Inside Politics: Johnson and Corbyn draw in first election debate

“I make my own damson jam thank you very much,” an incredulous Jeremy Corbyn declared at the end of the first ever head-to-head election debate on live television in British politics. Given knowledge of the Labour leader’s love for his allotment is pretty widespread at Westminster, it was perhaps a thoughtless response from Boris Johnson when ITV presenter Julie Etchingham asked what Christmas presents they would gift each other (if forced, obviously). During last night’s debate, both leaders also touched on Brexit, the NHS, the monarchy, and climate change, but there was little sign of breakthrough for either side after the hour-long showdown. A snap poll by YouGov found that 51 per cent of viewers believed the Tory leader performed best while 49 per cent opted for Jeremy Corbyn. I’m Ashley Cowburn, and welcome to The Independent’s Inside Politics newsletter.

Our chief political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for on the campaign trail today

The big election campaign event today is the Liberal Democrat manifesto, being launched this afternoon. Jo Swinson bills it as a manifesto to “stop Brexit and build a brighter future”, the first part of which at least is distinctive. We journalists secretly enjoy Lib Dem policy, because it is usually a rich mix of earnest dogoodery and the occasional liberal silliness. The centrepiece of the party’s non-Brexit programme is a penny on income tax for the NHS, the sort of sensible centrism with which most voters agree, but which they may well end up not voting.

#ITVDEBATE: Much like the election campaign itself, the prime minister repeatedly attempted to bring the debate back to Brexit, asking the Labour leader whether he would back Remain or Leave in the referendum, and his price for the support of Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP in the event of a hung parliament. Corbyn meanwhile turned his fire on the prime minister over austerity and the NHS, accusing Johnson of wanting to sell the health service “out to the United States and big pharma” in trade negotiations with Donald Trump. During the duel, both Corbyn and Johnson were also laughed at by the audience. The former for saying his EU policy was clear and the latter for insisting that the truth matters in politics. That’s got to hurt. The loudest applause was reserved  for an audience member who told them: “This whole national will have watched you both throughout this campaign in utter despair”. 
DISINFORMATION: Not content with actual independent fact checking websites and journalists testing the claims made by the leader of the opposition during the debate, the Conservative Party press office decided to take matters into their own hands. Attempting to mislead virtually everyone, the party temporarily rebranded its Twitter account as ‘factcheckUK’, removing any obvious mention of the Conservatives from its username, images and profile. Bona-fide fact-checking organisations condemned the move while others said it amounted to “dystopian” disinformation of the kind seen in authoritarian states. Perhaps least surprisingly, the account crowned Johnson (their boss) as the winner of the debate.
WAR ON POVERTY: Over 50 years ago, US president Lyndon Johnson announced an “unconditional war” on poverty. Now shadow chancellor John McDonnell has declared his own plans to “wage war” on poverty if Labour wins the general election next month. It follows the release of a report by Poverty Britain, which sets out the 10 ways in which poverty has risen and living standards have fallen since 2010. According to the analysis, food banks have given out 65 million meals in the past five years – enough for one per person in the UK. “Poverty in Britain is now the most visible and widespread it has been in decades,” McDonnell added.
NOT THAT WAR: Perhaps McDonnell won’t be taking advice from Lee Anderson in his war against poverty. The Conservative candidate for Ashfield said “nuisance” council tenants who were making life a “complete misery” on the estate should be forced to live “in a tent, in the middle of a field” and pick crops all day. “Back in the tent, cold shower, lights out, six o’clock, it’s the same next day. That would be my solution”. Worth noting that Anderson said his views on nuisance neighbours were his “own personal experience, nobody else’s”, which changes absolutely nothing. Maybe he’s forgetting council tenants in this marginal constituency have voting rights? Just a thought.
B******S TO BREXIT: Launching their manifesto today, the Lib Dems will promise to revoke Article 50 – stopping Brexit – on their first day in No 10 if the party wins a majority. Considering the party has never won a majority and is struggling in the polls, it’s certainly a big “if”. The party will also unveil measures aimed at boosting mental health services for new mothers in a bid to tackle postnatal depression and stress disorder.  “For far too long our our country has turned a blind eye to supporting maternal mental health,” Lib  Dem candidate Luciana Berger tells The Independent. “It’s time to eliminate the stigma and provide new mothers with support they need 
MATERNITY SCANDAL: Former Conservative leadership contender and health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he was “shocked and distressed” to read a report in The Independent detailing what is believed to be the largest maternity scandal in NHS history. A leaked report probing Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust found that dozens of babies and three mothers died while clinical malpractice was allowed to continue unchecked over a period of 40 years. The number of cases being examined by the inquiry team has risen to more than 600. Police are now considering bringing corporate manslaughter charges against the hospital trust. 
 

On the record

“Jeremy would have to make a decision, along with other sections of the party. Back in 2015, Ed Miliband resigned the following day. I think that was wrong of him to do that. You always need a period of reflection.”

Unite leader Len McCluskey when asked by the New Statesman whether Jeremy Corbyn should resign if loses the general election.

From the Twitterati

“I think Boris Johnson just edged that. Disciplined in returning to key message – a vote for Jeremy Corbyn is a vote for Brexit dither. He’ll also clip down better for bulletins.”

Sir Craig Oliver, the former director of communications for David Cameron, offers his analysis on the ITV election debate.

“More Tories thought Corbyn did well in debate than Labour voters thinking the same of Johnson, according to YouGov. On that measure Jeremy Corbyn won.”

… says ITV’s political editor Robert Peston, who cites a poll claiming 48 per cent of Tory voters believed the Labour leader did well.

Essential Reading

Tom Peck, The Independent: The audience won the leaders’ debate – because they didn’t believe a word of it

Diane Abbott, The Independent: The Tories’ Trump-style immigration policy will tear us all apart

Bill Kirkup, The Independent: NHS has failed to learn the lessons of Morecambe Bay – with devastating consequences

Daniel Finkelstein, The Times: This isn’t the election politicians think it is