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| General election: Johnson's record of lying and prejudice makes him unfit to be PM, say Lib Dems – live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A day after Boris Johnson launched the Tory manifesto, the Lid Dems have questioned whether the prime minister can be trusted. Keep up with the latest | |
| Some of you have been sending in your questions about the Tory manifesto. I will be answering them until 1.30pm. You can share your questions with us via our form here. | |
| Q: As the proposed increase in national insurance allowance will not be of benefit to pensioners, are there any tax incentives to encourage older people to vote for the Conservatives? Anonymous, Lancashire | |
| Not really. There is the so-called triple lock that guarantees that the basic state pension will rise by a minimum of either 2.5%, the rate of inflation or average earnings growth, whichever is largest. But there is not much else and no pledge to restore free TV licences for over-75s. | |
| Q: What’s happened to the national insurance threshold increase promised by Johnson? William, Portugal | |
| This was promised in the Tory manifesto. The party is saying it will raise it to £9,500 next year – amounting to a tax cut of around £85 per household. A longer term raising of the threshold to £12,500 is planned amounting to £500 but there is no word on when this will actually happen. | |
| Q: Why couldn’t Boris give a straight answer to the Guardian’s question regarding factcheck? Jay, 47, Hertfordshire | |
| It can only mean he does not want to criticise the Tory fake fact-check stunt because he knows very well what the problem was and accusations are. He was asked a similar question off-camera last week, so it was obfuscation to say that he hadn’t been paying attention. | |
| The Welsh Labour leader and first minister, Mark Drakeford, has described this as the most important general election since 1945. Speaking at the launch of his party’s manifesto at a further education college in Wrexham, Drakeford said: | |
| Drakeford said that many of the radical policies that the UK Labour party wanted to introduce in England had already been implemented in Wales, such as free prescriptions; free school breakfasts, free hospital parking, the abolition of right to buy, keeping guards on trains and banning fracking. | |
| He said UK Labour’s plans to end austerity would mean a £3.4bn increase to Wales’ annual budget. The party promised to revive the stalled Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project, work with people on the island of Anglesey to “maximise its potential for new nuclear energy” and invest in railways. | |
| On Brexit, Drakeford made it clear that the Welsh Labour government would campaign “unapologetically, unreservedly and enthusiastically to remain”. He said: | |
| He ended his speech by quoting Aneurin Bevan, who said: “Private charity can never be a substitute for organised justice.” Drakeford added: | |
| The government has announced plans for a slimmed down Queen’s speech on Thursday 19 December, as Boris Johnson has said he would want to push through his Brexit bill as soon as possible if he wins a majority. | |
| Preparations are being made for a curtailed process that cuts down on ceremony, in case Johnson is the new prime minister and wants to push ahead with a second reading of the withdrawal agreement bill before Christmas recess. | |
| The election is due to happen on 12 December and the results will emerge through the early hours of Friday 13 December. | |
| Parliament will then resume on Tuesday 16 December and then there would be the election of the new Speaker and several days of new MPs being sworn in. | |
| A Queen’s speech would need to take place after that to allow legislation to brought forward, with the first and second readings of the Brexit bill possibly happening that week. | |
| A government spokesman said: | |
| Q: Where will the 50,000 nurses come from? Robert Footman, Hong Kong | |
| Boris Johnson’s nurse numbers are as follows: 12,500 from abroad, 14,000 from the undergraduate route and 5,000 nurse apprentices. That leaves 18,500 who are not new nurses but nurses would otherwise have left and have been retained in the profession by various incentives. The Tories argue improving retention rates is a way of boosting nurse numbers but Labour say the headline 50,000 figure is fake. | |
| Q: Much has been made of increases to public spending to the tune of £2.9bn including 50,000 nurses. With no increases in taxes or national insurance who will this be paid for? Gareth Jenkins, Pwllheli, north Wales | |
| The biggest tranche of cash for this comes from a decision to postpone a cut in corporation tax, which Johnson claims will raise £6bn. Tories have in the past argued corporation tax cuts don’t cost any money but Johnson has acknowledged this is not really the case. | |
| Q: Can you really trust them to deliver any of this – even the ones that appear to be socially responsible like extra nurses? Brian Robinson, 65, Bristol | |
| That is something voters are going to have to grapple with. But Johnson’s record on keeping pledges has not been great even in his short time as prime minister (leaving the EU “do or die” by 31 October, tax cuts for higher earners). | |
