Dead heat in stilted first UK election debate

There was no clear winner as Jeremy Corbyn was ridiculed over his four-day working week.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn shaking hands on the set of the election debate. Picture: ITV

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was openly ridiculed by the audience during a head-to-head debate with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he claimed the cost of his planned four-day working week would come from productivity increases.

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In a stilted, unusual format where the leaders were given short 90-second bursts to respond to questions from the audience, only one new measure was revealed: a plan by the Tories to quarantine the family home from the cost of aged care.

The reaction to the UK leader’s debate could only be determined by the laughter and clapping of a hand-picked studio audience. The worm so favoured by Australian broadcasters during similar political debates is not used here in the UK.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn pose with journalist Julie Etchingham ahead of the ITV Leaders Debate. Picture: ITV

YouGov conducted a snap two-minute poll after the debate for Sky News and found that it was nearly a dead heat.

The pollsters asked 1600 people which man performed the best, and Mr Johnson, wearing a blue tie, was supported by 51 per cent and Mr Corbyn, wearing a red tie, got 49 per cent.

Pollsters said broadly most people went down party lines and neither leader had been able to win over people form outside of their camp.

Prime Minister Johnson tried to keep the debate squarely on “getting Brexit done” and emphasising the dithering and delay that a Labour government would bring. He emphasised that Tory’s management of finances would enable investment in other areas, rather than crackpot four day weeks or a forest of spending promises by Labour.

Mr Corbyn attempted to focus on the National Health Service and he accused the Conservative government of secret meetings with the United States to sell of parts of the health system.

Jeremy Corbyn says Boris Johnson is negotiating to sell the NHS to the United States, an accusation Boris Johnson strongly denies. #ITVdebate pic.twitter.com/jzzah12KxN

— ITV News (@itvnews) November 19, 2019

Mr Johnson fiercely rejected those claims and said: “this is absolute invention and it is completely untrue: no circumstance whatsoever will we put the NHS on the table; our NHS will never be for sale.”

Johnson revealed a plan to quarantine the family home from the cost of aged care. Picture: ITV

Corbyn pushed his four-day working week during the debate. Picture: ITV

In one of the spikiest exchanges, Mr Johnson said that Labour had to do a deal with Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Nationalist Party and agree to a second Scottish independence referendum as the price of her support. But Mr Corbyn immediately interjected and said: “It is a nonsense, there is not going to be a coalition and there have been no deals done and there will be no deals.”

Boris Johnson rules out a referendum on Scotland Independence and says the price for Nicola Sturgeon’s support would be a chaotic coalition. #ITVdebate pic.twitter.com/erMH7WGKK4

— ITV News (@itvnews) November 19, 2019

Mr Johnson stressed that getting Brexit done and keeping the economy robust was the best way to fund the NHS and other community services; while Mr Corbyn said this election would be a turning point in how the economy will be managed in the future.

Mr Johnson pushed Mr Corbyn to articulate his Brexit preference on nine different occasions, but the Labour leader repeatedly avoided giving a direct answer.

Boris Johnson challenges Jeremy Corbyn on whether he will campaign for remain or leave in a future Brexit referendum, whilst Jeremy Corbyn accuses Boris Johnson of not being honest about his timelines #ITVdebate pic.twitter.com/sSPS3RrGyY

— ITV News (@itvnews) November 19, 2019

“We don’t know on which side Mr Corbyn will campaign. Will he campaign for Leave or Remain?” Mr Johnson said, adding that there was “a void at the heart of his (Brexit) policy”.

Mr Corbyn said reducing the working week would be paid for by productivity increases and insisted that “the shorter working week will be good for health and wellbeing as will pay increases”.

Both men were quizzed on leadership shortcomings: Johnson on the issue of trust, and Mr Corbyn on dealing with antisemitism in the Labour Party.

Mr Corbyn said he would give Mr Johnson Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as a Christmas present, referencing Scrooge. Mr Johnson said he would give Mr Corbyn a copy of his Brexit deal, and for a non-political gift, a pot of damson jam.

In the quick-fire questions, both leaders are asked if the Monarchy and Prince Andrew are fit for purpose #ITVdebate pic.twitter.com/bHQIDSOTeH

— ITV News (@itvnews) November 19, 2019

Both men were asked about the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew and his friend Jeffrey Epstein and whether the monarchy was fit for purpose. Mr Corbyn said it could do with some improvement while Mr Johnson remarked that the institution of the monarchy was without reproach. Both expressed sympathy for the victims of Epstein.