UK braces for ‘tough, nasty’ Brexit poll

Boris Johnson has roused the Conservative Party to prepare for a ‘mega-tough’ British December 12 general election battle.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Picture: AP

Boris Johnson has roused the Conservative Party to prepare for a “mega-tough’’ British December 12 general election battle that could result in Brexit being ­revoked.

The Prime Minister has boldly gambled his severely hamstrung minority government — and achieving Brexit — on a pitch to a country of fed-up voters promising to getting Brexit done, boosting police numbers and reinvigorating the national health service.

Mr Johnson laid bare the risks and potential pitfalls of a radical Labour government or if there was a hung parliament propped up by the Liberal Democrats.

“We are left with no choice but to go to the country to break free from this (Brexit) impasse,’’ he had told parliament.

Mr Johnson attacked Labour for it failing to support Brexit and procrastination: “They just want to spin it out forever, until the 12th of never. And when the 12th of never eventually comes around, they’ll devise one of their complicated parliamentary procedures and move a motion for a further delay and a further extension then.’’

Labour MP David Lammy suggested the gloves were off as the five-week campaign begins upon the dissolution of parliament next Wednesday. He warned that he was deeply worried about further division around Brexit being caused during the campaign.

“Do not underestimate how fearful a significant part of the population are under Boris Johnson’s Conservatives,’’ Mr Lammy told the Foreign Press Association in London on Wednesday.

“Shier voters and business-friendly voters are really concerned. I can tell you this, this will be the nastiest and most brutal election in our lifetime and I am deeply worried about further division.’’

During Tuesday’s vote to decide holding an election, Labour tried, but failed, to allow 16- and 17-year-olds, and all EU citizens living in Britain, the right to vote in this election. In the end the government won its preferred election date of December 12, despite opposition that students would be disadvantaged because university terms were finishing the next day.

Mr Johnson later told a backbenchers’ meeting that the election was necessary because Labour would have “sliced and diced” Brexit legislation by attaching a customs union, changing it beyond recognition.

Backbencher Robert Halfon said Mr Johnson warned it would be an incredibly tough election for the Conservatives.

“He said we’re going to take the fight to Corbyn on schools, hospitals and the police. We’re going to take the fight to Corbyn on domestic issues.

“Of course, he said we have to have an election because we’ve got to get Brexit done and Labour will mess it up. But it was a King Henry V to Agincourt-type speech — very inspirational. He said it’s going to be the toughest election. He said forget about the polls, forget about everything you read, this is going to be an incredibly tough election.

“No one wants to do an election in December, it’s going to be mega-tough.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has made it clear he is campaigning on a “people before privilege’’ slogan, vowing “the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change that the country has ever seen’’.

Labour wants to steer the campaign away from Brexit and towards its far-left agenda promising to nationalise public utilities, transport networks and some areas of housing and education. It wants to re-configure the national economy by taxing the rich and giving workers four-day weeks and 10 per cent of company profits.

“The choice at this election could not be clearer,” Mr Corbyn said. “A Labour government will be on your side; while Boris Johnson’s Conservatives, who think they’re born to rule, will only look after the privileged few.’’

But Labour’s Brexit position is confusing. Mr Corbyn has promised to negotiate a better Brexit deal with the EU if he is in government by insisting on a Customs union, but he will then put that EU deal to the people in the second referendum and campaign for Brexit to be cancelled.

A Corbyn victory could mean two referendums next year, one for Brexit and another for Scottish independence, as a price to pay for Scottish nationalist support for a Labour government.

Polling shows Mr Johnson is a preferred prime minister ahead of Mr Corbyn and that the Tories are 12 to 15 points ahead of Labour. But Tories still shudder at the 2017 election where Theresa May was 20 points ahead before her majority was slashed at the polls.

Brexit has complicated the usual two-party British political system that is first past the post, with voters appearing to be entrenched according to their Brexit position. This means a hung parliament is a real possibility, with the Leave aligning Brexit Party or the Remain pact of Liberal Democrats-Plaid Cymru-Greens becoming kingmakers.

The Liberal Democrats are confident of at least 40 seats, and are privately looking to secure 140 seats, especially from Labour in Remainer areas such as London.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said: “At last the deadlock in parliament is broken, Brexit now has a chance to succeed.’’