Jezza fails to land blow on I Run Lady no-show
JEREMY Corbyn last night failed to capitalise on his election coup of turning up at a live TV debate that Theresa May snubbed. The Labour leader ambushed the Prime Minister earlier yesterday by announcing he would take part in a multi-party debate which she had said from the outset she would not attend. Corbyn was not scheduled to take part either but grasping the momentum he has enjoyed in recent days the Labour leader made a surprise appearance at the BBC event in Cambridge.
But in the seven-sided ring he was lost among other party representatives.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd was put under repeated pressure as the Tory substitute for May, while SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson gave an assured performance in place of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Corbyn was at his best as he set out his anti-austerity plans. But it was left to Robertson, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron and Green Caroline Lucas to make hay out of May’s no-show.
Rudd was also hammered on the Tory manifesto policies on social care and the winter fuel payment as opponents demanded answers on who would lose out from the reforms.
The Home Secretary was laughed at by the audience as she called for people to “judge us on our record”.
And Corbyn scored by telling her: “Our schools are underfunded, our hospitals are overcrowded, our students are saddled with debt, there’s a
growing housing crisis. At every single turn, their answer is to further reduce corporation tax and further reduce tax for the very wealthiest in society.”
Robertson had kick-started the attack on Rudd over pensioner benefits and the dementia tax, saying: “I think those people deserve to know by how much they will lose out. The Prime Minister didn’t have the guts to come along this evening to tell us.”
Farron added: “What we have is a General Election in eight days’ time, Theresa May assuming a colossal landslide – that’s why she thinks she can ignore you and not bother turning up tonight.” May looked defensive earlier in the day when she was confronted on the campaign trail on why she would not join the debate.
Voters laughed at her lame excuse when the Tory leader said: “Jeremy Corbyn seems to be paying far more attention to how many appearances on telly he’s doing.
“I think he ought to be paying a little more attention to thinking about Brexit negotiations. That’s what I’m doing to make sure we get the best possible deal for Britain.”
UKIP leader Paul Nuttall and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood also took part in the debate.