General election news LIVE: Nigel Farage, Jo Swinson and Nicola Sturgeon among seven politicians going head-to-head in ITV election debate

ITV via Getty Images
Katy Clifton1 December 2019

Labour and the Conservatives are joined by the Greens, Brexit Party, SNP, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrats for a live ITV debate in Salford.

Talking points include Donald Trump, the environment, the NHS, and Brexit.

Jeremy Corbyn has also warned people today that they cannot be kept safe “on the cheap” as he said the government can make acts of terror less likely in the wake of the London Bridge attack.

In a speech in York, the Labour leader paid tribute to the work of the emergency services who responded to the terrorist attack and said people have “a right to know from political leaders what steps they will take to ensure public safety”.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has denied that cuts made to the probation system by the Conservatives were a mistake following the London Bridge terror attack.

Blaming Labour for convicted terrorist Usman Khan's release, Mr Johnson said: "The reason this killer was out on the streets was because of automatic early release which was brought in by a lefty government.”

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1 December 2019

For Labour, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon said it was “not true” that the only option at the time was automatic release of Khan halfway of through his sentence.

“People don’t want history lessons after this terrorist atrocity. What people want is to put victims first and put keeping communities safe first,” he said.

Black Sabbath devotee? Photo: Alberto Pezzali via Getty Images. (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

1 December 2019

Rishi Sunak said Usman Khan had been released as a result of changes brought in by the Last Labour government.

“He was released due to a law passed in 2008 under the last Labour government where people were released automatically halfway through their sentence.” he said.

“We changed that law in 2012 and if he had been sentenced under out rules he would still be in jail.”

1 December 2019

Representing the Tories in the ITV election debate is Treasury Chief Secretary Rishi Sunak.

(Good Morning Britain)

1 December 2019

Nigel Farage said: 

“I don’t care if you were in prison for six years or 12 years. If you have committed mass murder or planned to commit mass murder you are not just an ordinary criminal you have got the virus of jihadi-ism.

“I think these people should never ever be let out prison unless we are absolutely convinced they do not have the jihadi virus. But political correctness stops us from doing that.”

1 December 2019

In the ITV seven-way election debate, Mr Farage said people convicted of plotting mass murder should never be released from prison unless it was clear they did not have the “jihadi virus”.

“Nobody apologises for the fact that the liberal elite have given us a ridiculous sentencing system,” he said.

1 December 2019

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has blamed “political correctness” for the release from prison of Usman Khan, who went on commit the London Bridge terror attack.

(PA)

1 December 2019

Tonight's ITV leaders debate is underway.

Stay with us for all the latest updates. 

1 December 2019

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has accused Boris Johnson of trying to make Friday’s terror attack an election issue, adding that his behaviour is “pretty distasteful”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pieenar’s Politics, Ms Swinson said: “This was an opportunity for Boris Johnson to be a statesman and yet again he has failed in that and just shown why he is not fit for the job of Prime Minister.

“You’ve got a community which is coming together in a brilliant way and straight out of the door the Prime Minister’s trying to make it an election issue – I just think it’s pretty distasteful.”

She added: “I think we ought to be able to behave with respect, even when these things happen in the middle of a General Election campaign.”

1 December 2019

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has accused Boris Johnson of trying to make Friday’s terror attack an election issue, adding that his behaviour is “pretty distasteful”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pieenar’s Politics, Ms Swinson said:

This was an opportunity for Boris Johnson to be a statesman and yet again he has failed in that and just shown why he is not fit for the job of Prime Minister.

You’ve got a community which is coming together in a brilliant way and straight out of the door the Prime Minister’s trying to make it an election issue – I just think it’s pretty distasteful.

1 December 2019