Boris Johnson spent his first day on the campaign trail yesterday vowing to deliver Brexit by January ‘at the latest’ so he could focus on schools, policing and the NHS.
During a string of whistle-stop visits to a hospital, a police training academy and a school, the Prime Minister promised voters he had an ‘oven-ready’ Brexit deal to get Britain out of the EU by January 31.
Mr Johnson appealed to voters to back the Conservatives and deliver him a majority so the country could move on from Brexit and onto domestic priorities like law and order and the NHS.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks at old photographs of London with students at Abbots Green Primary Academy on October 31, 2019 in Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to outpatient Kathy Power during a visit to the National Institute for Health Research at the Cambridge Clinical Research Facility, in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, eastern England on October 31, 2019
Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to the National Institute for Health Research at the Cambridge Clinical Research Facility, in Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge
Visiting Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, he pointed the figure of blame at Remainer MPs in Parliament for forcing him to defy his ‘do or die’ pledge to have left the EU by yesterday.
‘There are just too many people who are basically opposed to Brexit, who want to frustrate it,’ Mr Johnson told reporters.
‘It was the mandate of the people. They voted by a pretty substantial majority to do this and Parliament has simply stood in their way.’
He said that a Conservative government would deliver Brexit by January ‘at the absolute latest’ if he wins the General Election on December 12.
Speaking yesterday, on the day the UK was supposed to have left, he said: ‘After three-and-a-half years, it was perfectly obvious to me that this Parliament is just not going to vote Brexit through.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, centre left is steadied by Police Commissioner Cressida Dick as he observes a self defence class, during a visit to Metropolitan Police training college in Hendon, north London, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Police Commissioner Cressida Dick are seated, during the PM’s visit to Metropolitan Police training college in Hendon, north London today. The Prime Minister called for a general election after MPs refused to fast-track his Brexit deal with Brussels through the Commons in time for it to be ratified by the end of the month
‘There are just too many people who are basically opposed to Brexit and want to frustrate it.’ He said his deal with Brussels meant that the UK would be out of the EU within a matter of weeks if the Conservatives won a majority on December 12.
‘If you vote for us and we get our programme through – which we will because it’s oven ready, it’s there to go – then we can be out at the absolute latest by January next year,’ he said.
The Prime Minister called for a general election after MPs refused to fast-track his Brexit deal with Brussels through the Commons in time for it to be ratified by the end of the month. In recent weeks, he has visited hospitals, schools and police stations, offering up the core message that he will ‘get Brexit done’.
Yesterday, Mr Johnson met recruits at a Metropolitan Police training centre in north London alongside the force’s Commissioner, Cressida Dick.
On his third election stop of the day, he visited a primary school in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, where he joined a group of children in an activity sorting pictures of past and presen London.
Picture dated October 31st shows Julia Simons,a 6th year medical student at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.She called the Prime Minister Boris Johnson a coward on a visit to the hospital today as he started his 2019 campaign after he refused to answer her questions
Mr Johnson held one black and white image aloft and suggested ‘past?’ One of the pupils at the school agreed and said it ‘looks dirtier’ – to which the Prime Minister replied: ‘That was when Ken Livingstone was running it.’
The Prime Minister also visited a classroom where children were mummifying pumpkins with salt and another where the pupils were making firework collages.
The Prime Minister is also targeting Brexit-backing Labour areas where he hopes to pick up seats to deliver a Tory majority.
Yesterday, he pledged millions of pounds to run-down towns to help them revitalise their high streets and boost business.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced £16.4million to be shared out between 100 towns from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire to Penzance in Cornwall.
Mr Jenrick said: ‘This government is committed to levelling up all parts of the country.
‘We created the £3.6billion Towns Fund to help businesses grow, connect communities and give people the skills they need to succeed. But no place is exactly the same. That is why we want to help local people to decide how this investment of up to £25million in each town can be used to help create new businesses, new jobs and new homes for generations to come.’
Other towns on the list include Bedford, Blackpool, Doncaster, Glastonbury, Great Yarmouth, Grimsby, Hastings, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Preston, St Helens and Wakefield.
Councils in each place will now bring together a Town Deal board including representatives from across the public, private and voluntary sectors to develop bespoke Town Investment Plans by summer 2020.
These plans will provide a clear vision for building on their town’s unique strengths to transform its economic growth prospects and form the basis of negotiations with the government.
Picture dated October 31st shows Julia Simons,(right, grey strap on shoulder) a 6th year medical student at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.She called the Prime Minister Boris Johnson a coward on a visit to the hospital today as he started his 2019 campaign after he refused to answer her questions. Mr Johnson appealed to voters to back the Conservatives and deliver him a majority so the country could move on from Brexit and onto domestic priorities like law and order and the NHS
Jake Berry, minister for the Northern Powerhouse, said: ‘We are giving local people the money and power to decide what is best for their town because they know their community’s unique strengths.
Together we can build on the billions of pounds the government has already invested in our towns and the thousands of new jobs and businesses it has delivered, to level up these places across the Northern Powerhouse and beyond.’
The money will enable local councils to put together a Town Deal enabling them to access a £3.6billion government fund to be spent on improvements.
The funding could be used to redevelop vacant buildings and land, drive private sector investment by supporting small businesses and ensure young people have skills to get good jobs.
Communities will also be able to consider how they can boost their transport links and increase access to high-speed broadband.