Boris Johnson news: Corbyn handed election debate poll boost, as Tories face angry backlash over fake fact checker

Boris Johnson suggests Tories will offer National Insurance cut to workers

The Conservative election manifesto could include a hike in National Insurance thresholds to £12,000, Boris Johnson has suggested.

The announcement appeared to be the result of a slip of the tongue by the prime minister during a visit to a factory in the North-East.

Mr Johnson was challenged by a worker at the fabrication plant in Teesside, who demanded to know whether the lower taxes promised by the Conservatives would be “for people like you… or people like us”.

Labour's manifesto will be 'most radical' ever seen, says party chairman

Ian Lavery, Labour's chairman, has insisted the party's manifesto will be the "most radical" ever seen in Britain - and predicted the Lib Dems will pay the price for ignoring Brexit voters.

Speaking during a campaign visit in Walsall North, Mr Lavery told reporters: "Wait till tomorrow. I promise you, you will be excited by what the party has got to offer.

"It's the most radical manifesto probably this country has ever seen by any political party."

Mr Lavery claimed the Liberal Democrats have "totally ignored 17.4 million people in this country as if their vote doesn't count".

He added: "They will pay the price for that (in) constituencies like Walsall North. Nearly 70% of the people in this constituency voted to leave the EU. We should be listening to people like that."

Asked about Labour's stance on Brexit, Mr Lavery said: "It's all right saying it's a fudge - what we are saying is we have listened to both sides of the argument. We understand the situation.

"Jeremy is, by his very nature, trying to bring people together because it's a very toxic situation.

"We have said quite simply, we will win the election, we'll then renegotiate a Labour Brexit in the best interests of the people, in the best interests of jobs, the economy, the environment, security, consumer rights - all of that.

"And then we will put it back in the hands of the people - let the people decide."

Boris Johnson lets key policy slip in grilling over his promises for a low tax economy

Labour say the PM's suggested tax cuts amount to £1.64 per week

Reacting to Johnson's suggestion that the national insurance threshold could be raised to £12,000, John McDonnell said: “Even after ten years of cruel cuts and despite creaking public services the Tories still think the answer to the challenges of our time is a tax cut of £1.64 a week, with those on Universal Credit getting about 60p.

“Meanwhile independent experts have said this will cost up to £11 billion so everyone who relies on public services and social security will be wondering whether they will be paying the price.

“The Tories are stuck in the 1980s while a Labour Government will tackle head-on the climate and human emergencies of our time.”

Lib Dems gear up for election manifesto launch

Boris Johnson says national insurance pledge will rise to £9,500 at first

After appearing to have let it slip by accident, the PM said his National Insurance pledge would put around £500 into people's pockets.

Mr Johnson told reporters at a fish and chip shop on the North East coast: "If you remember... the Conservative Party leadership campaign which I contested only a few months ago, this was actually the key policy I kept talking about so I don't think it can come as much of a surprise.

"Obviously the thinking behind it is that we're tax-cutting Conservatives but we think this is the moment to help people with the cost of living and to do more to help people on low incomes with the cost of living to put more money into their pockets and we have to do it in a way that is prudent, that is affordable, and we've been working on it for a while as you can imagine.

"We will initially go up to £9,500 in the first stage but of course the plan is to go up to £12,000."

He said the £9,500 would be "soon" in the next Parliament if the party wins the election.

"This will put around £500 into people's pockets - it's good for the economy, it stimulates consumption, it stimulates growth, but it also will help people with the cost of living. The cost we think is about £2.1 billion in 2021 so it's affordable."

'The Liberal Democrats’ bold ambitions won’t take them far in this two-party stitch-up'

"Jo Swinson would have provided a refreshing alternative to Corbyn and Johnson in last night’s TV debate," writes the Independent's Andrew Grice.

"But compare her with another female leader, Nicola Sturgeon, and the conclusion is less flattering."

Read his column here:

Boris Johnson clarifies ambition to lift NI contribution threshold to £12,500

After originally saying £12,000, Mr Johnson later clarified that the ambition was to lift the National Insurance Contribution threshold to £12,500 - and said he would bring forward plans to raise it to £9,500 in the first budget.

"We will go initially to £9,500 early in the next parliament if we're lucky enough to be elected - we'll do it in the first budget... the ambition is to lift the threshold to £12,500," he told ITV.

Mr Johnson did not clarify when the threshold would be reached.

NHS overtakes Brexit as voters' top priority for election, poll finds

Voters are now more likely to base their vote on the state of the NHS than they are about Brexit with less than a month to go before election day, a new poll has found.

In a major boost for Labour the long-running Ipsos MORI tracker recorded large jumps in concern about the NHS and public services generally over recent weeks.

The NHS is now solidly ahead of Brexit as a concern, with 60 per cent of voters citing the issue in the poll conducted 15-18 November, up 6 per cent compared to a similar poll conducted 8-11 November.

Liberal Democrats launch election manifesto

Jo Swinson says her party is launching a bold alternative to the tired visions from Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson. She says too many people are struggling to keep the heating on or put food on the table, despite the UK being one of the largest economies in the world.

Swinson says the government has 'wasted' the last few years going on about Brexit, rather than dealing with key issues, from the economy to climate change.

'Whether it's Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn...they are gambling with your future'.

She says the PM is endorsed by people like Tommy Robinson and Donald Trump - and he only cares about 'Boris Johnson'.

'This is a man who lied to the Queen, who has lied to country and is lying to you now.'