General election: Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn trade blows as party leaders kick off campaign

Prime minister to accuse Corbyn of ‘incessant indecision’, while Labour leader will accuse rival of leading ‘born-to-rule Conservatives’

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn will trade blows as they kick off their parties’ election campaigns by launching blistering attacks on each other.

Mr Johnson will accuse Mr Corbyn of “incessant indecision”, while the Labour leader will use his first speech of the campaign to brand his rival’s party the “born-to-rule Conservatives”.

Mr Corbyn is also expected to attack businessmen including Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley and media magnate Rupert Murdoch as he promises to overturn a “corrupt system”.

The political parties are rapidly ramping up their campaigning after MPs voted for a general election on 12 December – the third in the UK in just four years.

While parliament is not expected to be disbanded until early next week, the leaders are already in full campaign mode.

Their early appearances on the campaign trail are likely to reveal their key messages in the coming weeks, with Labour focusing on its promise to take on “the elite” and the Tories personally targeting Mr Corbyn, including claiming he would seek a further delay to Brexit.

Mr Johnson will embark on three campaign stops across the east and southeast of England on Thursday, while Mr Corbyn will launch Labour’s campaign by delivering a speech in London.

Ahead of the visits, Mr Johnson said an election was “the only way forward” to break the Brexit deadlock despite MPs having urged him to bring forward the bill needed to enshrine his Brexit deal in law.

The deal was believed to have the support of a majority of MPs, but Mr Johnson decided instead to seek an early general election.

The prime minister said: “Today should have been the day that Brexit was delivered and we finally left the EU. But, despite the great new deal I agreed with the EU, Jeremy Corbyn refused to allow that to happen – insisting upon more dither, more delay and more uncertainty for families and business.

“We cannot continue along this path. I didn’t want an election – like the country I wanted to get Brexit done, but it is the only way forward.”

Mr Johnson will claim that a Labour government would result in the “toxic, tedious torpor of two more referendums – on EU membership and Scottish independence – thanks to Jeremy Corbyn’s incessant indecision”.

Mr Corbyn is expected to hit back during a speech in London alongside members of his shadow cabinet, in which he will attack Mr Johnson and his “born-to-rule Conservatives”.

He will attempt to contrast this with his party’s commitment to “the overwhelming majority” and ask voters: “Whose side are you on?”

Mr Corbyn is expected to insist that the coming campaign is a “once in a generation chance to transform our country” and predict that “the elite” will “fight harder and dirtier than ever before” to stop him becoming prime minister.

He will name Mr Ashley, the Duke of Westminster, chemicals tycoon Jim Ratcliffe, media mogul Rupert Murdoch and hedge fund manager and Tory donor Crispin Odey as examples of the “bad bosses” and “big polluters” that Labour will take on.

He will say:“We put our faith in the British people’s spirit and commitment to community. It’s your country.

“That’s why we stand with you. We stand for the many. Boris Johnson’s born-to-rule Conservatives protect the privileged few. They’ve slashed taxes for the richest and vital services and support for everyone else – but real change is coming.”

Dismissing concerns that a winter election could lower turnout, which typically hurts Labour more than the Conservatives, he will add: “Boris Johnson thought he was being smart holding this election in a dark and cold December. He thinks you won’t go out to vote. He thinks you won’t go out to campaign.

“Labour will be out there in every city, town and village with the biggest and most confident campaign that our country has ever seen bringing a message of hope and change to every community.

“Even if the rivers freeze over, we’re going out to offer real change for the many not the few. All we need to keep us warm is the thought of removing Boris Johnson’s Conservatives from government – and the chance to rebuild and transform our country.”