone anywhere using a nuclear weapons is absolutely horrible.

We have to deal with those issues here and globally.

Q: Are you saying there are no circumstances in which you would use Trident?

Corbyn says his party has decided to renew Trident. He would view it as a failure if he was in the situation where he had to consider using it. He would have a no first use policy.

Q: What about in retaliation?

Corbyn says he would have a no first use policy.

The questioner says Trident is not just for the next government; it is for the future.

Corbyn says that is a good point. But he says you have to work for peace around the world.

Q: What will you do to help black and minority ethnic people?

Corbyn says he wants everyone to have opportunities. One idea he is considering is for name-blind job applications.

Q: It’s a matter of how you fund this. We could be left with you saying there is no money left.

Corbyn says austerity has hit our public services and left people worse off. The rich have not been affected. He says Labour’s manifesto is a serious document.

Q: How can I take you seriously when you have not expelled Ken Livingstone for antisemitism?

Corbyn says Labour does not tolerate antisemitism. Livingstone was investigated by an independent process. He deplores racism in any form.

Q: So why has Livingstone not been expelled?

Corbyn says he has been suspended. He says a further investigation may take place after the election.

Dimbleby asks how much the tax burden will go up.

Corbyn says the tax take will go up by £48bn.

Dimbleby says that is almost 10%.

Q: Is Labour’s manifesto just a letter to Santa Claus?

Corbyn says the questioner should read it. It is a brave and realistic document, he says.