General election debate – live: Tory minister interrogated over Brexit and NHS crisis, as David Attenborough rebukes ‘disgraceful’ Boris Johnson
Follow all the latest developments
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK
Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight
Party leaders are braced for a televised grilling in the first seven-way debate of the election – but Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn are expected to snub the clash.
Senior members of the Tories, Labour, the Greens, Lib Dems, SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Brexit Party will each face questions from the audience at a BBC debate in Cardiff, chaired by Nick Robinson.
It comes amid tensions between the BBC and the Tories over Mr Johnson’s refusal to confirm an interview with Andrew Neil, and criticism from David Attenborough over his decision to snub a climate change debate.
The prime minister instead took part in a radio phone-in on LBC, where he was confronted over his past comments about single mothers.
Where is Jacob Rees-Mogg?
Nick Ferrari has asked the prime minister what has happened to the Commons leader – conspicuously absent from the election campaign.
“He’s campaigning round the country,” Boris Johnson replied before dismissing the matter as “irrelevant”.
Pressed again about Jacob Rees-Mogg, the LBC host asked Johnson what he said to him after his Grenfell Tower comments (suggesting it would have been “common sense” to flee the burning building against the fire brigade’s advice).
Johnson said: “I’m not going into my conversations with colleagues. I’m not getting into measuring up the curtains type conversations.”
Johnson also dismissed a question about his no show at the Channel 4 debate on climate change. “I can’t do absolutely everything – I’m here talking to Nick … I can’t do every debate.”
Answering a question about the Tory threat to review the publicly-owned broadcaster’s licence, he responded saying: “What we want is a free, fair and exuberant unbridled media. That’s what I want.
“I think a free press is one of the glories of our country and I want to protect it and enshrine it.”
‘I don’t appreciate what you’ve said’: PM challenged on comments about single mothers
Boris Johnson has been asked by a listener, Ruth from Oldham, about his much-criticised Spectator columns on single mothers. Johnson wrote that the children described the children of single mothers as “ill-raised, ignorant, aggressive and illegitimate” in the unearthed piece.
“I don’t appreciate what you’ve said about single mothers – and by implication my family. Why are you happy to criticise people like me when you refuse to discuss your family?”
The prime minister sighed when Ferrari read out some of the column, and said: “I mean absolutely no disrespect to you or indeed to anybody. These are 25-year-old quotations culled from articles written before I think was even in politics. If you look at the article itself it bear no resemblance to what’s been claimed.”
He claimed his opponents were “just trying to distract”.
Asked about comments made by key Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings in 2017 that “people think - and by the way, I think most people are right - the Tory Party is run by people who basically don't care about people like me”, Johnson replied: “I don’t care – I’m telling you what I think.
“I don’t think Dom Cummings or anyone in No 10 would dispute that we are absolutely dedicated to investing in NHS, public services and taking this country forward.”
Boris Johnson refuses to say how many children he has
The prime minister has been asked bluntly by LBC’s Nick Ferrari: “How many children do you have?”
Johnson said: “I love my children very much – they are not standing at this election.”
Asked by Ferrari if he was “fully and wholly involved” with all of his children, Johnson repeated: “I love my children very much but they’re not standing at this election. With great respect to you Nick, I’m not going to [discuss it] at all.
“I’m not going to put them onto the pitch in this election campaign, when I think what people want to hear is what my plans are for the country, what this country is determined to do, and how we’re going to take the country forward.
“That is the way all parties should be judged.”
Asked if the country could expect the “pitter and patter of tiny feet” if Johnson and partner Carrie Symonds remain in Downing Street, the PM replied: “I’m going to make the same point, I'm not going to get into discussions.”
Boris Johnson on Nick Ferrari's LBC show (PA)
PM claims ‘no evidence’ of Russian interference in British politics
LBC caller Noel asked about recent reports of donors linked to Vladimir Putin giving to the Tory Party, and why the security committee report has not yet been released.
Johnson said: “What I can tell Noel is that I know absolutely no evidence that Russia or indeed any other power has successfully or otherwise interfered in (pause) the politics of this country.”
Ferrari said: “Why did you take so long to get to that word?” and asked what he was worried about in the report.
Johnson said: “Seriously, there’s nothing. Obviously, I can’t discuss intelligence matters.”
