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21.11.19 8 BREXIT PRIME Minister Boris Johnson dou- bled down on his Brexit promises on Tuesday, saying only he could take Brit- ain out of the European Union quickly in a testy leadership debate with oppo- sition Labour's Jeremy Corbyn. After the hour-long debate, polls showed the public were split over who was the victor: 51% said it was John- son while 49% backed Corbyn - a re- sult that analysts said reflected better on the Labour leader, who is trailing in opinion polls. Both leaders tried to undermine the other in the first such debate before a Dec. 12 election, called by Johnson to break the Brexit deadlock that has hurt Britain's international standing and weighed on the world's fifth largest economy. At one point, the host, ITV's Jul- ie Etchingham, asked the two men to shake hands and promise to improve the tone of political debate in Britain, which is deeply divided since voters backed leaving the EU in a 2016 ref- erendum. "We certainly will come out on Janu- ary the 31st, because we have a deal ... that is oven ready," Johnson said, rein- forcing a message he has used through- out the election campaign that his Conservative government would end the Brexit crisis quickly. Johnson is promising to implement the exit deal he negotiated with Brus- sels and lead Britain out of the EU by Jan. 31. He pledged to meet a 2020 deadline to secure a trade agreement for Britain's long-term relationship with the EU. He took aim at Corbyn, saying his promise of a second referendum would only prolong Britain's departure from the EU, and prodded the opposition leader nine times to say whether his party would campaign to stay in the bloc or to leave at a new vote. Corbyn said he would honour the decision of the people. "ere will be a genuine choice put before the people of Britain to make their decision and we will carry it out," Corbyn said of his plan to hold a new referendum in six months. Instead of speed, he said Johnson was promising years more of talks to secure a trade deal not only with the EU but also with the United States. Corbyn also accused the government of plan- ning to "sell off " Britain's beloved pub- lic health service. Johnson denied the charge. "e idea that the Prime Minister Bo- ris Johnson's deal, can be dealt with and finished by the end of January is such nonsense," Corbyn said to applause. Testy exchanges More than three years after Britain voted to leave the EU, traditional polit- ical divides have become blurred, with few able or willing to predict a victor in the December election which will de- termine how, when and even whether Brexit happens. Polls looking to gauge how the public intends to vote put Johnson's Conserv- atives as much as 18 percentage points ahead of Labour, but the numbers can vary widely. To try to land a decisive blow in an election campaign which few voters relish, both leaders went on the attack, with Johnson trying to portray his rival as indecisive, while Corbyn questioned whether the prime minister could be trusted. ey even struggled to think of Christmas presents they would give each other. Corbyn settled on the book "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dick- ens so Johnson "could then understand how nasty Scrooge was". Johnson even- tually picked damson jam. Johnson, who has been criticised for breaking his promises including a "do or die pledge" to deliver Brexit by Oct. 31, was laughed at when, asked wheth- er he could be trusted, said: "Look at what I have said I'm going to do as a politician and look what I've delivered." Corbyn, who has been criticised for not tackling anti-Semitism, drew mut- tering from the audience when he said all such cases had been investigated and those found guilty of making an- ti-Semitic comments were "either sus- pended or expelled from the party". Polling conducted immediately after the debate by YouGov showed the pub- lic were evenly split, but more people trusted Corbyn than Johnson. "On balance this is probably better for the Labour leader," said YouGov's Political Research Manager Chris Cur- tis. "Why? Because a dead heat when you are significantly behind in the polls is probably better news for you that the person who is leading." In testy leadership debate, Boris Johnson promises quick Brexit Conservative leader Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn are seen during a televised debate ahead of general election

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