Rain, shine or snow, turn out for the Tories

FLICK back through old, sepia-tinted newspapers and you quickly discover general elections are regularly billed as the most important for a generation.

Indeed, it’s become a cliche. But Thursday is different – for it’s true. The result will define Britain’s destiny for decades.

Is it exaggerating to say our way of life – maybe even the soul of our nation – is on the line? Barely. The stakes are dizzyingly high.

So before entering the polling station and marking your cross on the ballot paper, ask yourself a crucial question: What sort of country do I want to live in?

Boris Johnson will complete Brexit – finally enacting the largest democratic mandate in UK history.

The Tory leader unashamedly believes in capitalism, aspiration and enterprise, creating jobs and wealth to deliver billions of pounds for schools, police and the NHS, while funding tax cuts for low earners. He offers hope and optimism.

By contrast, Labour’s agenda is a terrifying Marxist dystopia: A red-in-toothandclaw recipe for economic disaster. Within no time, Britain would be languishing in the poorhouse, crushed by crippling debt, mass unemployment and impoverished public services.

And that’s not all. Jeremy Corbyn – an anti- Semitic terror sympathiser who inexorably backs Britain’s enemies – would hold two referendums, on Brexit and on shattering the Union with Scotland.

It’s baffling, then, that Sir John Major should back Boris’s opponents. Leaving the EU, he says, will make the country ‘poorer and weaker’.

Is the ex-Tory PM so blinded by Brexit loathing that he can’t see it would be a walk in the park compared with the carnage inflicted by Mr Corbyn’s hard-Left mob?

Despite polls giving the Tories a healthy lead, the race for Downing Street is on a razor’s edge. The difference between a Tory landslide and a hung parliament is minuscule. Every single vote will count.

In last night’s BBC leaders’ debate, Mr Johnson acquitted himself with aplomb. He was clear, lucid and sure-footed. No wonder a snap poll had him as the winner.

But Labour is increasingly organised. Momentum is bussing activists into crunch seats. Channel 4 is smearing Boris as racist. This is the battle the Tories are facing.

So the Mail today implores our readers to turn out, rain, shine or snow. Encourage your friends and families to do the same.

As Mr Johnson tells us today: ‘We cannot taken anything for granted. We are fighting for every vote.’ A new website and hotline called ‘Your Plan To Vote’ will put you in touch with local Tory members to help you get to the polling booth.

If you’re considering voting for the Brexit Party, we understand. The dither and delay has been agonising. But here’s the paradox: If you do, a Remain coalition could seize power – killing off the Brexit dream.

Look at our guide starting on page 13. We’ve listed seats where tactical votes will boost Boris – and get Brexit over the line. Your vote can make a difference. To protect our way of life – and the nation’s future.