Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt rule out snap election before Brexit because it would destroy Tories
THE Tories will collapse if Britain ends up holding a snap election before Brexit, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt both warned today.
Both candidates to be PM ruled out calling an early General Election as they clashed for the last time at a debate hosted by The Sun and talkRADIO.
It came as the two Tory rivals appeared to kiss and make up after a bruising campaign, cracking a string of gags in front of an audience of Sun readers at our London HQ.
In a revealing clash:
- The pair disagreed over whether to cut the number of immigrants to Britain
- They both hit out at Donald Trump for tweeting that four non-white US politicians should leave the country
- BoJo refused to reveal if he’ll bring girlfriend Carrie to No10 with him
- He insisted only a true believer can deliver Brexit and convince the EU he’s serious
- Mr Hunt appeared to offer Mr Johnson the job of Chancellor
- Both candidates committed to including at least one woman in their top team
- The rivals accused Jeremy Corbyn of being personally anti-Semitic
- They agreed to go for a pint together when the bruising leadership election ends
The candidates were asked nine questions by Sun readers in a debate broadcast live on this website and talkRADIO.
Asked by host Tom Newton Dunn if he’d rule out a snap election, Mr Johnson replied: “Absolutely.”
He added: “I think it would be the height of folly. I think the people of this country are utterly fed up with politicians coming back to them offering referendums or elections.”
Mr Hunt tore into his rival for rigidly sticking to the October 31 Brexit deadline – warning it could backfire spectacularly.
He said: “We have got to be very careful. If we get this wrong we will trip ourselves into an accidental General Election long before October 31.
“And we might well give the keys to Downing Street to somebody who will never deliver Brexit. And that will be the biggest betrayal.”
The pair both admitted that getting a change to the Irish backstop would not be enough to save Theresa May’s doomed Brexit deal.
Mr Hunt said: “I don’t believe a time limit will do the trick. We have got to find a new way.
“But the thing we must do is give a cast iron commitment to the Republic of Ireland that we will not have border infrastructure.”
BoJo added: “I’m not attracted to time limits or unilateral escape hatches.”
JABS AND JOKES
The two men, who have been running an increasingly bitter campaign, took a few personal jabs at each other during the debate.
Boris took aim at Mr Hunt’s admission that he would consider delaying Brexit by a few weeks in order to finalise a deal.
He blasted: “I’m just anxious that we don’t send out a signal to the rest of the Eu that we’re willing to contemplate another delay.
“I think it’s absolutely absurd – we said on March 29 we were going to delay until April 8, there turned out to be a delay of another six months, I’m hearing that Jeremy might delay for a few days.
“Well how many days? Is that three days, is that six days? You’ve said you’d be prepared to wait until Christmas, which Christmas is it?”
In his own swipe at his rival, Mr Hunt said: “Boris will put a smile on your face and he does it better than anyone.
“But if you want the detailed delivery of Brexit you have got to have a plan….People want calm leadership and delivery.”
But overall it was much better-natured than previous encounters as the pair joked together.
Boris won't cut migrant numbers if he becomes PM
BORIS Johnson was accused of “betraying” the Brexit vote after failing to commit to cutting sky-high net migration if he becomes Prime Minister.
In an astonishing move, the former Vote Leave champion refused to say he would bring numbers down if he replaces Theresa May.
Speaking at the Sun/talkRADIO debate, he said: “What I want to see with immigration is control.
“I’m not going to get into numbers with you.”
Rival Jeremy Hunt, who as Health Secretary, called for looser immigration rules for doctors and nurses, immediately countered that Brexit voters would feel let down.
And he insisted the Tories were duty bound to find a way of cutting migration. He said: “They [voters] voted with an expectation that net migration will come down.
What I want to see with immigration is control. I’m not going to get into numbers with you.
“And I think that people will think we are betraying the spirit of that referendum if we didn’t find a way of bringing down the numbers.
“The way you do that is by training people in this country so we don’t need to bring in people.”
Theresa May famously committed to bringing net migration below the “tens of thousands” as Home Secretary in 2010.
But the Tories have never once hit the target as EU immigration spiralled to record levels. Official figures in May revealed net migration in 2018 hit 258,000 after a rise in immigration from OUTSIDE the EU.
When the pair agreed that the backstop was not needed to protect the Irish border, Mr Johnson said: “I like the way Jeremy is talking now, this new spirit of optimism!”
Mr Hunt joked, “Join my cabinet!” – prompting the reply from BoJo: “I wouldn’t be so impertinent as to use this opportunity to lobby you for a job.”
Mr Johnson said his priority on tax would be raising the level at which people start paying National Insurance contributions– lifting it from the current £8,632 threshold to the personal insurance level of £12,500.
He defended his much-derided pledge to take middle income earners out of the higher rate of income tax by raising the level at which people pay the 40p threshold to £80,000.
Mr Johnson said it was “odd there’s been so much controversy” over the policy, saying it would lift the incomes of police interceptors, school heads of departments and said “wherever possible peoples should spend their own money without the deprivations of the taxman”.
He added: “We should be lifting people on middle incomes out of the higher rate of tax.”
The pair – who both went to elite public schools – defended their privileged upbringing, with Mr Johnson saying the public wouldn’t care “whatever background we come from” as long as Brexit is done.
He said too many people in Government “posh, self-serving or otherwise” had ”basically sat around in Westminster dithering or dickering around” over Brexit.
Mr Hunt said the party had “not done enough to show we’ve got the broad background of people”.
The debate was broadcast live on The Sun Online and across our social media channels .
Tory rivals slam Trump over race row tweets
BORIS Johnson furiously condemned Donald Trump race row tweets – branding them “totally unacceptable.”
The US President sparked uproar by telling four ethnic minority US congresswomen to “go back” to the “crime infested places from which they came”.
And as the global condemnation mounted and the pressure mounted on the candidates to issue a firm response, Mr Johnson joined Theresa May in condemning the extraordinary Twitter rant.
The wannabe PM said: “If you the leader of a multiracial multicultural country, you simply cannot use that kind of language about sending people to where they came from.
“That went out decades and decades ago and thanks heavens.”
Speaking at a debate hosted by The Sun & talkRADIO at our London Bridge HQ, he added: “It is totally unacceptable in a modern multiracial country that you are trying to lead.”
If you the leader of a multiracial multicultural country, you simply cannot use that kind of language
His rival Jeremy Hunt also condemned the US President’s extraordinary outburst.
He said: “I have three Chinese children and they are British citizens born on the NHS.
“And if anybody had said to them go back to China I would be utterly appalled.
“It is totally unbritish to do that. I would hope that would never happen in this country.”
Both men refused to say the tweet was racist – but Mr Hunt pointedly said he can “understand why” others would brand them racist.