| I’m Rowena Mason, deputy political editor of the Guardian, and will be answering your questions about the Tory manifesto today. I have written about Westminster politics for eight years, covering three elections and two referendums. During this election, I have been tracking the Tories since Boris Johnson’s first stump speech in Birmingham and was at the party’s manifesto launch in Telford on Sunday. | |
| If you have a question you can send it to us by filling in the form here. | |
| The Chuka Umunna Q&A is now over. This is what Umunna said in response to the question from my colleague Peter Walker about whether he thought Boris Johnson was fit to be prime minister. Umunna replied: | The Chuka Umunna Q&A is now over. This is what Umunna said in response to the question from my colleague Peter Walker about whether he thought Boris Johnson was fit to be prime minister. Umunna replied: |
| Umunna did not give examples of Johnson lying in his examples, but there is at least one website devoted to false and misleading things Johnson has said. For examples of Johnson’s displaying prejudice, the BBC’s Fiona Bruce came out with a list on Question Time on Friday. | Umunna did not give examples of Johnson lying in his examples, but there is at least one website devoted to false and misleading things Johnson has said. For examples of Johnson’s displaying prejudice, the BBC’s Fiona Bruce came out with a list on Question Time on Friday. |
| Q: Do you believe your friend Tony Blair when he says he will not be voting for you personally? (See 11.27am.) Do you think he is telling the truth? | Q: Do you believe your friend Tony Blair when he says he will not be voting for you personally? (See 11.27am.) Do you think he is telling the truth? |
| Umunna says he did not see the Blair speech. He says he accepts Blair’s point about how Blair is in a special position personally. But Umunna says he thinks Blair was saying other people in the Cities of London and Westminster would be voting for him. | Umunna says he did not see the Blair speech. He says he accepts Blair’s point about how Blair is in a special position personally. But Umunna says he thinks Blair was saying other people in the Cities of London and Westminster would be voting for him. |
| Q: Have you been surprised by the extent to which the Lib Dem vote is being squeezed? | Q: Have you been surprised by the extent to which the Lib Dem vote is being squeezed? |
| No, says Umunna. He says this is his first election as a Lib Dem. But older hands in the party tell him they are not surprised. | No, says Umunna. He says this is his first election as a Lib Dem. But older hands in the party tell him they are not surprised. |
| Umunna says he thinks there will be more tactical voting during this election than in any election since 1997. | Umunna says he thinks there will be more tactical voting during this election than in any election since 1997. |
| Q: You did not mention revoking article 50. Have the Lib Dems abandoned this as a plan? | Q: You did not mention revoking article 50. Have the Lib Dems abandoned this as a plan? |
| No, says Umunna. He says it is still the case that, if they won a majority of MPs, they would revoke article 50. But the party is also campaigning for a people’s vote. And, unlike Labour, all Lib Dem MPs would be campaigning for remain. | No, says Umunna. He says it is still the case that, if they won a majority of MPs, they would revoke article 50. But the party is also campaigning for a people’s vote. And, unlike Labour, all Lib Dem MPs would be campaigning for remain. |
| Chuka Umunna is now taking questions at the end of his speech. | Chuka Umunna is now taking questions at the end of his speech. |
| Q: Was it a mistake for the Lib Dems to start the campaign by saying that Jo Swinson could end up being PM? | Q: Was it a mistake for the Lib Dems to start the campaign by saying that Jo Swinson could end up being PM? |
| Umunna says he does not accept that. It is the Lib Dems’ job to fight every seat with the intention of trying to win. It would be strange if they said anything else, he says. He says it will be for the voters to decide how many MPs the Lib Dems get. | Umunna says he does not accept that. It is the Lib Dems’ job to fight every seat with the intention of trying to win. It would be strange if they said anything else, he says. He says it will be for the voters to decide how many MPs the Lib Dems get. |
| Q: Do you think Boris Johnson is fit to be PM? | Q: Do you think Boris Johnson is fit to be PM? |
| Umunna says he is worried that Johnson can do what he does, and it is treated as if it is “priced in”. He says he is worried that Johnson can “lie again and again and again”, and spew out racist language in his career, and that this is not a general election issue. | Umunna says he is worried that Johnson can do what he does, and it is treated as if it is “priced in”. He says he is worried that Johnson can “lie again and again and again”, and spew out racist language in his career, and that this is not a general election issue. |
| Here are some of the main lines from Chuka Umunna’s speech, from the text released by the Lib Dems in advance. | Here are some of the main lines from Chuka Umunna’s speech, from the text released by the Lib Dems in advance. |
| Umunna, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, said Britain could become a “vassal state” of the US under Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan. He said: | Umunna, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, said Britain could become a “vassal state” of the US under Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan. He said: |
