Morning everyone,
The Prime Minister will take part in a head-to-head ITV Leaders’ Debate with Jeremy Corbyn at 8 PM this evening where he will set out the clear choice facing voters at this election - a majority Conservative government that will get Brexit done, allow the country to move on and unleash Britain’s potential; or a deadlocked hung parliament led by Jeremy Corbyn, propped up by Nicola Sturgeon, leaving Britain facing two more chaotic referendums.
Ahead of the debate, the Prime Minister has written to Jeremy Corbyn asking him to clarify his position on the following key points:
- You are proposing a second referendum on EU membership. In that referendum, would you recommend the UK should remain or leave?
- Your previous manifesto promised to end freedom of movement but following your conference it is now Labour Party policy to “maintain and extend” free movement. Would you end, maintain or extend free movement, and would immigration be higher or lower under Corbyn’s Labour?
- Asked on Sunday if you were prepared to continue to pay into the EU budget on an ongoing basis, you replied ‘clearly if you want access to a market there are costs involved’. How much would you be willing to pay into the EU budget in return for ‘access to markets’?
- All 635 Conservative candidates standing at this election have pledged to me that, if elected, they will vote in Parliament to pass my Brexit deal. Can you guarantee that every Labour candidate supports your Brexit policy?
When watching tonight’s debate please take part online. Remember to use #BackBoris and #CostofCorbyn hashtags. These are the key things we need to get out there:
- The choice at this election is between a majority Conservative government that will end the paralysis and confusion in Parliament, get Brexit done, and let the country move on OR a hung Parliament bringing more confusion and Corbyn in Downing Street.
- Only the Conservatives can win a majority – we only need to win 9 more seats to end the gridlock in Parliament. Corbyn can’t win a majority but in a hung parliament he would be propped up by the SNP.
- Under Corbyn 2020 would be lost to the chaos of another two referendums – one on Brexit and another on Scottish independence.
- But with a Conservative Government we can unleash Britain’s potential. Investing in our NHS with 40 new hospitals, cutting crime with 20,000 more police, introducing an Australian style points based immigration system, and giving businesses and families the economic certainty they need to plan for the future with confidence.
- Corbyn’s plan for unlimited and unrestricted immigration is the biggest threat to our public services including our NHS - as well as his plans to spend £1.2 trillion which would wreck our economy.
Only a vote for the Conservatives will get Brexit done so we can move onto all the other issues that people care about like the NHS, schools and violent crime. And today, we have set out our plans to put justice for victims back at the heart of the justice system. A Conservative majority will:
- Change the law so that any adult who commits the crime of killing a child should spend the rest of his or her life behind bars.
We’ll prevent released prisoners from reoffending and further cut crime by:
- Establishing a dedicated Prison Education Service to oversee the education and skills training offered across all jails.
- Offering more hours of work to prisoners in jail to provide them with the opportunity to learn new skills and better prepare them for employment.
- Setting up more prison workshops where prisoners can be employed in dedicated workspaces and a work coach in every prison to link inmates with local jobcentres ahead of their release.
The rise we’ve seen in serious violence is deeply worrying. It is the Prime Minister’s priority to make our streets safer. Labour meanwhile are soft on crime and would not give the police the resources or powers they need to keep our streets safe.
Today, we’ve also seen that Corbyn’s Labour will raid people’s life time savings, meaning they could have to delay their retirement.
- Under Corbyn’s plans 10 million hardworking savers could lose an average of over £11,000.
- This is on top of their plans to spend £1.2 trillion extra and hit families with £2,400 more tax – the equivalent of a whole month’s pay.
- In addition, Corbyn’s Labour would mean more dither and delay on Brexit – preventing businesses and families from getting the certainty they need to plan for the future.
Meanwhile, a Conservative majority government will start the process of getting Brexit done, so we can move onto other issues. Throughout the campaign already, we’ve announced that we will:
- Boost our economy by supporting small businesses with a range of tax cuts on business rates, jobs taxes, building taxes and R&D.
- Make it easier to see your GP - with 50 million more appointments in GP surgeries, more GPs, more pharmacists and easier ways to book appointments, as well as a new visa to attract the best doctors and nurses to work in our NHS.
- Take control of our borders by ending free movement and replacing it with a firm and fair Australian-style points-based immigration system so that we decide who comes to this country on the basis of the skills they have to offer – not where they come from.
- Protect our environment with a £640 million Nature for Climate fund, 30,000 more trees planted every year, as well as a £500 million Blue Planet Fund to protect our precious oceans.
- Transform further education by launching a huge new new rebuilding programme which will ensure we are able to prepare young people for their future.
- Invest in infrastructure so we can improve opportunities across the country.
- Support our veterans with a package of measures to improve life after serving in the armed forces.
