General election news: Boris Johnson admits truth about ‘new’ NHS nurses and Brexit border checks, as Labour narrows Tory poll lead
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Boris Johnson has admitted that under his revised Brexit withdrawal agreement there would be checks on goods passing between Northern Ireland and Britain, and conceded that the Conservatives’ pledge to employ 50,000 “new” nurses includes the retention of 19,000 existing nurses.
The prime minister appeared on Sky News on the final Sunday ahead of the general election, and refused to say if he would stand down if he fails to win a majority, potentially becoming one of the shortest-serving PMs in history.
While the Conservatives retained a lead as high as 15 points over Labour in an Opinium poll, Jeremy Corbyn‘s party enjoyed a four-point boost in a survey by ComRes, cutting the Tory lead to six points, which would put Britain in hung parliament territory.
Meanwhile both the Conservatives and the Brexit Party again refused to take part in an election debate on Channel 4. They were represented by empty podiums as Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson was accused by an audience member of being a “Tory in disguise”.
Enough Remain voters ready to vote tactically to stop Tory majority, poll says
Around a tenth of the electorate could be prepared to switch allegiances and vote tactically at the general election next week, new polling released by the Vote for a Final Say campaign suggests, Andrew Woodcock and Lizzy Buchan report.
The survey of 10,000 voters found that 44 per cent of Labour Remain voters would back the Liberal Democrats where they are best-placed to defeat Brexit-backing Conservatives, while 39 per cent of Lib Dem supporters are prepared to do the same to help a Labour candidate beat a Tory.
Despite Boris Johnson’s overall lead in the polls, campaigners for a Final Say referendum believe tactical voting on this scale could be enough to deny him the overall majority in the Commons – scuppering his plans to force through Brexit by 31 October.
...As Final Say campaigners launch tactical voting app
Jo Swinson challenged over her popularity and asked if sexism plays a role
"It almost feels like the more people see of you, the less they like you – is that difficult?" Sophy Ridge asked the Liberal Democrat leader.
“We’re in an election and I’m taking a very clear position on Brexit – I want to remain in the EU – and I do recognise that some people aren’t going to like that," Ms Swinson replied.
"They might not like what I say on Brexit, some people don’t like that I say I want Scotland to stay within the UK.
"Some people don’t like the way I talk or what my shoes look like or whatever else, but, you know what, I’m going to still stand up for what I believe in because I want to change things. I believe our future can be better, our country can be better.”
Asked if she believes sexism plays a role in the public's opinion of her, she said she knew that "double standards apply" in public life before she took on the role, and said one of the ways to make the world less sexist is "by having women in leadership roles, blazing a trail" and that she was "delighted to be doing that".
James Corden plays Boris Johnson in ‘good-looking bad boys of NATO’ sketch
Saturday Night Live has been treating US viewers to an alternative look at Britain's prime minister, courtesy of James Corden.
It re-imagines some of the other goings on amid the chatter of last week's Nato summit that saw Donald Trump leave early.
James Cleverly apologises for Tory Islamophobia and claims Boris Johnson ‘has apologised’ for letterbox comments
Appearing on BBC5 Live, the Tory Party chairman was asked if he wanted to apologise for Islamophobia within his party.
“Well, course, I'm sorry and I'm sorry when people do or say things that are wrong,” he said. “But I am confident that my party has a robust mechanism for dealing with it.
He says where people have had to be sanctioned or expelled from the party, “that has happened”.
The Muslim Council of Britain has demanded the Equalities and Human Rights Commission investigate the Tories over Islamophobia, with spokesman Miqdaad Versi telling Radio 4 in late November of a "structural problem" within the party "where Islamophobia is not only tolerated, but people who have engaged in Islamophobia in different ways are let back into the party if any action is taken in the first place".
Farage says Brexit Party has good chance of winning some of 'a handful' of seats, despite polling at three per cent
Nigel Farage has denied suggestions that his party will not win a single seat in Thursday's vote.
Having initially fielded 600 candidates, Mr Farage ceded the vast majority of constituencies to the Tories in a controversial electoral pact of sorts. He has since been urged by Brexit Party defectors to pull out of the election, according to The Times.
"Well I think there's a handful in which we've got a seriously good chance of winning and I think we will get some in, I genuinely do."
He said the way the polling industry operates is "laughable" and he expects to receive 13 per cent of the total vote on election day.
Brexit Party to become Reform Party
Nigel Farage has announced the vehicle for achieving his vision for Britain post-Brexit.
He told Sophy Ridge that his party will "have to reform into the Reform Party" – a name he's already registered.
"It'll have to campaign to change politics for good, get rid of the House of Lords, change the voting system," Mr Farage said. "So much to do and again you'll see on Thursday a turnout much lower than the pundits expect because people have lost faith in politics."
#VoteNotTory top trend on Twitter amid tactical voting push
A hashtag urging the public not to vote Conservative is currently the biggest trend on Twitter in the UK, as campaigners step up calls for people to vote tactically.
This video from Femi Oluwole has been viewed three quarters of a million times in little more than an hour...
...while The Guardian publishes advice on voting tactically...
...and campaigners launch a Final Say app to help voters decide how best to cast their vote to ensure a second Brexit referendum.
Boris Johnson admits there will be Brexit customs checks
Here's Ashley Cowburn with more detail on the PM's backtrack over checks on goods travelling between Northern Ireland and Britain under his revised withdrawal agreement.
Channel 4 election debate tonight
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson will go head-to-head with shadow education secretary Angela Rayner tonight in the latest televised debate of the general election campaign.
Ms Swinson and Ms Rayner will be joined for Channel 4’s Everything but Brexit Debate by the co-leader of the Green Party, Jonathan Bartley, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price and the SNP’s health spokesperson, Philippa Whitford.
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