UK election contenders trade blows on last day of campaign

LONDON // Britain’s political leaders crisscrossed the country on the last day of the general election campaign yesterday , with security topping the agenda after the London attack.

The contenders are battling over who will keep Britain safer from the threat of terrorism.

Conservative prime minister Theresa May has promised to clamp down on extremism if she wins today’s ballot– even if that means watering down legislation on human rights. But her main opponent, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, said the real danger comes from Conservative cuts to police.

Mrs May began the day with an morning visit to Smithfield meat market in London, where she was heckled by some butchers who shouted “vote Labour”. She called the snap election in a bid to boost the Conservative majority in parliament.

Labour has had a better campaign than expected, with polls showing a closing of the gap between it and the Conservatives. Mr Corbyn, who was widely written off at the start of the campaign, has drawn thousands of people to rallies and energised young voters with his plans to boost public spending after years of Conservative austerity.

Mr Corbyn planned to address six rallies in England, Scotland and Wales, ending in his north London constituency last night.

He said today’s vote offered a clear choice between “another five years of a Tory government, underfunding of services or a Labour government that invests for all, all across Britain”. Attacks in Manchester on May 22 and London on Saturday have put terrorism at the centre of the campaign.

Mr Corbyn has criticised cuts to the police under the Conservatives, when the number of officers fell by almost 20,000 between 2010 and 2016.

The Conservatives have increased their attacks on Mr Corbyn’s security record. He opposed British military interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, and wants to scrap Britain’s nuclear arsenal.

The latest opinion polls vary between a clear Conservative lead and a dead heat. The difference depends on the turnout of young people, the least likely to vote.