Election campaigning officially starts as parties lay out their promises
6 November 2019, 05:25
With Parliament dissolved election campaigning will kick into gear on Wednesday as both parties put Brexit and the NHS at the top of their agendas.
Boris Johnson will use the launch of the Conservative election campaign to put the UK's exit from the EU, the NHS and law and order at the top of his list of priorities.
The Tory leader will kick off the Conservative Party campaign in the West Midlands on Wednesday after visiting the Queen in Buckingham Palace and then addressing the nation in Downing Street to announce the official start of the election.
Speaking to supporters in the West Midlands Mr Johnson is expected to say: "There is only one way to get Brexit done, and I am afraid the answer is to ask the people to change this blockading parliament.
"I don't want an election. No prime minister wants an early election, especially not in December.
"But as things stand we simply have no choice - because it is only by getting Brexit done in the next few weeks that we can focus on all the priorities of the British people."
Hitting out at his predecessor Theresa May, the PM is expected to say: "It's time to change the dismal pattern of the last three years and to get out of our rut.
"It's time to end this debilitating delay.
"Let's go with this Conservative government, get Brexit done, and unleash the potential of our great country- delivering on the public's priorities of our NHS, crime and the cost of living."
Taking aim at Labour's election promises Mr Johnson will say: "Meanwhile the alternative is clear - Jeremy Corbyn and his two favourite advisers, dither and delay, turning 2020 into the year of two miserable referendums, one on the EU, and another on Scotland.
"And remember that a vote for any other minor party is effectively a vote for Corbyn, and his catastrophic political and economic programme."
Also campaigning Jeremy Corbyn will promise "real change" if his party win a majority at the General Election as he pledges to be a "very different kind of Prime Minister."
The Labour leader will give a speech in his home town of Telford on Wednesday laying out his plans for Government.
Mr Corbyn will say if he walks through the door of Downing Street on Friday the 13th of December he will end rough sleeping, and work to build 100,000 affordable homes per year.
He will appeal to voters to judge him on "whether proud women and men are still having to depend on food banks five years into a Labour government."
A move which could appeal to younger voters is Labour's plans to end tuition fees and reduce class sizes in schools.
A Labour spokesperson previously said: “The next Labour government will scrap tuition fees and bring back maintenance grants, making higher education accessible for all as part of a National Education Service.”
When it comes to Brexit Mr Corbyn will again reiterate his promise to get Brexit sorted within six months.
Labour has said they would take the first three months of being in power to negotiate a new deal with the European Union, and then the issue of the UK's membership of the EU would be put back to the people.
Labour says a second referendum would be a choice between "leaving with a sensible deal or to remain in the European Union."
Mr Corbyn will also use the speech to tell voters he would be “a very different kind of prime minister”, he will say, one “who only seeks power in order to share power. Because this isn’t about me, it’s about us."
Tory Party chair James Cleverly attacked the Labour leader's record, saying the party's policy of holding a second referendum would just mean further delays to securing the UK's exit from the EU.
Mr Cleverly said: “Unfortunately for Jeremy Corbyn he will be judged on his dismal record as Labour leader. Given his track record of broken promises very few people will believe a word he says.
"He promised to end unlimited immigration from the EU, he promised to leave the single market and he promised to respect the result of the referendum. Now he is saying that he will try to negotiate a deal that does none of those things and he wants to hold two more referendums.
"A vote for Corbyn is a vote for dither, delay and politicians arguing about Brexit rather than focusing on people's priorities. The only Party pledging to get Brexit done immediately so we can move forward are the Conservatives."
Hitting out at Labour's pledge to ‘get Brexit sorted’, Liberal Democrat Shadow Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said: “Jeremy Corbyn has once again said that he wants to “get Brexit sorted”, sounding exactly like the man he pretends to oppose, Boris Johnson.
“The Labour Leader is pledging to renegotiate a Brexit deal. Liberal Democrats know that it makes no difference whether it is a Tory Brexit or a Labour one, Brexit will damage our country.
“That is why the Liberal Democrats will stop Brexit and use the Remain bonus of £50 billion to build a brighter future.”
The Lib Dems have also pledged to give the NHS and social care services the "necessary funding by putting a penny in the pound on income tax"
They have also said they will "ringfencing funding for mental health will give a cash injection of £11bn fund over the next Parliament."
