Conservative Party manifesto slammed by Labour and Lib Dems while Nigel Farage claims many policies were his idea

Rebecca Speare-Cole25 November 2019
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Labour and the Liberal Democrats have already slammed the Conservative Party manifesto while Nigel Farage claimed that many of the policies stemmed from his ideas.​

Delivering the manifesto during a speech in Telford, Boris Johnson promised to focus on the "priorities of the British people" after Brexit is "done".

The Prime Minister said securing an exit from the EU would allow him to focus on the NHS, crime, schools and infrastructure.

However, the Labour Party quickly hit back at claims made by the Tories with Jeremy Corbyn calling the manifesto "very disappointing".

Boris Johnson presents the Conservative Party's Manifesto
AP

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Corbyn said: "It's not a manifesto that offers any hope to anybody.

"It's just a continuation of what we've had for the last nine years. Very disappointed."

When asked about Mr Johnson's vision for delivering Brexit, the Labour leader said: "It won't get it done and the Prime Minister knows it won't get it done because he's talking about a trade deal with the US which will take seven years to negotiate and a free-trade deal with the EU which will take at least three years to negotiate.

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn poses with his party's manifesto as he visits Labour activists in Thurrock
REUTERS

"It's not going to get it done at all."

He also fired back on Twitter following Mr Johnson's speech, calling his pledges "the billionaires' manifesto".

Meanwhile Jo Swinson said on Sunday that the people cannot believe the promises made by the Tories.

Speaking to reporters, the Liberal Democrats leader said: "You can't believe their plans because we know that leaving the European Union is going to make us poorer.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson appearing on The Andrew Marr Show.
PA

"They are not going to be able to afford the things they are putting forward."

She later criticised Mr Johnson's ruling out of a Brexit implementation period extending beyond December 2020, meaning little time to secure a trade deal with Europe. She accuses the Tories of trying to "push through no-deal Brexit".

The Liberal Democrats also slammed Mr Johnson's flagship pledge for 50,000 more nurses and the return of bursaries for nurses in training.

Luciana Berger, of the Lib Dems, said: "It's dishonest to promise there will be more nurses under Boris Johnson's Conservatives. Our NHS has been consistently hit by the Conservatives' NHS and social care cuts, putting the lives of loved ones right across the country at risk.

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"It is insulting to the public and all those who work in the NHS for Boris Johnson to celebrate the return of nurse bursaries. It was the Tories who scrapped them in the first place."

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon also shared a tweet by Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll & Bute, saying: "'No deal' now firmly back on the agenda - indeed it is a Tory manifesto promise."

However, Nigel Farage has claimed that many of the policies have stemmed from his own ideas.

The Brexit Party leader said on the campaign trail on Sunday afternoon : "I recognise large chunks of it."

He added that he was pleased the Tories were "changing the agenda" by discussing immigration levels, but "they’re things that I have campaigned on for years”.

“Much of the manifesto was in fact in the Ukip 2015 manifesto, even recent ideas that I’ve announced like not exporting plastic waste for dumping in landfill in China or elsewhere, that’s in there," he said.

“So, I do feel that I recognise a lot of it. My question is, do they mean it and are they going to deliver?”

He also said he worries that Boris Johnson's plan to bring the Withdrawal Agreement back before Christmas could lead to "Brexit in name only" because the UK could still be "tied into regulatory and political alignment".

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