Tory leadership debate: Boris Johnson brandishes kipper on stage as he declares May's Brexit deal ‘defunct' at final hustings
The final Conservative Party leadership hustings with Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, as it happened
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Your support makes all the difference.Tory leadership contenders Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt both stood by their stated approaches to handling Brexit at the final hustings before the polls close for Conservative members to vote for their party’s new leader and the country’s next prime minister.
Mr Johnson repeatedly refused to rule out suspending Parliament as PM to force through Brexit and said the UK would leave the European Union by 31 October with or without a deal.
Mr Hunt meanwhile said he could delay Brexit beyond that point if a deal was in reach, but he has also not ruled out walking away from negotiations without an agreement.
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Unison and the GMB, two of Britain's biggest trade unions, have denounced the Labour leadership's treatment of whistleblowers on antisemitism, dealing a fresh blow to Jeremy Corbyn.
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The final Tory leadership hustings is about to get underway. Moderator Iain Dale is on stage now.
Brandon Lewis, the Conservative chairman, has talked quite a bit so far about Jeremy Corbyn.
Liz Truss, introducing Boris Johnson, claims he "put London on the map".
A rapturous reception for Mr Johnson, who says he hopes the audience agrees the leadership campaign has done "enormous credit" to the Conservative Party.
"We're going to turn this thing round, we're going to come back and we're going to win," says Mr Johnson of the Tories' fortunes after referencing its drubbing in the European Parliament election.
The Northern Irish border and complex questions of trade will be worked out after Britain leaves the EU on 31 October, Mr Johnson says.
There will be adequate safe drinking water in Britain after Brexit, the frontrunner promised in his opening statement.
Mr Johnson has started at full pelt, whizzing through promises for the future and reminiscences about his past successes.
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