This archive report was first published on 25 November 2019.
British PM Boris Johnson Promises Brexit for Christmas in Manifesto ¶
With less than three weeks to go before the UK general election on December 12, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has launched his Conservative Party's manifesto, promising to deliver Brexit by Christmas.
Johnson's manifesto, titled 'Get Brexit Done, Unleash Britain's Potential', aims to differentiate the Conservatives from the opposition Labour Party, which has pledged to raise taxes on the rich and businesses to fund a big expansion of the state.
Johnson, 55, has promised not to increase taxes if the Conservatives win the election, in a bid to win over voters.
Launching his manifesto in Telford, central England, Johnson said: 'Get Brexit done and we shall see a pent up tidal wave of investment into this country.'
He also pledged to freeze income tax, value-added sales tax, and social security payments, and to maintain the regulatory cap on energy bills.
Johnson's plans include a National Skills Fund to retrain workers, with £3 billion ($3.85 billion) allocated for the initiative, and an additional £2 billion to fill potholes in roads.
Labour spokesman Andrew Gwynne dismissed Johnson's plans as 'pathetic', saying: 'This is a no hope manifesto, from a party that has nothing to offer the country, after spending 10 years cutting our public services.'
Labour has promised to compensate more than three million women who lost years of state pension payments when their retirement age was raised.
Think-tanks such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies have raised questions about the credibility of plans to fund investment from both the Conservatives and Labour.
The December election will be the first to show how far Brexit has torn traditional political allegiances apart and will test an electorate increasingly tired of voting.
