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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have traded blows on the first day of the general election campaign trail as parties tool up for the 12 December poll.
Mr Johnson blamed the failure to meet his “do or die” pledge to deliver Brexit today on the Labour leader, while Mr Corbyn has lashed out at the “elite” at Labour’s campaign launch. He claimed the party would “get Brexit sorted within six months”.
As the UK braced itself for a gruelling campaign, US president Donald Trump waded into British politics by claiming Mr Corbyn would be "so bad for your country".
PM pledges Brexit by January ‘at the absolute latest’
Boris Johnson has said a Conservative government will deliver Brexit by January “at the absolute latest” if they win the election on 12 December.
The prime minister blamed parliament for his failure to meet his “do-or-die” pledge to take Britain out of the EU by the Halloween deadline.
Visiting yet another NHS facility, this time Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, he said: “After three-and-half years, it was perfectly obvious to me that this parliament is just not going to vote Brexit through.
“There are just too many people who are basically opposed to Brexit and want to frustrate it.”
Johnson said they had an “oven-ready” Brexit deal ready to go if the Tories were returned on 12 December.
“If you vote for us and we get our programme through ... then we can be out at the absolute latest by January next year,” he said presumably referring to the 31 January extension deadline recently granted by the EU.
Boris Johnson visits Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Boris Johnson accused of ‘sitting on’ secret report into Russian interference
The prime minister has been accused of “sitting on” a secret report into whether Russian “troll factories” interfered in UK politics, including the 2016 Brexit vote.
The investigation, by a powerful committee of MPs, concluded two weeks ago – but Downing Street has refused to agree it will be published before the election.
In the Commons, Dominic Grieve attacked the government’s failure to commit to publication on Monday – before parliament is shut down at the close of Tuesday, for the 12 December election.
Almost three hours of tributes to Speaker John Bercow
Backbench MPs have paid tribute to Speaker John Bercow for his support following the Westminster terror attack and murder of former Labour MP Jo Cox.
Some female MPs also thanked Bercow for his support during “difficult times” over the last few months, with former minister Tracey Crouch crediting Bercow with helping her to “fall back in love”with the Commons.
Bercow was also praised for championing women’s rights and sensitive issues by granting debates on abortion and the contaminated blood scandal. Labour’s Paula Sherriff told the speaker: “Your humanity and your personal touch will never be forgotten.”
Future speaker hopeful Sir Henry Bellingham said all candidates in the upcoming speaker election have agreed that Bercow has done a “superb job” for backbenchers.
Incidentally, Tory MP Tom Tugendhat has accused Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg of going from “a vestal virgin backbencher to the whore of Babylon deep in the heart of government”.
Responding to MPs’ tributes in the Commons, Bercow said: “This is quite an embarrassing experience and people watching may think it bizarre or surreal, but it is a procedure that very often takes place.”
Bercow acknowledged that the tributes session had been “genuine and sincere, but also long”.
Speaker John Bercow and Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg
Spike in young people registering to vote
A considerable spike in under-25s applying for voter registration was recorded during the first day of the general election campaign, according to government data.
As party leaders kicked off their electoral efforts on Wednesday, 177,000 applied to take part. Of these, 59,000 were under the age of 25 and a further 56,000 were between the ages of 25 to 34.
Our correspondent Ashley Cowburn has taken a look at what it means.
Bercow vs. Bridgen: angry exchange in Commons
It was supposed to be a fond farewell. But Speaker John Bercow was involved in a bust-up with long-term nemesis Tory MP Andrew Bridgen.
Addressing a standards report against Labour’s Keith Vaz, Bridgen told the Commons: “It's clear to me and it will be clear to the public that to the fag-end of your tenure in that chair you are defending the indefensible, and your very close relationship with [Mr Vaz] - the House can come to its own conclusions, the Standards Committee has come to its own conclusions, and Mr Speaker, the public will come to theirs.”
Bercow said he was sure the public would come to their own conclusions, adding: “He can try to smear me, he will get the square root of nowhere.”
The speaker said it wouldn’t have been appropriate for him to investigate anything to do with Vaz, saying he isn’t a “night-time Columbo”.
John Bercow addresses Andrew Bridgen
BREAKING: Keith Vaz suspended for six months, as MPs endorse recommendation
MPs have endorsed the latest Committee on Standards report, which recommended Labour MP Keith Vaz should be suspended from the Commons for six months after he was found to have “expressed willingness” to purchase cocaine for others.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons leader, has confirmed the next Commons leader “or me if I continue in office in the new parliament … would bring the suspension forward as soon as the House reassembles so it isn’t in effect only a two-day suspension. And that’s been specifically requests by the Committee [on Standards]”.
But committee chair Kate Green said “we would like” for the Commons leader “to continue the suspension” of Vaz in the new parliament if he’s elected again, but “no member of this parliament can compel that – it’s a matter for the next parliament”.
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EU says further Brexit extension would be needed for Labour to renegotiate
A further Brexit extension would be required for a Labour government to renegotiate the terms of Brexit, the European Commission said on Thursday.
Labour plans to secure a softer agreement that keeps the UK inside a customs union and single market regulations – and then put the result of talks to a Final Say public vote with the option to remain.
Jeremy Corbyn said earlier he would “get Brexit sorted within six months”.
A spokesperson for the European Commission told reporters “any reopening of the withdrawal agreement is excluded”.
Our Europe correspondent Jon Stone has more:
Departing female MP says she’s ‘too soft for that place’
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has shared an encounter with a departing female colleague from another party, who burst into tears and said she’s “too soft for that place”.
Corbyn attacks ‘establishment elite’ – and shrugs off poll numbers
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has taken a look at Jeremy Corbyn’s election campaign launch, at which the Labour leader promised “the biggest people-powered campaign in history” to deliver “a society that works for everybody and not just the billionaires”.
Corbyn pledges to buy enough properties for all the homeless
Jeremy Corbyn promised to begin rehousing the homeless "immediately" if Labour wins the general election.
At his third campaign event since the date was agreed, he said: "On our first day in office, we will immediately buy all the properties necessary to house the rough sleepers."
Speaking to supporters at Milton Keynes, Mr Corbyn called the number of homeless in the UK a "disgrace and insult to our country", and promised a Labour government would end austerity.
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