'Hazardous duel': what the papers say about the election TV debate - The Guardian, Google News

Polling suggests narrow win for Boris Johnson after ITV clash with Jeremy Corbyn

Front pages of the UK papers on Wednesday 20 November 2019 following the televised leaders’ debate between Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson. — Front pages of the UK papers on Wednesday (November) following the televised leaders’ debate between Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson. Composite: Various

Top billing on most of the front pages today is given to the election leaders’ debate with some focusing on the snap YouGov poll that declared Boris Johnson had won the night 51 – 49 – with others highlighting the answers, or lack of answers, the leaders gave.

The Daily Mail focuses on the fact that the Labor leader refused nine times to say if he would back a Brexit deal, calling his refusal to answer the question “Laughable, Mr Corbyn” and saying the politician was “ridiculed” and met with the “mocking derision of studio audience”.

The Express has the same take, saying “Corbyn dodges Brexit question nine times”. The paper reported that “Boris Johnson tore into Jeremy Corbyn over his‘ absurd dither and delay ’Brexit policy last night in a furious live television clash that ignited the General Election campaign.”

The Guardian focuses on the topics on which the leaders tried to “stake their ground: Johnson, Brexit, Corbyn NHS”. The paper called it a “testy televised debate” during which “Johnson continually tried to bring the focus back to Brexi… [and] the Labor leader successfully attacked the prime minister over the NHS and public services.” The paper has a different take on the audience laughter to the Mail, saying they “openly laughed at Johnson when he agreed that the truth mattered in the election”.

The FT leads on a snap YouGov opinion poll that “suggests narrow win for Tory PM”, the paper said that Corbyn “put in a solid performance and scored some points against the prime minister, but the hour-long televised debate did not give him the breakthrough he sought ”. It’s headline describes the debate as a ‘“ hazardous duel ”.

The Times Pictures(@ TimesPictures)

The Times 20 / 11 / 2019
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn shaking hands during the Election head-to-head debate on ITV, prior to the General Election on December 12 th, 2019 Photo: Jonathan Hordle / ITV / PA# tomorrowspaperstoday #thetimes # brexit @ thetimes pic.twitter.com/2F (eJfGY5)

(November) , 2019

The Times also reports the closeness of the result, saying the two leaders were “neck and neck after TV clash”, after a “snap poll hands Johnson 51 – 49 win in first election debate ”.

i newspaper(@ theipaper)

Wednesday’s front page: Insults fly at leaders’ TV debate – but no killer blows# tomorrowspaperstoday # skypapers # bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/O3Srb2yUBY

(November) , 2019

The i leads with the animosity between the two leaders, saying “Insults fly at leaders’ debate” and that the two leaders were “made to shake hands at historic head-to-head but reverted to attack lines on Brexit and NHS. ”********

The Mirror leads on news that police notebooks could contain critical evidence about the Prince Andrew sex claims, but does feature a small front-page headline about the debate, in which it says: “Boris is made a laughing stock”. The Sun also leads on Prince Andrew, but its front-page election headline is: “Bojo bashes Brex bodger”.

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