Party leaders’ final promises before the election
On Monday 29 May, with only 10 days before the country was due to vote in the general election, the leaders of the UK’s two main political parties were grilled by a studio audience live on TV about what they would do if they were voted Prime Minister. The current Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, Theresa May, and the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, also answered questions from Jeremy Paxman, one of the UK’s most ferocious interviewers.
During the interview with Paxman, May was criticised for changing her mind. In particular, she was questioned about her party’s recent proposal regarding the costs of caring for elderly people in their own homes.
The party had proposed that these costs could be paid for using money that might otherwise be inherited by elderly people’s families after their death. The policy has proved unpopular, so May said she’d change it, although some of the details are still unclear. Paxman also pointed out that she changed her position on Brexit – the
UK’s departure from the European Union (EU).
She initially wanted the UK to remain in the EU, but is now leading the UK’s departure out of it.
Corbyn, meanwhile, came under fire for his views on the royal family. He considers himself a republican, which means he thinks the country is better off without a royal family. Although he has criticised the royals in the past, he said that he wouldn’t change their role if he became Prime Minister. Since the debate, he has also been accused of not knowing
the cost of his party’s policy on free childcare for two to four-year-olds, when asked about it during a radio interview.
However, both leaders scored points during the interviews. Corbyn has been praised for keeping calm under pressure, and May drew applause when she said she would score the best possible deal for the UK when it leaves the EU. After the interview, both leaders declared it a success.
On 18 April, when May called the election, her party enjoyed a big lead in the polls – and it seemed as if their victory was guaranteed.
Over the course of the campaign, however, the Conservative lead has decreased, and Labour’s ratings have improved. The Conservatives are still ahead in the polls, but we’ll have to wait until 9 June to find out what people really think.