Boris Johnson appeared to duck questions about his failure to appear on Good Morning Britain by hiding in a fridge as he began the final day of general election campaign by loading milk in West Yorkshire.
It comes as YouGov’s MRP poll predicts the Conservatives on course for a 28-seat majority – down from the 68-seat victory predicted only two weeks ago. The margin of error means a hung parliament is now a possibility, with a ex-No 10 pollster warning of a “fast and late” Labour surge.
As Jo Swinson accused Mr Johnson of having a “history” of sexism, a Lib Dem candidate in the marginal seat of Stockton South has effectively endorsed his Labour rival – urging supporters to “vote tactically” to defeat the Tories.
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Tories condemned for ‘vile racism’ after linking EU immigration to terrorism
The Conservatives have been accused of “vile racism” after claiming the free movement of EU citizens is responsible for terrorism and serious crime.
Brandon Lewis, the security minister, was criticised after an eve-of-election attack on “the threat to our national security” from the freeflow of people across EU borders.
He published a detailed dossier highlighting 20 terrorists who he claimed would be “free to enter the UK under Jeremy Corbyn”, if Labour kept free movement rules.
‘A blizzard of disinformation … and dodgy campaigning’
The Electoral Reform Society has said this election has seen “a blizzard of disinformation, ‘dark ads’ and dodgy campaigning”.
Urging the next government to make serious changes, it also stated: “After the election, it is time for a comprehensive reform of our dangerously outdated campaign rules. There have been enough consultations – let’s get on with it.”
Conservative candidate faces Islamophobia investigation
A Tory candidate is under investigation for alleged Islamophobia after endorsing an anti-Islam post on Facebook in 2017.
Sally-Ann Hart described the post – which claimed Muslim organisations were trying to brainwash young Americans – as an “affecting read”, according to The Guardian.
Only last week Hart was widely criticised for suggesting people with disabilities “don’t understand money” and should be paid less.
Samantha Cameron’s sister thinks we should ‘cheat’ Johnson of majority
Samantha Cameron’s sister Emily Sheffield has said she disagrees with the Tory endorsement offered by the Evening Standard – edited by David Cameron’s old ally George Osborne.
“Don’t happen to agree with the paper I write for – it’s not a stark choice … A hung parliament would mean a second referendum,” she tweeted. “If we cheat Boris of his, the alliance will be for 2nd Ref.”
Lib Dem candidate endorses Labour rival in his own seat
A Lib Dem candidate in the marginal seat of Stockton South has effectively endorsed his Labour rival, telling supporters to “vote tactically” to defeat the Tories.
Brendan Devlin tweeted: “To be crystal clear: vote tactically for someone who cares about the NHS and social care.”
He also said the Labour candidate Paul Williams was “an honest, sincere man, and if I needed help, I know he’s reliable and committed to social justice”.
Swinson: PM has ‘said and written many sexist things’
Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson has accused Boris Johnson of sexism.
At a campaign event in Surrey, Swinson said: “Boris Johnson has proven time and time again why he is unfit to be prime minister. He doesn’t care about anyone other than himself.
“He has certainly said and written many sexist things.
“We have seen more of them come out in the campaign, whether it is talking about patting his boss on the bum and sending her on her way, whether it is writing in a derogatory way about Muslim women.
“This is a man who has got an absolute history of talking about women in that way.”
‘No reason was given’: PM rejects another interview
Boris Johnson has refused to yet another interview – turning down BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine despite six leaders who answered the broadcaster’s questions
“No reason was given,” Vine complains.
Former Labour MPs launch anti-Corbyn ad campaign
A group of former Labour MPs have taken out full-page ads local newspapers urging voters not to back Jeremy Corbyn.
The 15 disaffected former MPs penned an open letter saying they could not vote for their old party due to concerns about his record on antisemitism and national security.
The advert reads: “Everyone wants a safer, fairer society. But in this election the Labour Party is set to deliver the opposite.”
More details here:
Weather warnings issued for election day
Two cold weather warnings have been issued for voting day on Thursday.
The Met Office is predicting ice and wintry showers in some areas of Scotland, and have warned people that surfaces could be slippy.
One of the yellow warnings stretches from Perth, north through central Scotland, to Wick, and the other, further south, covers an area between Thornhill and Lanark.
Both are in place from 6pm on Wednesday to 10am on Thursday.
Some 88 per cent of Tory ads inaccurate, research finds
Almost all of the Conservative party’s ads in a crucial campaign period were misleading, according to new research.
Some 88 per cent of the most widely circulated Tory ads during the first four days of December included inaccurate claims, according to fact-checking organisation First Draft News.
It comes as the Coalition for Reform in Political Advertising said at least 31 campaigns across the spectrum did not meet the standard of being “legal, decent, honest and truthful”.
More details here:
Labour closing the gap in YouGov’s massive survey
Conservatives warnings about the threat of Jeremy Corbyn at No 10 have felt like kidology at times, a trick against complacency among Tory voters tempted not to bother because the party seemed so far ahead.
But the new MRP poll by the number crunchers at YouGov will have the sirens going off in CCHQ: the 28-seat majority now predicted is down from a sizeable 68-seat majority forecast by the same survey only two weeks ago.
Our friends at Statista have taken a look at what’s changed in the past fortnight.
