London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

General election 2019: Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn clash over Brexit in BBC debate

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn clashed over Brexit in the final head-to-head debate before the 12 December election.

During the live debate, Mr Corbyn said Labour would bring Brexit "to an end" by negotiating a new deal and putting it back to the public in a referendum, alongside a Remain option.

Mr Johnson said he had "a wonderful deal", and would use it to take the UK out of the EU on 31 January.

Other topics covered included the NHS, security and Northern Ireland.

Early on in the debate - hosted by Today presenter Nick Robinson - the Labour leader said he would negotiate a new withdrawal agreement with the EU within three months before putting it to a final say referendum - alongside Remain - within six months.

The prime minister countered by saying he already had a withdrawal agreement in place, and would use it to leave the EU next month if he won a working majority in Parliament.

But Nick Robinson challenged Mr Johnson, pointing out that while he had a withdrawal deal in place, he did not have a trade deal with the EU, and so could not rule out a no-deal exit in January 2021.

Coming into the event, Labour and the Conservatives had spent the day arguing over how Mr Johnson's Brexit deal might affect Northern Ireland.

Labour said a leaked document showed Mr Johnson's agreement would have a "devastating" impact on Northern Ireland.

When the subject arose in the debate, Mr Corbyn said of his rival: "He spoke at a DUP conference and said there would be no [trade] restrictions [after Brexit] whatsoever, we now know there are restrictions."

But Mr Johnson was met with applause from the audience when he said he found it "slightly curious" to be lectured about the union by Mr Corbyn, referring to the Labour leader's past support for those who want to see a united Ireland.

Like Brexit, the NHS has featured heavily in the campaign so far - and Friday's debate was no different.

Faith, a student nurse in the audience, asked how each leader would deal with a shortage of NHS nurses.

The Conservative leader said a government run by him would "encourage nurses overseas to come" to the UK "by shortening the time for their visa applications" and by reintroducing bursaries for training.

Mr Corbyn described the NHS as at "breaking point", adding that, under a Labour government, "£40bn in total would go into the NHS in order to fund it properly".

The Labour leader also repeated one of his main attack lines of the campaign - that a Tory government would allow the NHS to form part of a future trade deal with the US.

However, Mr Johnson described that claim as "Bermuda Triangle stuff".

Responding to the performances of Mr Corbyn and Mr Johnson, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "That was utterly woeful. Two uninspiring men, both of them unsuited to be PM."

Meanwhile, Amelia Womack, of the Green Party, told the BBC: "I find it frustrating, as a younger woman, that we weren't discussing things that are relevant to my generation - whether that's house prices, rental prices, freedom of movement across Europe, or even zero-hour contracts."

Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts said the debate felt like a "shoddy end-of-term pantomime", and said both men displayed a "lack of honesty".

She added that, contrary to the claims of Mr Johnson, the "chaos" of Brexit "is going to go on", even if the UK leaves the EU next month.

And the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said: "Tonight's debate was British politics at its worst. Two leaders offering nothing new, nothing different and neither being honest about the pain Brexit will cause our communities."

The prime minister and Mr Corbyn were also asked about security - an issue that has risen to prominence since the London Bridge attack on 29 November.

Both candidates were asked by an audience member if they would prioritise the safety of citizens over human rights.

Mr Corbyn said the choice was "not an either/or".

He added the UK could not have security "on the cheap", and so Labour would "back the police up" with an increase in officer numbers.

When it came to his turn, Mr Johnson referred to the London Bridge attack, and said it was "extraordinary and wrong" that the attacker was given automatic early release from prison after an earlier terrorism conviction.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×