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Polling day: Party leaders' final pitches to voters - in full

7 min read

Read, in full, the final statements issued by party leaders as the public begins voting in the general election.


Conservative leader Theresa May: 

“Today is a day for everybody across the country to fix their sights on the future and vote for a better future of fairness, security and opportunity for all.

“That is the future I want for Britain as we fulfil the promise of Brexit together.

“If we get Brexit right, we can build a Britain that is more prosperous and more secure. A Britain in which prosperity and opportunity is shared by all. A Britain where it’s not where you come from or who your parents are that matter, but the talent you have and how hard you are prepared to work. The greatest meritocracy in the world.

“That’s my ambition for Britain. Not just to get the right deal for Britain abroad, but to get a better deal for ordinary working people at home. To put the power of government firmly at their service, to stand up for the weak and stand up to the strong, and put the voices and interests of ordinary working people at the heart of everything we do.

“It’s why I will build a Britain that is stronger, so that everyone has the security they need to live a full and happy life. Why I will build a Britain that is fairer, so that no one is left behind and every person has the chance to be all they want to be. Why I will build a Britain where prosperity and opportunity are shared across the country so that all can succeed. A stronger, more united country that stands tall in the world.

“This is the prize ahead if we get Brexit right. So if, like me, you believe in Britain. If, like me, you want our country to succeed. If, like me, you believe in putting division behind us, in looking to the future and getting on with the job of building the stronger, more secure country that we need, then fix your sights on the future. And in this unique and crucial election for our country, give me your backing to lead Britain, speak for Britain, fight for Britain, and deliver for Britain. 

“I can only build that better country and get the right deal in Brussels with the support of the British people. So whoever you have voted for in the past, if that is the future you want then vote Conservative today and we can all go forward together.”

 

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn: 

“Tomorrow you have the power to say our country can be better than this. It can be run in the interests of the majority; not the political and corporate elites.

“People fought and died for our right to vote. In the course of this campaign people have lost their lives in Manchester and here in London - citizens of a free and democratic country.

“We can honour the victims of these atrocities tomorrow by voting. By showing democracy that will never be cowed by terror and that hope can triumph over fear.

“Labour’s campaign has already changed the face of British politics. As we prepare for government, we have already changed the debate and given people hope. Hope that it doesn’t have to be like this; that inequality can be tackled; that austerity can be ended; that you can stand up to the elites and the cynics.

“This is the new centre ground. The place where most people actually are. The policies the majority actually want, not what the establishment and its media mouthpieces insist they should want. This is the new mainstream, and we have staked it out and made it our own - together.”

 

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron: 

“Theresa May went into this election expecting a coronation. Yet the more voters have learned of her plans, the less they like them, from the heartless dementia tax to more cuts to our hospitals and schools.

“She has ducked debates and now expects a blank cheque to trash our economy by choosing the most extreme form of Brexit.

“That will mean more cuts to the police, making us less safe, and less funding for our NHS and schools.

“If you are a Conservative voter, do you really trust Theresa May with five more years to cut your local school or hospital?

“And if you support Labour in a seat where only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservatives, I need you to lend us your vote.

“We will stand up for you on Europe, on schools and hospitals and to stop the heartless dementia tax. So stand up and make your vote count for the Liberal Democrats today."

 

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon: 

"As this election campaign enters its very final day, we know that Labour can’t win the election in Scotland – a vote for them simply risks letting a Tory MP in through the back door, and handing Theresa May the keys back into Downing Street.

"Given the narrowing of the polls in the rest of the UK, there is now every chance that a vote for the SNP can deny the Tories the crushing victory that they so arrogantly predicted at the start of the campaign.

"It is even possible that votes in Scotland could be key to stopping the Tories gaining a majority at all – but that will only happen if people vote SNP to keep the Tories out.

“People in Scotland should not risk waking up to Tory MPs who can hand Theresa May a majority and then rubberstamp anything she wants. 

"Instead, voters should take the opportunity to stand up for Scotland’s schools, hospitals, public services, pensioners and jobs by rejecting the Tories’ extreme and dangerous plans – and the only way to do so is to vote SNP. 

"Now more than ever, it is vital to have strong SNP voices standing up for Scotland at Westminster.

"Only then can we protect Scotland from the dangers of an unopposed Tory government at Westminster."

 

Green co-leader Jonathan Bartley: 

“No matter where you’re casting your vote on election day, you have the chance to put issues you care about on the agenda – from climate change to Brexit. Only the Green Party will fix the NHS crisis and invest in education.

“My message to voters ahead of tomorrow is to vote with your heart, and vote Green. If we wake up to a Conservative government on June 9, Green MPs will hold them to account, whether it’s by calling out the government for bringing the NHS to its knees or fighting an extreme Brexit. We’d be making sure a Labour government delivered on the bold promises in its manifesto – and taking them even further.

“I’m calling on people across the UK to vote not just for the MP they want, but the kind of country they want. The Green Party stands for a caring a confident country, that invests in public services, protects the environment and would give the people of Britain a say on the final Brexit deal. We’ll always stand up for what matters and fight for an inclusive, tolerant society with a positive vision for a sustainable future.”

 

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall: 

 

 

 

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood: 

 

 

 

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale: 

“By voting Labour today, people across Scotland can send Nicola Sturgeon a message to drop her plans for a divisive second independence referendum.

“Scottish Labour will never support independence or a divisive second independence referendum.

“A vote for Labour today will tell Nicola Sturgeon to get back to fixing the mess she has made of our schools and hospitals.

“But a vote for Labour will also deliver a government led by Jeremy Corbyn for the many, not the few, including a £10 living wage, a £3billion investment in public services here in Scotland and an end to austerity.

“We are in touching distance of a Labour government – and people across Scotland need to get out and vote for it.”

 

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson: 


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