‘Very aggressive, foul mouthed and repulsive’: Piers Morgan chides PM’s aide
More from fridge-gate. According to The Times’ Matt Chorley, the outburst by Boris Johnson’s press secretary Rob Oxley – who said “for f***’s sake” when the GMB reporter asked the PM for an interview outside a giant fridge – was explained as “a general expression of frustration” by the Tory sources.
Piers Morgan later said that Oxley called in to the ITV show to complain that he did not assault the reporter.
“He didn’t assault our man Swain, alright he didn’t assault him, what you were was extremely obnoxious, very aggressive, foul mouthed and repulsive,” Morgan said.
Johnson suggests ‘questions’ about security clearance for Corbyn at No 10
The prime minister has also given an interview to talkRADIO, in which Julia Hartley-Brewer asked him about the comments made by Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth.
The shadow health secretary was secretly recorded questioning Corbyn’s suitability for office, saying the civil service machine would “pretty quickly move to safeguard security” if the Labour leader entered No 10.
Johnson said: “where I think John Ashworth was very sensible was in what he said about Mr Corbyn’s views on, whether it’s Hamas, Hezbollah, the IRA, his associations in the past unquestionably do raise questions about the security clearance that he might have.”
He added: “And I’m afraid even more important than that, John Ashworth identified him as a Brexit blocker. He wants to stop Brexit. And that is something that I think is really holding this country back.”
Ashworth, appearing on LBC radio for a listener call-in last night, said he had been feeding his friend – Tory supporter Greg Baker – a “bit of b******s” in the leaked conversation.
Boris Johnson fails to apologise for ‘bum boy’ remark
The publication PinkNews has published an interview with the prime minister in which he said he was “proud that the modern Conservative Party brought in equal marriage and champions tolerance and fairness”.
But Johnson did not take the opportunity to apologise when asked about reference to “tank-topped bum boys” 1998 article for The Telegraph.
Asked if he has ever apologised to Peter Mandelson for using “tank-topped bum boy” to describe him when his sexuality was not known publicly, the PM replied: “I’ve written many millions of words in my time as a journalist, and I’ve never intended to cause hurt or pain to anybody.”
‘Don’t let it be the Tories,’ says Libertines star
Pete Doherty told a cheering crowd of Libertines fans “don’t let it be the Tories” ahead of Thursday’s election.
The music star made the comments as he returned to the stage for an encore in Manchester on Tuesday evening amid chants of “oh Jeremy Corbyn” from the audience. “In this twisted society we live in, you’ve got to go out and work and graft to pay your rent,” Doherty told the crowd.
“Sometimes they say you have to bend over and just take it, but don’t let it be the Tories.”
The 40-year-old also said he knows a “really kind-hearted” friend who told him if he saw Boris Johnson “lying and dying in the street” he “wouldn’t f****** spit on him”.
Labour councillor Kallum Nolan filmed the moment and shared it on social media.
John McDonnell has also tweeted about Liverpool FC fans singing ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn’ during their Champions League match in Austria last night.
Tories accused of ‘vile racism’ for linking immigration to terrorism
Labour has accused the Tories of “vile racism” for suggesting the free movement of EU citizens is responsible for terrorism and serious crime.
Security minister Brandon Lewis was criticised after saying there was “the threat to our national security” from the free flow of people across EU borders.
Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, responded: “This is more nonsense from the fake-news Tories. EU migrants are propping up our struggling NHS and social care systems. To conflate them with terrorists is just more vile racism from the Tories.”
More details here:
Boris Johnson starts his milk round
The prime minister has made his first milk delivery to a resident in Pudsey, West Yorkshire.
The woman who answered the door seemed pleased to see him, but did say: “I didn’t realise there was going to be this many people.” Which, as many have noted on Twitter, suggests she might have aware a special guest would be arriving this morning.
Corbyn tells Glasgow it has ‘some of the poorest people in this country’
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has started his day by speaking to activists in Glasgow, saying people in the city – once Labour stronghold, now SNP territory – have a chance to elect a government that will “give real hope”.
He said: “In this city of Glasgow, which has some of the poorest people in this country, which has wards which contain the lowest life expectancy all across this country, they need an end to austerity.
“They need a UK government that will invest all across the country and give real hope and real security to people.
“That is the offer that Labour makes and we’ve carried that message all across the country during the last 51 days of this campaign.”
I’ll skinny dip in Loch Ness if SNP win 50 seats, says Ruth Davidson
Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has pledged to go skinny dipping in Loch Ness if the SNP win 50 seats at the election.
However, she said she is making the pledge safe in the knowledge “that my modesty (and others’ eyeballs) will remain unmolested” as she does not think that will happen.
Davidson said that conditions are “markedly different” from 2015 when the SNP took 56 seats.
The big YouGov MRP poll predicts the SNP will win 41 seats in Scotland, the Tories will take nine, and Labour will be on five.
Gove says Johnson’s refusal to look at photo of sick boy was ‘moment of absent-mindedness’
Cabinet minister Michael Gove has described Boris Johnson’s decision to snatch a reporter’s phone when shown a photo of a sick boy on a hospital floor as a “single moment of absent-mindedness”.
Gove also claimed: “The prime minister is someone who has deep empathy and profound sympathy with people who are facing difficult circumstances.”
