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As it happenedended1575677306

BBC leaders debate - live: Corbyn and Boris Johnson clash on racism, security and Brexit as snap poll finds viewers thought PM edged encounter

Follow all the latest developments as they happened

Adam Forrest,Lizzy Buchan,Benjamin Kentish
Friday 06 December 2019 21:50 GMT
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Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn debate racism and antisemitism during BBC debate

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Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn will go head to head for a final TV clash as both leaders scramble to turn the tide of the election campaign in the final week.

The BBC debate comes as Labour narrowed the Tory poll lead with a four-point bounce and Jeremy Corbyn unveiled leaked Northern Ireland-related Brexit documents, claiming they show the public has been misled.

Meanwhile, ​Sir John Major urged traditional Conservative voters to ditch Boris Johnson's party in favour of independent rebels, as hundreds gathered at a rally in London to demand a Final Say referendum.

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C4 apologies for mishearing PM’s speech

Channel 4 News has apologised for posting a video of a Boris Johnson speech which had subtitles claiming he had used the term “people of colour” when talking about his immigration policies – when he actually said “people of talent”.

“Boris Johnson says ‘people of talent’ not ‘people of colour’. Our earlier tweet was a mistake. We misheard and we apologise.”

Adam Forrest6 December 2019 11:46
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Sajid Javid’s Brexit claims fact-checked

The chancellor has made a number of statements about what will happen next in the government’s planned exit from the EU – and trade deal with the bloc.

Sean O’Grady has taken a closer look at whether those claims stack up and what can actually be achieved in 2020.

Adam Forrest6 December 2019 11:57
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‘Hello, you have reached the Downing Street switchboard’

More on Michael Gove giving out the Downing Street switchboard number live on air.

In a testy exchange on Radio 5 Live, the cabinet minister suggested anyone angry about the PM’s refusal to do the Andrew Neil interview show call No 10 – and offered the 11-digit number.

When The Independent called the switchboard, a recorded message played, saying: “Hello, you have reached the Downing Street switchboard. We are unable to give out any information relating to the prime minister’s diary.”

A spokesperson for No 10 said they did not know if the switchboard had received more calls than usual.

More details here:

Adam Forrest6 December 2019 12:23
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Johnson brands government document warning of Brexit impact on Northern Ireland 'complete nonsense'

Jeremy Corbyn earlier released a leaked government document that appears to show Mr Johnson misled the public over the nature of his new Brexit deal with the EU. 

The internal Treasury paper, marked "official sensitive", warns of new customs checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland after Brexit – which the prime minister has claimed would not exist. 

But Mr Johnson, responding to a question from an ITV reporter, said the claim was "complete nonsense". 

 

Tom.Embury-Dennis6 December 2019 12:39
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Major urges people to vote against Boris Johnson’s candidates

In an explosive intervention in the general election campaign, former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major is urging voters to back three rebel candidates running against Boris Johnson’s Tories to block a hard Brexit.

The appeal will come at a Final Say rally on Friday evening at which the former PM will say that Mr Johnson’s decision to pursue “the worst foreign policy decision in my lifetime” is straining the “tribal loyalties” of traditional Tory voters.

And, in an extraordinary step from the man who led the Tories for seven years, he advised constituents of former ministers David Gauke, Dominic Grieve and Anne Milton – all thrown out of the party by Johnson for their opposition to a hard Brexit – to back them against the official Conservative candidate.

More details here: 

Tom.Embury-Dennis6 December 2019 12:58
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‘They should believe exactly what I say’: PM and Tories respond to confidential Brexit report

More on the tizzy caused by Jeremy Corbyn’s release of a confidential Treasury report – which Labour says “drives a coach and horses” through the PM’s claim that there will be no border in the Irish Sea under his Brexit plan.

Tory party chairman James Cleverly has responded: “Once again, Jeremy Corbyn is brandishing leaked documents that don’t back up his wild conspiracy theories.”

Yet the government document states: “There will be checks as goods head into Northern Ireland.”

Johnson, who called Corbyn’s claims “complete nonsense,” was asked whether people could believe what he said about the Brexit deal.

“They should believe exactly what I say, which is that there will be no goods going from GB to NI or from NI to GB because we are going to come out of the EU whole and entire, and that was the objective that we secured.”

Again, just to be clear, the government document states: “There will be checks as goods head into Northern Ireland.”

Adam Forrest6 December 2019 13:20
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Count Binface steps in for the PM

It’s not only appearances on the BBC and ITV Boris Johnson has been avoiding. Count Binface said he took the PM’s place at a hustings event in Uxbridge last night.

In case you don’t know who Binface is, he’s the receptacle-headed candidate who ran against Theresa May in her Maidenhead constituency two years ago – standing against Johnson this time around. His main policy is bringing back Ceefax.

Adam Forrest6 December 2019 13:28
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Nick Robinson says he’ll make sure leaders answer questions

The Beeb presenter Nick Robinson has explained the format for tonight’s big debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn (live on BBC1 at 8.30pm).

He said the audience will get to ask questions – and he will act as a “referee” who insists that “they do answer the questions that are posed”.

Adam Forrest6 December 2019 13:42
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Jo Swinson says EU nationals should be able to vote

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has rejected claims that allowing EU nationals to vote in a second Brexit referendum would amount to moving the goalposts.

During a visit to Hampshire, Swinson said: “I think it’s right that people who are directly affected by this issue should be able to vote.

“I think EU nationals should be able to vote in elections. I think 16 and 17-year-olds should be able to vote in elections. So, I will continue to campaign for that.”

Asked about a dossier Labour said showed Brexit would lead to customs checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Swinson said: “I’m not overly familiar with this particular document.

“What is clear is that the effects of Brexit are hugely damaging.”

Jo Swinson at campaign stop in Hampshire (Reuters) 

Adam Forrest6 December 2019 13:56
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Boris Johnson scraps campaign visit to Rochester

The prime minister has cancelled a visit to the Kent town of Rochester at the last minute.

He was due to give a stump speech to Tory supporters near the Ye Arrow pub.

A small number of protesters also arrived holding signs which read “Tories out”, “Austerity killed over 130,000, the blood is on your hands” and “No to racism, no to Boris Johnson”.

A decision was taken to scrap the stop, with the Tories claiming it was because of “logistical reasons”.

The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg said it was on police advice.

Adam Forrest6 December 2019 14:09

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