Asked about whether he will take part in an interview with veteran journalist Andrew Neil, something he has yet to commit to, he said: “I’m much happier frankly to talk about my policies, what we’re doing for the people of this country rather than endless debates about media and process.”
Tory video ‘distorts our output’ BBC tells party chairman
Here’s the Tory election video that’s causing so much trouble. The BBC has written to party chairman James Cleverly demanding they pulls the ads appearing on Facebook that use edited snippets of its news output.
The Tory promotional material “distorts our output,” could “damage perceptions of our impartiality,” and was “completely unacceptable,” the broadcaster has said.
Sturgeon says ‘debate to be had’ about future of monarchy
The SNP have clarified the party would keep the monarchy in an independent Scotland after Nicola Sturgeon has said there is “a debate to be had” over its future in the wake of the controversy over the Duke of York.
Andrew stepped down from public duties after mounting pressure following his BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In an interview on ITV, Sturgeon said a debate about the monarchy should not be a distraction from Epstein’s victims. However, when asked if the issue made her consider whether the monarchy is fit for purpose, she replied: “I think it raises a number of questions.
“I think there is a debate to be had about the longer term future of the monarchy, one of the things though in the context of Prince Andrew that I feel very strongly about is that a debate about the monarchy shouldn’t be a distraction from Epstein’s victims and how they now get whatever justice they can get and get the truth and the ability to move on.
“And I think while, yes, there is a debate to be had about the former, I don’t think it should become conflated with that or be used in any way to sort of take attention from that.”
A spokesman for the SNP said: “SNP policy is to keep the monarchy in an independent Scotland.
“The First Minister was reflecting the general discussions that have taken place in recent weeks on issues such as the size of the monarchy. The FM shares the admiration that the Queen is held in across the UK and has no intention of changing of SNP policy.”
‘I am not going to put them onto the pitch’: PM shuts down questions on his children
Our correspondent Lizzy Buchan has more on Boris Johnson’s refused to say how many children he has during his LBC interview.
The PM has four children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler and a daughter from an extra-marital affair, but he is also believed to have fathered another child outside of his marriage.
You can watch Johnson’s awkward encounter with Nick Ferrari here:
Sturgeon wants hung parliament to thwart Johnson
Nicola Sturgeon has said she is hoping for a hung parliament in the early hours of 13 December.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour, the SNP leader said: “I absolutely would never countenance the SNP doing anything that would allow Boris Johnson to walk through the doors of No 10.
“I will do everything I can to make sure that Boris Johnson is not calling the shots on 13 December.”
Sturgeon also said there would be no formal coalition with Labour – but suggests there could be some informal arrangement that might allow Jeremey Corbyn to become PM.
“I’m not a great fan of Jeremy Corbyn,” she said.
PM says he will bring Brexit bill ‘back before Christmas’
Boris Johnson is speaking at campaign event alongside the former Labour MP and Vote Leave campaign colleague Gisela Stuart – backing him at the election.
“A vote for Boris Johnson is a vote to get Brexit done,” says Stuart.
Johnson says he wants to bring his Withdrawal Agreement Bill “back before Christmas” and get the UK out of the EU by 31 January.
Johnson warned that a hung parliament would lead to Brexit being further “delayed, denied”.
“If there is another hung parliament after this election, then the deadlock will continue,” said the PM. “The probability would be that Jeremy Corbyn would be in Downing Street propped up by Nicola Sturgeon.
“But if there is a Conservative majority government, then we can deliver on the change people voted for.
“Our first move would be to bring the Withdrawal Agreement back before Christmas and then leave the EU on January 31. No ifs, no buts – we’ll get it done.”
Boris Johnson flanked by Michael Gove and Gisela Stuart (AP)
PM claims his old columns are ‘twisted and distorted’ out of context
Boris Johnson has been asked again about his remarks on single mothers in a Spectator column (he described the children of single mothers as “ill-raised, ignorant, aggressive and illegitimate” in the unearthed piece).
He told reporters: “Out of millions of words I’ve written everybody is able to find some that they can cull from the text, and twist them and distort them in whatever way they choose.”
Johnson later addressed it by saying: “I’ll just repeat my point – you can always find bits and pieces that seem to mean one thing, in fact almost invariably the article in question is saying something very different.”
Boris Johnson at press conference in London (Reuters)
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies