May points up Corbyn’s ‘inability’ after leader flounders on childcare

THERESA MAY launched an assault on Jeremy Corbyn’s credibility as the Labour leader struggled with the cost of a key manifesto commitment.

The Prime Minister sought to get back on the front foot after the U-turn on social care and the Manchester bombing pushed her campaign off course, claiming Mr Corbyn was “simply not ready to govern and not prepared to lead”.

Meanwhile, the Labour leader apologised after a difficult broadcast interview saw him repeatedly fail to provide the cost of Labour’s childcare policy.

During an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour he paused several times when repeatedly asked to give a cost for the pledge to roll out free care to all twoto four-year-olds, before asking: “Can we come back to that in a moment?”

Mrs May had Mr Corbyn in her sights as she launched a personal attack on his record and ability during a speech in Wolverhampton.

In an effort to get back to her key election messages of leadership and Brexit, she said Mr Corbyn was not prepared for the crunch talks with Brussels that will start within days of the General Election and would find himself “alone and naked” in the negotiations.

Looking back at Mr Corbyn’s performance when questioned by Jeremy Paxman and a studio audience in Monday night’s televised showdown, Mrs May said: “He is not prepared to use the nuclear deterrent. He is not prepared to take action against terrorists. He is not prepared to give the police the powers they need to keep us safe.

“He is not prepared to take a single difficult decision for the good of our economy. He is not prepared to answer questions about his long track record of supporting people who want to harm and even attack our country.

“And with Brexit negotiations due to begin only 11 days after polling day, he is not prepared for those negotiations.”

Setting out the challenge facing whoever is in Number 10, she said: “The Europeans are ready to go and are determined to fight for a deal that works for them.

“This is not time for a weak government and a weak leader to be making it up as they go along, particularly not when that leader has shown poor judgement and weak leadership throughout the process so far.”

She added: “As always with Jeremy Corbyn and Labour, the shambles and the responsibility would be theirs but the consequences and the bill would be ours.”

Mr Corbyn was attempting to focus on policy issues with the commitment to the extension of free childcare, but his own