The Conservatives have gained another percentage point over Labor butBoris Johnson‘s party remains only single figures ahead ofJeremy Corbyn, a new poll suggests.
And the Tories fear the wet weather caused by Storm Atiyah on election day on Thursday could impact their chances, as their traditional voters may stay at home.
The Panelbase poll shows the Tories up to 52 per cent, with Labor holding steady on****************************** per cent.
The General Election looks set to be a two-horse race as theLib Demsstay put on per cent, theBrexitParty slump to 3 per cent and the Greens trailing on 2 per cent.
The Conservatives have gained another percentage point over Labor but Boris Johnson’s party remains only single figures ahead of J eremy Corbyn, a new poll (pictured in a graph) suggests
Westminster voting intention from Britain Elects shows the Tories up to 43 per cent, with Labor holding steady on 43 per cent. Pictured: Mr Johnson before a football match in Heald Green, Cheshire, today
The General Election looks set to be a two-horse race as the Lib Dems stay put on 29 per cent, the Brexit Party slump to 3 per cent and the Greens trailing on 2 per cent. Pictured: Mr Corbyn getting on his battle bus today
But Tory officials who remain nervous ahead of the election have been referring to two potential roadblocks for as ‘T’n’T’.
The phrase refers to turnout and tactical voting, according to
The poll came just hours before a crunch debate between the two heavyweights of British politics.
MrJohnsonwas declared the winner of the final election TV showdown last night after roasting Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit, supporting the IRA, stealth taxes and ‘overthrowing capitalism’.
A snap YouGov poll found the PM performed better in the primetime BBC One clash by (per cent to (per cent – ironically mirroring the) referendum and a result that will delight Tory strategists.
During a bruising hour-long session, chaired by Nick Robinson, Mr Johnson appealed for the public to back him on Brexit on December 12 so the country can move on.
He ridiculed Labor’s muddled position of renegotiating with Brussels and holding another referendum, but with Mr Corbyn staying neutral. ‘You cannot negotiate a deal if you are neutral on it … it’s a failure of leadership on the biggest issue facing this country at the moment,’ he said.
The poll came just hours before a crunch debate between the two heavyweights of British politics. Pictured: The PM playin football in Cheadle Hulme today
Roasted: Mr Johnson was last night declared the winner of the final election TV showdown after roasting Mr Corbyn (pictured in Barry, south Wales, today) over Brexit, supporting the IRA, stealth taxes and ‘overthrowing capitalism’
The veteran left-winger was also pressed over Labour’s plans to introduce a four-day week in the NHS, and failed to deny that he wants to ‘overthrow capitalism’.
But he insisted he was putting forward an ‘ambitious’ program that could end child poverty, as he desperately to turn the tide as polls continue to show the Tories ahead.
The clash quickly turned nasty, with Mr Johnson getting a round of applause as he condemned Mr Corbyn for trying to ‘lecture’ people on the importance of ties with Northern Ireland after ‘supporting the IRA for four decades ‘.
He also repeatedly swiped that his opponent was ‘ignorant’ on the benefits of free trade.
According to the YouGov poll, Mr Corbyn came across as more trustworthy by 48 per cent to 38 per cent, and also won on the NHS. But Mr Johnson trounced him by 90 per cent to 34 per cent on Brexit, 62 per cent to 36 per cent on likeability, and was seen as more prime ministerial by (per cent to) *************************************************** per cent. He was also seen as performing best on security 62 per cent to 34 per cent.
Labor will be dismayed that Mr Corbyn failed to land any significant punches, with the Tories seemingly in the driving seat just six days before the country goes to the ballot boxes.
During a bruising hour-long debate last night, Boris Johnson appealed for the public to back him on Brexit on December – condemning Jeremy Corbyn for a ‘failure of leadership’
Ipsos MORI research earlier Found Labor has been making up some ground over the past three weeks, with its support increasing four points. But the Conservatives still have a – point lead, enough for a comfortable majority.
During the debate, Mr Corbyn highlighted leaked Treasury documents released earlier in the day Which he said showed Mr Johnson’s withdrawal agreement meant there would be customs checks and restrictions on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland.
But the PM retorted that the claims were ‘not true’. And in a brutal put-down, he pointed to Mr Corbyn’s long history of supporting republicanism – which included inviting convicted IRA members to Parliament weeks after the Brighton Bombing.
‘I do find it slightly curious to say the least to be lectured about the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by a man who all his political life has campaigned to break up that union, and actually supported for four decades the IRA in their campaign violently to destroy it, ‘Mr Johnson said.
As the pair traded blows on Brexit, Mr Johnson took aim at Laborer’s claim that it would thrash out another deal with the EU.