| Umunna said Johnson was as populist and rightwing as Donald Trump. He said: | Umunna said Johnson was as populist and rightwing as Donald Trump. He said: |
| Umunna confirmed the Liberal Democrats were committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence. | Umunna confirmed the Liberal Democrats were committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence. |
| As part of a new series you can ask our political team any questions you have about the general election, and they will post their responses on the politics live blog between 12.30pm and 1.30pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until polling week. | As part of a new series you can ask our political team any questions you have about the general election, and they will post their responses on the politics live blog between 12.30pm and 1.30pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until polling week. |
| Today at 12.30pm, the deputy political editor, Rowena Mason, will answer your questions about the Tory manifesto, campaign and policies, just how realistic the pledges are and what they might mean for you. You can ask your question via our form here. | Today at 12.30pm, the deputy political editor, Rowena Mason, will answer your questions about the Tory manifesto, campaign and policies, just how realistic the pledges are and what they might mean for you. You can ask your question via our form here. |
| Chuka Umunna, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, is giving a speech on foreign policy. There is a live feed here. | Chuka Umunna, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, is giving a speech on foreign policy. There is a live feed here. |
| Tony Blair was critical of both main parties in his speech and Q&A this morning. That probably won’t worry the respective party leaderships very much; Tory Brexiters and Labour Corbynites are both united in their scorn for Blair and much of what he represents, and they tend to believe that any criticism from the former PM ends up being counterproductive. Maybe with some audiences it is, but Blair can still present a political argument with a clarity that very few others can match. | Tony Blair was critical of both main parties in his speech and Q&A this morning. That probably won’t worry the respective party leaderships very much; Tory Brexiters and Labour Corbynites are both united in their scorn for Blair and much of what he represents, and they tend to believe that any criticism from the former PM ends up being counterproductive. Maybe with some audiences it is, but Blair can still present a political argument with a clarity that very few others can match. |
| At one point quite recently it was assumed that Blair was hoping a new centrist party might emerge to challenge Labour. But the demise of Change UK may have killed that off as an aspiration for the foreseeable future, and one of the interesting features of the Q&A was Blair’s confirmation that he wants to stay in the Labour party to contribute to the debate he expects it to be having about its post-Corbyn future after the election. | At one point quite recently it was assumed that Blair was hoping a new centrist party might emerge to challenge Labour. But the demise of Change UK may have killed that off as an aspiration for the foreseeable future, and one of the interesting features of the Q&A was Blair’s confirmation that he wants to stay in the Labour party to contribute to the debate he expects it to be having about its post-Corbyn future after the election. |
| Here are the main points from the speech and Q&A. | Here are the main points from the speech and Q&A. |
| Blair accused both the Conservatives and Labour of peddling “fantasies” to voters in the election campaign. (See 9.17am.) He also said as a result he did not think it would be good for the country for either main party to win a majority. | Blair accused both the Conservatives and Labour of peddling “fantasies” to voters in the election campaign. (See 9.17am.) He also said as a result he did not think it would be good for the country for either main party to win a majority. |
| He said there was no chance of Boris Johnson being able to negotiate a Canada-style trade deal with the EU before the end of next year. Johnson claims that this will be possible, and he says he will not extend the Brexit transition period. But Blair said a trade deal within this timeframe would only be acceptable if the UK agreed to stay aligned to the single market – an option Johnson has ruled out. (See 9.21am.) Blair said trade talks with the EU could in fact go on for years under the Tories. (See 9.22am.) This is an argument that Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon have also been making forcefully. | He said there was no chance of Boris Johnson being able to negotiate a Canada-style trade deal with the EU before the end of next year. Johnson claims that this will be possible, and he says he will not extend the Brexit transition period. But Blair said a trade deal within this timeframe would only be acceptable if the UK agreed to stay aligned to the single market – an option Johnson has ruled out. (See 9.21am.) Blair said trade talks with the EU could in fact go on for years under the Tories. (See 9.22am.) This is an argument that Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon have also been making forcefully. |
