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As it happenedended

Boris Johnson news: PM delivers rambling Brexit speech on election trail, after being repeatedly jeered by angry members of public

Follow all the latest developments, as they happened

Adam Forrest,Lizzy Buchan
Wednesday 13 November 2019 14:40 EST
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Boris Johnson heckled on visit to flood-hit Yorkshire: 'You took your time'

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Boris Johnson has delivered a rambling election speech after being repeatedly heckled by residents during his visit to South Yorkshire – six days after severe flooding hit the area.

It comes as the People’s Vote campaign group has released a list of more than 100 “Remainer” candidates who will receive backing in a bid to stop the Conservatives winning the general election.

Lib Dem Tim Walker withdrew from the race in Canterbury in a bid to help the Labour candidate keep out the local Tory Brexiteer. But party bosses provoked outrage when they said the party will field another candidate instead.

To see events as they unfolded, follow our coverage below

Boris Johnson gives speech from an electric car factory in the Midlands

The PM begins his speech with typical flourish, claiming he is the 'midwife' of the taxis being created in the factory. 

The imagery is not lost on journalists there:

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 16:47

Boris Johnson says the country is 'blocked, stymied' by parliament

The prime minister says the paralysed parliament is preventing him from delivering Brexit. He says getting Brexit done is the best thing for the economy, for 'our psychological health'.

'No one can get anything done', he says. Johnson claims there is a 'pent up tidal wave' of investment to come once Brexit is delivered.

He says Brexit can be delivered as there is a deal ready to go - 'Just add water', he says.

Johnson turns to attacking Labour, saying the only 'crouton of fact in the minestrone of Labour's Brexit policy is 'more delay'.

'Who knows,' he asks, whether Jeremy Corbyn would join with Nicola Sturgeon to break up the UK. 

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 16:52

Boris Johnson describes his Brexit plan as the "Blue Peter deal"

The prime minister has moved on from his oven ready deal - to a Blue Peter deal. 

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 17:00

Boris Johnson repeats controversial £1.2trn cost claim of Labour's manifesto

The PM says Labour would go on a "spending splurge" over the next parliament. He cites the Tory research which claims Labour would spend £1.2trn over the next parliament. Labour has dismissed their analysis as "fake news", as it is based on policies that may not even make it into the manifesto.

Johnson also makes a strange claim that people would be forced to take out a mortgage to buy groceries.

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 17:06

 Boris Johnson asks voters to back him or face a "technicolour coalition of chaos"

The PM asks the audience "Do you want to wake up on Friday 13... to a Nightmare on Downing Street?"

He says only the Tories can prevent a "technicolour coalition of chaos" under Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon.

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 17:12

PM takes questions from journalists

Johnson is asked about the terrible flooding in Yorkshire, which he says has been terrible. He says the government is ready to help in any way it can and he has sent in soldiers to help with the relief efforts.

Asked if he is in control of the election, he says the Tories are the only way to get Brexit done and avoid a coalition of chaos from Labour and SNP.

Asked if he will apologise over the flooding, Johnson does not answer directly but says he feels deeply for the people affected. 

He faces another question about David Gauke - his former justice secretary - who said voters should back the Lib Dems rather than a Boris Johnson-led Tory party.

The PM says the most important thing is to get Brexit done - and the only way to do that is to vote for a majority Tory government.

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 17:14

Boris Johnson says UK must be 'realistic' about threats from abroad

PM says he does not think it was 'realistic' that Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi should have been arrested - as Jeremy Corbyn claimed earlier.

'This approach is naive, if not dangerous', he says.

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 17:22

Boris Johnson blames aides for 'stray early draft' with crude insult against Jeremy Corbyn

The prime minister looks pretty awkward at this and suggests that the claim that Mr Corbyn is an 'onanist' - a biblical term for masturbation - was simply a 'stray early draft' of his speech.

This is untrue. It was widely circulated to journalists from the Conservative party press office.

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 17:26

Nigel Farage says he may vote Conservative

Nigel Farage says he wants to see the Conservative manifesto before deciding whether to vote for Boris Johnson's party on December 12.

The Brexit Party leader this week stood down candidates in all 317 constituencies won by the Tories in 2017, including his own in Kent.

The decision means supporters living in almost half the UK's seats will not be able to vote for a Brexit Party candidate on polling day.

Speaking on the campaign trail in Ilford, Mr Farage said he wanted to ensure the changes indicated by the PM on Brexit were written into the manifesto before offering his own vote to the Tories.

If the changes - including refusing to extend the trade talks with the European Union past 2020 and ruling out future political alignment with Brussels - do not appear, then the MEP has threatened to vote down the Withdrawal Agreement in the European Parliament.

Asked whether he could vote Tory personally in his own constituency, Mr Farage said: "I want to see the manifesto. Let me see what is in the manifesto.

"I'm hoping and believing that what Boris said last Sunday is going to be in the manifesto.

"If that is in the manifesto then the deal as was is about to be changed in quite a big way."

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 17:33

Nigel Farage rows back on suggestion he could vote Tory 

Lizzy Buchan13 November 2019 17:44

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