Boris Johnson news: Corbyn handed election debate poll boost, as Tories face angry backlash over fake fact checker

Follow events from Wednesday’s day of campaigning as they unfolded

General Election 2019: What you need to know

The Conservative Party faced accusation of misleading the public during a TV election debate after rebranding its official Twitter account as an independent fact checker.

As Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn endured jeers from the studio audience over their answers on Brexit and the NHS, the Tory press office changed its Twitter handle to “factcheckuk” – mimicking independent organisations such as FullFact.

Twitter warned the party that it would take “corrective action” to prevent such behaviour – but foreign secretary Dominic Raab said “no one gives a toss” about the cut and thrust of social media.

To follow events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below

Key Points

• Johnson suggests Tories will offer national insurance cut for workers
• Corbyn won clear victory against Boris Johnson among undecided voters
• Tories condemned over 'dystopian' fact checker during election debate
• ... as Johnson and Corbyn jeered in clash over Brexit and NHS
• Swinson tells voters to reject Labour and Tories who are 'gambling with your future'

[20 November 2019 10:18 · Lizzy Buchan]

Boris Johnson's support for the monarchy 'unforgivable' says Labour

Dawn Butler, shadow equalities secretary, condemned Boris Johnson for defending the institution of the monarchy, which he described as "beyond reproach". It comes in the wake of the row over Prince Andrew's friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Speaking on the Today programme, Ms Butler said: "I think most people would think that there is always room for improvement, and I think that Boris's response in regards to the royal family being beyond reproach was just flabbergasting with everything that is currently being exposed in regards to Prince Andrew and the scandal and the paedophile.

"To actually not talk about the victims, which Jeremy did right straight away and saying that we should be focusing on the victims, but then to say that the royal family is beyond reproach is unforgivable."

Ms Butler added: "And it just stinks of this kind of, the law doesn't apply to a certain group of people in society. And I just think it's horrendous."

[20 November 2019 10:34 · Lizzy Buchan]

TV leaders debate watched by 6.7m people

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn's clash on ITV attracted more than 6m viewers last night, according to the broadcaster ITV.

[20 November 2019 10:48 · Lizzy Buchan]

Twitter to take action over 'misleading' accounts in future

Twitter says that the Tories broke its rules by attempting to "mislead people" with a fake fact-checking account, and that the party will be punished if it happens again.

During the general election debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, an official Twitter account run by the Conservatives changed its name to "FactCheckUK" and claimed to be a fact-checking organisation while continuing to post Tory propaganda.

[20 November 2019 11:10 · Lizzy Buchan]

Lib Dems brand Tory fact checker row as 'straight out of Donald Trump's playbook

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said: "This is straight out of Donald Trump or Putin’s playbook. Not content with excluding the voice of Remain from this debate, the Tories are now resorting to deliberately misleading the public.

"People know they can't trust a word that Boris Johnson or the Conservatives say. The country deserves better. Only the Liberal Democrats will stop Brexit on day one and build a brighter future."

[20 November 2019 11:24 · Lizzy Buchan]

Still time to register to vote

The UK is just weeks away from a snap general election on December 12 - but there is still time to get register.

[20 November 2019 11:40 · Lizzy Buchan]

Lib Dem leader condemned for stance on nuclear weapons

Jo Swinson has been criticised for trying to pass a “virility test” after saying she would be willing to press the nuclear button if she becomes prime minister.

The Liberal Democrat leader was asked if she would “ever be prepared to use a nuclear weapon”, answering with a single word: “Yes.”

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament attacked the “disgraceful response”, saying: “Not even a moment’s hesitation about the prospect of killing millions of people. We need better than this.”

[20 November 2019 11:52 · Lizzy Buchan]

Does familiarity breed contempt? 

In a blow to Lib Dem leader, YouGov has found that Jo Swinson's favourable rating is up 3pts since she took charge - but her unfavourable rating has shout up too.

[20 November 2019 12:04 · Lizzy Buchan]

Jo Swinson visits primary school to launch education policy

The Lib Dem leader and Layla Moran, the party's education spokesperson, were at Trumpington Park primary school in Cambridge to push proposals to pump an extra £10 billion a year into education and recruit 20,000 more teachers.

Picture by Aaron Chown/PA Wire/PA Images

https://twitter.com/philipproudfoot/status/1197118685124714496

[20 November 2019 12:19 · Lizzy Buchan]

Minister says Tories could still use 'factcheckuk' handle in future debates

Brandon Lewis, the security minister, has said the Conservatives have not yet decided whether or not they will rebrand their CCHQ Twitter account to "factcheckUK" again during future election debates.

Mr Lewis told BBC News: "Look, first of all what I would say is the Twitter handle was very clear, it was always CCHQPress, it made it very clear it was the Conservative Party, it linked to the Conservatives' website.

"And what we were doing, no one person has the monopoly on fact checking, we were just being very open about the fact that we were going to call out and fact check anything that was said and wasn't accurate from the Labour Party."

He added: "So look I think it is absolutely fair for us to be calling out the facts and being open and clear about those facts and challenging them when they're misleading."

Questioned on whether the Conservatives plan to change their display name again in the next debate, Mr Lewis added: "Well I don't think the team have taken a decision about that yet.

"I think we certainly cut through in the fact that we were calling out the facts, so I think in that sense it was a good thing to do that we were there, being open, being clear about when Labour are reporting absolute lies about different issues."

[20 November 2019 12:26 · Lizzy Buchan]

Boris Johnson visits washing machine factory

On the campaign trail, the PM has visited a washing machine manufacturer in the north-east of England as he embarks on a series of election campaign visits in the region.

Johnson met workers and tried his hand at moulding parts at the Ebac factory in Newton Aycliffe.

Mr Johnson posed through drums and placed "Made in Britain" stickers on new machines as he toured the factory - the UK's only washing machine manufacturer.