| He said a no-deal Brexit was now a “probable outcome” if Johnson was telling the truth about not being willing to extend the Brexit transition. (See 8.57am.) In the Q&A he also said he did not think Tory Brexiters understood how damaging a no-deal Brexit would be. He said: | He said a no-deal Brexit was now a “probable outcome” if Johnson was telling the truth about not being willing to extend the Brexit transition. (See 8.57am.) In the Q&A he also said he did not think Tory Brexiters understood how damaging a no-deal Brexit would be. He said: |
| He described what Labour was proposing as “a revolution” and implied its promises were unrealistic. (See 9.23am.) | He described what Labour was proposing as “a revolution” and implied its promises were unrealistic. (See 9.23am.) |
| He implied that he backed tactical voting against Brexiter candidates. In his speech he said: | He implied that he backed tactical voting against Brexiter candidates. In his speech he said: |
| But he said he would be voting Labour himself - even though he understood why people in his constituency, the Cities of London and Westminster, would be voting for the Lib Dem candidate Chuka Umunna. Blair said as a former party leader he was in a special category, and he implied that he thought it was important to remain as a party member (he would get thrown out if he publicly backed a candidate from another party) because he wanted to have a say in the party’s post-Corbyn future. He said: | But he said he would be voting Labour himself - even though he understood why people in his constituency, the Cities of London and Westminster, would be voting for the Lib Dem candidate Chuka Umunna. Blair said as a former party leader he was in a special category, and he implied that he thought it was important to remain as a party member (he would get thrown out if he publicly backed a candidate from another party) because he wanted to have a say in the party’s post-Corbyn future. He said: |
| He said that he thought the chances of an outright Labour majority were “negligible”. | He said that he thought the chances of an outright Labour majority were “negligible”. |
| He said British politics was chaotic, crazy and “utterly dysfunctional”. He said this could end up causing “serious economic and social damage” to the UK. (See 9.08am.) | He said British politics was chaotic, crazy and “utterly dysfunctional”. He said this could end up causing “serious economic and social damage” to the UK. (See 9.08am.) |
| He said Britain needed to “up the quality” of its political discourse. In the Q&A he said: | He said Britain needed to “up the quality” of its political discourse. In the Q&A he said: |
| On a visit to Derbyshire this morning Jeremy Corbyn met a group of Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaigners to promote the Labour plan to spend £58bn to compensate them. He told them: | On a visit to Derbyshire this morning Jeremy Corbyn met a group of Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaigners to promote the Labour plan to spend £58bn to compensate them. He told them: |
| Blair is wrapping up now. | Blair is wrapping up now. |
| He says, whatever happens, Britain is a great country. | He says, whatever happens, Britain is a great country. |
| He recalls a visit to an African country recently. The president told him he was sorry for what was happening in Britain. | He recalls a visit to an African country recently. The president told him he was sorry for what was happening in Britain. |
| Q: Is it getting harder and harder to stay optimistic. What are the chances this will go your way? | Q: Is it getting harder and harder to stay optimistic. What are the chances this will go your way? |
| Blair says he is naturally optimistic. But he is not sure he still is. He is worried, he says. Some days he thinks this problem will blow itself out. Other days he thinks the problems are really deep. | Blair says he is naturally optimistic. But he is not sure he still is. He is worried, he says. Some days he thinks this problem will blow itself out. Other days he thinks the problems are really deep. |
| But we need to think deeply as a country, he says. He says he does not think the country can go on like this for long without “severe damage”. | But we need to think deeply as a country, he says. He says he does not think the country can go on like this for long without “severe damage”. |
| People are less deferential, which is good. And they want a say, which is good. But people have to share responsibility. | People are less deferential, which is good. And they want a say, which is good. But people have to share responsibility. |
| When this is over, “we’ve got to up the quality of political discourse”, he says. | When this is over, “we’ve got to up the quality of political discourse”, he says. |
| He says what populism does is “ride the anger”. | He says what populism does is “ride the anger”. |
| He says he is passionate about technology because he thinks that is an essential part of what a modern political agenda looks like. | He says he is passionate about technology because he thinks that is an essential part of what a modern political agenda looks like. |
| And that’s it. The Q&A is over. | And that’s it. The Q&A is over. |
| I’ll post a summary soon. | I’ll post a summary soon. |