General election news – live: Corbyn defends neutral Brexit stance as ‘sign of strength’, as Tory minister admits no-deal still on table
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Jeremy Corbyn has defended his decision to stay neutral in the event of a second referendum, describing the position as a “sign of strength and maturity” as he urged: “Our country has to come together.”
After a stint outside an Amazon warehouse attacking tax cheats, the Labour leader was in Loughborough to launch the party’s youth manifesto, where he pledged to give 16-year-olds the vote and emphasised the party’s climate credentials.
Elsewhere, Chuka Umunna accused Tory minister Rishi Sunak of letting “the cat out of the bag” after he told The Telegraph that no-deal planning would resume after the general election under a Conservative government.
The leaders of the four main parties were each grilled by a Question Time audience on Friday night, with Boris Johnson refusing to apologise for homophobic and Islamophobic comments, and Nicola Sturgeon undermining Labour’s stance on Scottish independence.
It also emerged that the largest pre-deadline voter registration surge in UK political history took place on Friday, with more than 300,000 people becoming eligible to vote, two thirds of them under the age of 34.
Corbyn describes Green Industrial Revolution ... and recalls Gove's lukewarm opposition to climate emergency
Describing his proposal on behalf of Labour to for parliament to declare a climate emergency, Corbyn sums up Michael Gove’s opposition during the debate.
“He spoke at great and enormous length, he always does," Mr Corbyn says of the former environment minister.
"Two things came out of his speech, Mr Corbyn says: “One, he doesn’t like me one little bit. I don’t do personal, so I’ll say on more about it.
“But he also had no arguments against [declaring a climate emergency]. He couldn’t really summon up an argument against it.
“But declaring a climate emergency is one thing and dealing with it is another.”
Corbyn says Labour is working with Bernie Sanders and AOC – architects and backers of a Green New Deal in the Us - on their plans and proposals for a Green Industrial Revolution.
The transition to a greener society can be used as a mean to create jobs and economic opportunities, he says.
Retrofitting homes, creating electric transport and infrastructure, and renewable energies will create at least 300,000 jobs across the country, he says: "The opportunities and chances are enormous."
"I look forward to leading a Labour government that on the world stage will be a voice for climate sustainability” and fair trade, he says. "Our job is to face the future with confidence."
Corbyn looks to the electoral fight ahead
“Are we to go down the road of more austerity, more tax giveaways to the richest?," he says.
"There’s 150 billionaires in Britain and so far only 50 of them are funding the Conservative Party. I don’t know what’s happened to the other 100 … They should be funding the Conservative party, because the Conservative party is certainly funding them.
“Unfortunately all my fundraising appeals haven’t brought one penny in from any billionaire. I’m very proud the average donation given by supporters is £25.
Mr Corbyn continues: "A Labour government that will deliver for all people in the future is a prize within our grasp, but it’s not going to be handed to us on a plate.
"You’ve seen the attacks we’re getting in some of the billionaire media at the moment. You’re seen all that stuff that’s thrown at us.
He concludes with the promise of a "red Christmas".
"But, I tell you what – don’t do personal, don’t reply, just relentlessly go out there with the policies we’ve got, the determination we’ve got to put them into operation, and then – in the cold misery of a wet November and December – you’ll get a red Christmas and a great spring with a Labour government.
Dominic Raab and Labour's Andy McDonald caught going toe to toe during fiery clash over racism
In case you missed this last night, here's foreign secretary Dominic Raab and veteran MP Andy McDonald looking fairly riled after a TV segment about racism within the two major parties. Colin Drury reports...
Future government urged to fix criminal justice system
The Bar Council has launched an election manifesto called "Urgent Action Required", calling on the new government to take "urgent action" to fix the justice system.
The organisation, which represents more than 16,500 barristers in England and Wales, says the legal system has been damaged by a 40 per cent cut in the Ministry of Justice's budget since 2011.
The document outlines six recommendations, including a properly funded justice system and the abolition of the so-called "innocence tax" - which means those acquitted of crimes cannot recover their defence costs.
The document also says legal aid should be recognised as "being as much a part of civil society as the NHS, housing, social security and education" and calls for investment to reverse a decade of cuts.
No-deal planning will continue if Conservatives win election, Treasury minister admits
Here's the indefatigable Andrew Woodcock with more on Rishi Sunak's comments concerning no-deal preparations.
Union leaders rail against Tory strike clampdown
The Conservatives are expected to announce limitations to rail strikes in their upcoming manifesto, sparking anger from union chiefs.
"Banning strikes is the hallmark of the right wing junta, not a democratically elected British government," RMT general secretary Mick Cash said.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers' union Aslef, said: "The right to strike - to withdraw your labour - is a fundamental human right. We are not slaves.
"Aslef has rarely called a strike and, when we have, it has always been as a last resort and as a result of management intransigence.
"We are not, however, surprised that Boris Johnson and his cronies want to make it even more difficult for hard working men and women to protect their jobs, pay, terms and conditions.
The move comes ahead of 27 days of strikes during December on South Western Railway by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union in the long-running dispute over guards on trains.
Green Party co-leader takes part in London "die-in"
Sian Berry and London Assembly member Caroline Russell - who was arrested protesting Boris Johnson's prorogation in September - are protesting deadly air pollution in Ealing, West London.
Boris Johnson’s plan to ignore the Channel 4 debate shows utter contempt for the climate emergency
PM must reverse his decision to snub this unprecedented debate and show that his party has more than reusable straws and drinks stirrers as a response to this emergency, writes Caroline Lucas in The Independent.
Sajid Javid dashes opposition hopes of a change of heart
Many likely found themselves doing a double take last night after the chancellor appeared to undergo a major ideological transformation during last night's Question Time, captioning an image of Jeremy Corbyn and his "neutral" Brexit stance with the word: "Leadership."
His remarks drew considerable surprise - if only that the account had not been hacked.
But moments ago, the chancellor took to social media to restore equilibrium.
Sacha Baron Cohen denounces Facebook over political advertising stance
"Its time for a fundamental rethink of social media, and how it spreads hate, conspiracy and lies," the actor said. "Democracy, which depends on shared truths, is in retreat and autocracy, which depends on shared lies, is on the march."
Earlier this month, seven institutions - including Mozilla and the Open Data Institute - wrote a letter urging Facebook, and its vice president of global affairs and communications, to suspend political advertising until the general election was over, warning the UK lacked the legislation needed to tackle contemporary disinformation.
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