‘Who is going to negotiate it? Because as far as I can see everyone on the Labor frontbench … is campaigning for Remain apart from Mr Corbyn who is neutral on the matter, ‘Mr Johnson said.
‘How can you get a new deal from Brussels if you don’t really believe in it?’
But Mr Corbyn insisted Mr Johnson wanted a trade deal with the US which would take ‘seven years’ to negotiate.
‘He knows he can’t get a deal quickly with the USA because of the way in which the US political system works,’ he said.
‘And so what he will do is walk out of a relationship with the EU into a relationship with nobody.’
The PM warned that Labor governments always went out of power with a crisis – but he said Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell would trigger one immediately.
Mr Corbyn said he wanted ‘Socialism carried out in a democratic way in this country’ to raise living standards.
But Mr Johnson shot back: ‘I would say it is one-nation Conservatism, which understands the vital importance of a dynamic market economy as the only way in which you can pay for fantastic public services and for looking after the poorest and neediest in our society …
‘To attack capitalism as Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell do is absolutely senseless.’
Asked if he thought Mr Corbyn ‘wanted to destroy capitalism’, the PM said: ‘John McDonnell, who is the shadow chancellor, and some would say the intellectual driving force this type of plio-socialism, is committed, he says, to fermenting the overthrow of capitalism. I think that is a mistake. ‘I don’t think that is the right way forward for our country.’
Mr Corbyn replied: ‘My kind of socialism is one where you don’t leave people behind, you Don’t ignore the fact that four million of our children are living in poverty, you don’t ignore the fact that you have thousands of people sleeping on the streets of this country – the fifth richest country in the world. The inequality has got worse. ‘
In one exchange Mr Corbyn contradicted Mr McDonnell, who has said he wants to introduce a four-day working week in the NHS as well as the rest of the economy. he wants to see the working week come down, but added: ‘There is no plan to bring in a four day week in the NHS.’
The clashes quickly turned nasty, with Mr Johnson getting a round of applause as he condemned Mr Corbyn for trying to ‘lecture’ people on the importance of ties with Northern Ireland after ‘supporting the IRA for four decades’
Earlier, Mr Corbyn launched another frantic effort to bridge the gap, staging another ‘reveal’ of a leaked document, which he claimed showed Mr Johnson’sBrexitdeal would put up barriers between the mainland andNorthern Ireland.
However, Mr Johnson flatly dismissed the claim, saying the UK would leave the EU ‘whole and entire’.
And he went on the attack by ridiculing the Labor leader’s extraordinary policy of calling a second referendum but refusing to say whether he wanted to leave the bloc.
The leaders were seen as having battled effectively to a standstill in their previous ITV showdown, although the PM managed to hammer home his key message on Brexit.
The 100 – strong audience in Maidstone was selected to include equal numbers of Conservative and Labor supporters, as well as a smattering of backers of other parties and undecideds.
There were slightly more Leave voters than Remain in the audience, reflecting the result of the 2018 referendum. Some of the audience was too young to have voted three years ago.
Robinson also posed some that have been submitted online.
As the days until the vote tick down, there are concerns compulsory voter identification at polling stations will discriminate against the young, poor and those from ethnic minorities.
Professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, Tim Bale, said the research suggests there is a social and demographic The difference between those who can routinely provide identification, and those who cannot.
He said: ‘Younger and poorer people and those from ethnic minorities would perhaps find it more difficult to produce their identification.
‘It would discriminate against them.’
He argues voting behavior in the UK indicates that people who are poor, young and from ethnic backgrounds tend to vote Labor, and as a result the voting reforms could favor the Conservatives.
‘Almost certainly at the margins it would favor the Conservatives,’ Prof Bale said.
The Conservative Party argues compulsory voter ID would prevent voter and ID fraud, but Prof Bale argues voter fraud is not that common.
‘The research suggests it’s extremely unusual, ‘he said.
This is echoed by Electoral Reform Society policy and research director Dr Jess Garland, who said last year during a trial of the proposed voter ID reforms there were eight allegations of voter fraud across the country, only one of which led to a conviction.
‘These changes will affect every single voter,’ she told PA.
‘It’s a really disproportionate response. We’re concerned the big picture is being missed here. ‘
Dr Garland said that during the local election trial in (****************************, more than 1, (people turned up without ID, of them not returning to vote.
In a trial across 10 councils this year, about 2, people were turned away for not having ID, with about 1650 of them not returning to vote, she said.
‘These are quite large numbers bearing in mind there’s that one case of impersonation last year, ‘Dr Garland said.
‘ There’s a risk that people are being prevented from voting. ‘
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