Republican debate live: Haley and DeSantis among final four to take stage in Alabama

Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy round out crop of candidates for fourth Republican debate – and once again Donald Trump is a no-show

• Full report: Four Republican presidential hopefuls to meet for fourth debate in Alabama

Four Republicans candidates are set to take the debate stage in Alabama.

Just a month and a half ahead of the Iowa caucuses, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will all seek to position themselves as the top alternative to Donald Trump. The former president, who is leading in polls by a strong margin, will once again not be participating.