General election 2019: what were Johnson and Corbyn’s final messages?
Party leaders make final pitches to voters as race tightens
Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson have delivered their final messages to voters, with the Labour leader urging Britain to “vote for hope” today and the prime minister repeating his message about getting Brexit done.
Boris Johnson’s final pitch
Addressing a London rally described as “glitzy” by the Daily Mail, Johnson said: “This election is our chance to end the gridlock but the result is on a knife-edge.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He said: “Just imagine how wonderful it will be to settle down to a turkey dinner this Christmas with Brexit decided – and how awful it would be if Corbyn and Sturgeon were in Downing Street advancing their plans for two more referendums.”
Johnson also told those considering voting for the Brexit Party that they were risking the “terrifying prospect of Jeremy Corbyn moving into Downing Street”.
Jeremy Corbyn’s last message
At his own rally in Hoxton, east London, Corbyn said: “Tomorrow you can shock the establishment, by voting for hope.
“Hope for yourself. Hope for your family. Hope for your community. Hope for our NHS. Hope for our country. Tomorrow, vote for hope. Vote for real change.”
Arguing that “the establishment doesn’t want Labour to win,” he said Britain stands at a “fork in the road,” with a “truly historic” choice between two very different parties.
What do the polls say?
All the pollsters believe that the Tories will get the most votes, with YouGov predicting a nine-point lead, putting the Conservatives on 43, Labour on 34 and the Lib Dems on 12. The Guardian says the polls “point to anything between a hung parliament and a convincing majority for Johnson”.
Both leaders have agreed that the result could be very tight as the UK heads to the polls in the country's third general election in less than five years. It is the first to be held in the month of December for nearly 100 years.
Will weather and voter apathy make a difference?
Weather forecasters predict a cold and wet day across the country. Although bad weather on polling day has often been cited as bad for Labour, Chris Hanretty, a politics professor at Royal Holloway University, told The Independent: “The effects of weather on turnout are small, if they exist, and the effects on vote share are tiny (less than one fifth of one per cent in an extreme case).”
Voter apathy could still have an impact on the vote however. A high turnout is believed to be one of the factors that could cause an upset for today’s election.
A total of 650 parliamentary constituencies are being contested in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Onion is having a very ironic laugh with Infowars
The Explainer The satirical newspaper is purchasing the controversial website out of bankruptcy
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Rahmbo, back from Japan, will be looking for a job? Really?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What's next for electric vehicles under Trump?
Today's Big Question And what does that mean for Tesla's Elon Musk?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The Tamils stranded on 'secretive' British island in Indian Ocean
Under the Radar Migrants 'unlawfully detained' since 2021 shipwreck on UK-controlled Diego Garcia, site of important US military base
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published