Boris Johnson has 'Blue Peter deal... here's one I made earlier' Brexit deal 'ready to go'

Boris Johnson insisted he has a "Blue Peter Brexit deal... here's one I made earlier" ready to go if the Conservatives win the general election.

The prime minister pledged to drive a clean energy revolution while investing in the NHS, cutting crime and helping people with the cost of living if he succeeds on December 12.

Mr Johnson used a speech at an electric vehicle manufacturer in the West Midlands later in the afternoon to warn that a Labour-SNP coalition would “ruin 2020” with two referendums.

The prime minister said: “If we can get a working majority we can get Parliament working for you, we can get out of the rut. We can end the groundhoggery of Brexit…

“We face a historic choice. At this election the country can either move forwards with policies that will deliver years of growth and prosperity, or it can disappear into an intellectual cul-de-sac of far left Corbynism.

“We can honour the wishes of the people, or else we can waste more time, at the cost of a billion pounds per month, and have two more referendums, one on Scotland and one on the EU – an expense of spirit and a waste of shame, more political self-obsession and onanism.”

He urged undecided voters to “imagine waking up on Friday December 13 after the election to find the Corbyn-Sturgeon coalition in Downing Street”.

“They will ruin 2020 with two referendums, they will ruin the economy with out of control debt, they will put taxes up for everyone and instead of an Australian points system we’ll have uncontrolled and unlimited immigration.”

The reference to "onanism" - an arcane word meaning masturbation - caused some offence.

Labour, meanwhile, have vowed to boost health funding by £26 billion if they enter government, as part of the party’s “rescue plan” to improve the NHS.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell and shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth announced the proposals to end the “Tory NHS crisis” with the funding boost in a speech at the Royal Society of Medicine on Wednesday.

Labour will vow to boost NHS health funding by £26 billion. Credit: PA

Mr Johnson’s intervention comes as:

  • A YouGov survey for The Times suggested Mr Johnson had opened up a 14-point poll lead over Labour after Mr Farage’s decision to pull Brexit Party candidates from Tory-held seats.

  • Former Conservative Cabinet minister David Gauke announced he would stand as an independent candidate in his South West Hertfordshire constituency.

  • Nigel Farage was warned he has just 48 hours to “save Brexit” by his long-time ally and millionaire backer Arron Banks.

  • Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson will announce a £500 million investment in youth services aimed at combating knife crime on a visit to a boxing gym in London.

General Election 2019 timetable. Credit: PA Graphics

The Lib Dems said the fund would be ringfenced and “provide young people with positive, safe and healthy opportunities to prevent them being drawn into youth violence and gang-related crime”.

It comes as one of their candidates – Tim Walker – announced he would stand down in a key marginal seat to avoid splitting the Remain vote.

Mr Walker was due to contest Labour-held Canterbury but said he had asked his local party to withdraw his nomination papers as he wanted “no part” in allowing a Tory Brexiteer to win the seat.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is north of the border for a two-day tour in which he will vow to deliver “massive investment” in Scotland if his party wins the election.

He said his rivals – the SNP and Tories – had neither the “ideas” nor the “will” to transform Scotland for the better.