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A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 1 November 2019
Health care or Brexit? UK parties unveil election themes

By JILL LAWLESS easily. They know the Con-
DANICA KIRKA servatives are the establish-
Associated Press ment elite."
LONDON (AP) — The oppo- "Labour will get Brexit sorted
sition Labour Party kicked within six months. We'll let
off its campaign for Britain's the people decide wheth-
December general elec- er to leave with a sensible
tion with one overriding deal or remain," he added.
message Thursday: It's not Corbyn shrugged off sug-
just about Brexit. gestions that he is dragging
Labour leader Jeremy Cor- down the party's popular-
byn put the emphasis firmly ity. Critics say the 70-year-
on economic and social old socialist is wedded to
issues, calling the Dec. 12 archaic policies of nation-
vote a once-in-a-genera- alization and high taxes,
tion chance to transform and accuse him of failing
the country. All seats in the to stamp out anti-Semitism
650-seat House of Com- within the party.
mons are up for grabs in Johnson's critics bash the
the early election, chosen 55-year-old for his long his-
by Britain's 46 million eligible Flags wave outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. tory of misrepresentations
voters. Associated Press and broken promises, and
In his first stump speech of a string of offensive com-
the six-week campaign, know whose side we're on," fortable terrain: the many British lawmakers to pass his ments that he has tried to
Corbyn said the left-of-cen- Corbyn told supporters at a versus the few. Brexit divorce deal and his shrug off as jokes.
ter party's plan would take rally in London. "Whose side Labour is hoping that vot- previous vow to leave the "It's not about me," Cor-
on "vested interests" and are you on?" ers want to talk about is- EU by Oct. 31 "come what byn said Thursday. "It's not
"born to rule" elites — a dig Johnson sought this elec- sues such as health care, may." Earlier this week, the a presidential election. It is
at Conservative Prime Min- tion, which is being held the environment and social EU granted Britain a three- about each and every one
ister Boris Johnson and his more than two years early, welfare — all of which saw month Brexit delay, setting of us (candidates)."
Conservative party's big- to break the political im- years of funding cuts by a new Jan. 31 deadline for Many British voters are fed
business backers. passe over Britain's stalled Conservative governments the country to leave the up as they face the third
"We're going after the tax departure from the Euro- — instead of more Brexit bloc and imploring British major electoral event in
dodgers. We're going after pean Union. But Corbyn debates. politicians to use the extra as many years, after the
the dodgy landlords. We're wants to shift the election For his part, Johnson plans time wisely. country's 2016 EU mem-
going after the bad boss- battleground away from to campaign as the Brexit "If you vote for us and we bership referendum and
es. We're going after the Brexit and onto more com- champion, blaming Cor- get our program through ... a 2017 election called by
big polluters. Because we byn's "dither and delay" we can be out at the abso- Johnson's predecessor The-
for the country's failure to lute latest by January next resa May to try to strength-
leave the EU on Thursday year," Johnson said Thurs- en her hand in negotiations
as scheduled. day as he visited a hospital. with the EU.
While the Conservatives Johnson also tried to steal May's move was a spec-
have a wide lead in most some of Labour's thunder tacular miscalculation that
opinion polls, analysts say by promising more money cost the Conservative Party
the election is unpredict- for key public services such its majority in Parliament.
able because Brexit cuts as hospitals, police and She resigned after failing to
across traditional party schools. get her Brexit deal passed
loyalties. For many voters, Labour is vulnerable over by Parliament and Johnson
their identities as "leavers" Brexit because the party is took power in July.
or "remainers" are more im- split. Some of its leaders, in- More than three years after
portant than their party af- cluding Corbyn, are deter- the Brexit referendum, Brexit
filiations. mined to go through with positions have become en-
A bill authorizing the ear- British voters' decision to trenched and the debate
ly election was rushed leave the EU, while others has soured, with lawmakers
through Parliament this want to remain. After much on all sides receiving regu-
week and officially be- internal wrangling, Labour lar abuse online and in the
came law Thursday when it now says if it wins the elec- streets. The toxic political
received royal assent. tion, it will negotiate a bet- atmosphere has prompted
Sticking to his party's core ter Brexit divorce deal, some long-time lawmakers
issues, Corbyn on Thursday then call a referendum to drop out of the race al-
called out prominent busi- that gives voters a choice together, including Culture
ness leaders — including between that deal and re- Secretary Nicky Morgan, a
media mogul Rupert Mur- maining in the EU. The party Conservative. "Over the last
doch and aristocratic land- has not said which side it couple of years, I have had
owner the Duke of West- would support. to have a couple of peo-
minster — as he painted "The prime minister wants ple prosecuted for death
Johnson's Conservatives as you to believe that we're threats," Morgan said. "I
champions of the wealthy having this election be- think there needs to be a
few. cause Brexit is being wholesale culture change
Johnson once again blocked by an establish- in the House of Commons.
banged the Brexit drum, ment elite," Corbyn said. We've got to tackle this cul-
ignoring his failure to get "People aren't fooled so ture of abuse."q