LABOUR HOPE OR TORY FEAR:
JEREMY Corbyn said last night that Britain faces a “historic” moment as voters head to the polls today.
On the final day of campaigning, he claimed the nation has never had a clearer choice at a general election than between his vision for socialist Britain, and Theresa May’s grim Conservatism.
He said: “Never before has there been a clearer choice between the parties... a choice quite simply between hope and fear.
“Wouldn’t it be great if on Friday we woke up to a Labour majority, a Labour government for all of our communities across the whole of the country, to deliver social justice that we all crave?”
On a whistle-stop tour, the Labour leader made speeches to huge crowds England, Scotland and Wales – despite grim reports that the Tories are on course for victory.
A new ICM poll for the Guardian put the Conservatives on 46% with Labour well behind on 34% and the Lib Dems trailing on 7%.
While some polling firms insist the race is tighter, most Labour candidates were gloomy about their prospects and feared they could take a drubbing.
But speaking in London, Mr Corbyn insisted his anti-austerity message had hit home.
He said: “Labour’s campaign has already changed the face of British politics. As we prepare for government, we have already changed the debate and given people hope. Hope that it doesn’t have to be like this, that inequality can be tackled, that austerity can be ended, that you can stand up to the elites and the cynics.”
In comments that will be seen as a bid to stay on as leader if Labour loses, he insisted he has already succeeded in shifting the centre ground of British politics.
He continued: “This is the new centre ground. The place where most people actually are.
“The policies the majority actually want, not what the Establishment and its media mouthpieces insist they should want.
“This is the new mainstream, and we have staked it out and made it our own – together.”
Labour said Mr Corbyn has addressed more than 100,000 people at mass rallies since the election was announced on April 18, while his Facebook videos have reached millions more.
Making her own final pitch to voters on polling day, Tory leader Theresa May tried to put her rocky campaign behind her and switch attention back to Brexit.
She said: “If we get Brexit right, we can build a Britain that is more prosperous and more secure.
“A Britain in which prosperity and opportunity is shared by all.”
But it came as she faced wide
Labour’s campaign has changed the debate and given people hope JEREMY CORBYN ON EVE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION
spread outrage for threatening to rip up human rights laws in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks.
Such a move would be another stunning U-turn after her own party manifesto vowed to keep the existing human rights laws.
Opponents accused Mrs May of a cynical attempt to deflect any blame for the atrocities.
She was Home Secretary from 2010-16 and has presided over cuts to 20,000 police officers.
In 2011 she axed control orders, which allowed terror suspects to be placed under 18-hour curfews.
She replaced them with a watereddown system known as Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Meas- ures – T–Pims. The PM insisted yesterday: “Now we are seeing the threat evolving, becoming more complex, it’s right we look again at what powers are needed to be able to ensure the police and security services have what they need.”
But Mr Corbyn hit out at her bid to divert attention from police cuts and alleged failings by MI5.
He said: “Don’t believe would-be terrorists and suicide bombers will be deterred by longer sentences or restricting our rights at home.
“The right response to the recent attacks is to halt Conservative cuts, invest in our police and security services and protect our democratic values, including the Human Rights Act.” Warning the PM that “you can’t keep our country safe on the cheap”, he went on: “Theresa May is refusing to put in the resources that are needed. She has slashed funding for the police, our courts system and Border Force. I will do everything necessary to keep our people safe.”
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen also blasted Mrs May’s “reckless and misinformed” plan to interfere with human rights.
She added: “Amnesty International will not stand by silently when threats are made to ‘rip up human rights laws’. Human rights are there to protect all in society – that is just pure common sense.”
And Lib Dem leader Tim Farron accused the PM of “simply posturing”. He said: “We have been here before – a kind of nuclear arms race in terror laws. It might give the appearance of action, but what the security services lack is not more power, but more resources.”