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”.
Government giving NHS data to Amazon for free, documents reveal
NHS data on the health of the population is being handed over to Amazon at no charge under a controversial deal between the US giant and the Department of Health and Social Care.
While individual patient data is not being given to the company, a copy of the December 2018 contract between Amazon and the DHSC reveals the company will be able to profit from its access to a range of NHS information.
Health secretary Matt Hancock hailed the deal with Amazon in July as a way to help give patients better medical advice using technology like Alexa, which uses Amazon’s algorithm to answer key question.
Campaigners from Privacy International obtained a copy of the contract using Freedom of Information laws. The full contract reveals the deal goes far beyond medical advice for use by Alexa.
Boris Johnson admitted he has not yet spoken to the father of London Bridge terror attack victim Jack Merritt, who accused the prime minister of trying to "make political capital" from his son's death.
Mr Johnson sought to blame Labour for the early release of convicted terrorist Usman Khan who killed 25-year-old Jack and 23-year-old Saskia Jones in the attack at London's Fishmongers' Hall last month.
But David Merritt said his son, who was the course co-ordinator of a prison rehabilitation programme, "would not wish his death to be used as the pretext for more draconian sentences or for detaining people unnecessarily".
Speaking to ITV News London, Mr Johnson said: "I have every sympathy with the families of both Jack and Saskia, who lost their lives at London Bridge in the attack by Usman Khan.
"What I would say, with great respect, is that I stick to my position, which is that actually I don't think its sensible for people who are convicted of crimes of terrorism such as Usman Khan to be out automatically on early release.
"I said that long before the event took place - I said it in August."
Pressed on whether he would pick up up the phone to speak to Mr Merritt, Mr Johnson replied: "With great respect, I will keep my contacts with families of victims private, if that's alright."
Labour has called on Boris Johnson to personally apologise after a four-year-old boy was forced to sleep on the floor after being taken to hospital with suspected pneumonia.
The photograph of Jack Williment-Barr lying on a coat at Leeds General Infirmary has been widely shared online after the incident was reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “This is shameful. Boris Johnson should personally apologise to Jack and his family. A decade of Tory cuts has brought us to this crisis in our NHS.
“If the Tories win on Thursday, patients including children will suffer five more years of this. We need a Labour government to save our NHS.”
Labour's election campaign has “stalled” and the party is running out of time to prevent Boris Johnson winning a Commons majority, a poll for The Independent has found.
The latest election debate is underway on Channel 4 and the parties have already clashed furiously over who is to blame for the crisis in the NHS.
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson is up against shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, the Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price and the SNP’s health spokesperson, Philippa Whitford.
The Everything But Brexit Debate sees the party representatives being quizzed by an audience of undecided voters who say they are frustrated by the way Brexit has dominated the election campaign.
The Brexit Party and The Conservative Party are both represented by empty podiums - having apparently decided against turning up.
There was a similar no show for Channel 4's climate debate, which resulted in the two parties being replaced by melting ice sculptures.
Boris Johnson's complaint that the TV station was "conspiring with Jeremy Corbyn" was rejected by Ofcom earlier this week.
Labour's Angela Rayner expresses her frustration at the absence of the Conservative Party while answering a question about crime and terrorism.
"Why are they not here to talk about their record?" she says.
Presenter Cathy Newman has attempted to fill the gap by putting forward Conservative policy, but it isn't going down well online.
The early clash over the NHS crisis saw Angela Rayner attempt to blame the Conservatives, only to come under fire from Plaid Cymru about the situation in Wales, where the devolved government is led by Labour.
In an surprise announcement, Angela says that "the pink elephant in the room" is that only Labour can remove the Conservatives from power.
Jo Swinson has been heavily criticised at the debate for voting for welfare cuts while the Liberal Democrats were in coalition with the Conservatives.
The Lib Dem leader, who issued an apology for backing the policies earlier this week, admitted the bedroom tax was "wrong" after being challenged by Labour's Angela Rayner and the SNP's Philippa Whitford.
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