Johnson blames Corbyn for ‘do or die’ broken Brexit pledge

Updated

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is blaming the failure to deliver on his “do or die” promise to quit the EU on October 31 on Jeremy Corbyn.

Despite the pledge that he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than seek a Brexit delay beyond Halloween, the PM tried to suggest it was the Labour leader’s fault the UK’s withdrawal from the EU had been put back until January 31.

Ahead of visits to a school, hospital and police unit on Thursday, Mr Johnson said: “Today should have been the day that Brexit was delivered and we finally left the EU.

“But, despite the great new deal I agreed with the EU, Jeremy Corbyn refused to allow that to happen – insisting upon more dither, more delay and more uncertainty for families and business.

“We cannot continue along this path. I didn’t want an election – like the country I wanted to get Brexit done, but it is the only way forward.”

As the general election campaign cranked into gear, the PM added: “The public wants and expects the Government to give them hope and to improve their opportunities.

“This is exactly what my Government has been doing for the past 99 days and exactly what my Government will continue to do if the public choose the Conservatives in this election.

“I want next year to be a great year for our country – with more investment in frontline NHS services, the recruitment of thousands more police officers to reduce violent crime and investment in every one of our primary and secondary schools across the country.

“The alternative is for the people of this country to spend the next year, which should be a glorious year, going through the toxic, tedious torpor of two more referendums – on EU membership and Scottish independence – thanks to Jeremy Corbyn’s incessant indecision.

“Now is the time to break the deadlock so we can move on as a country. The Conservatives will campaign for a Parliament that gets Brexit done and delivers on the people’s priorities, including the NHS, education and crime.”

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