
Boris Johnson was tonight declared the winner of the final election TV showdown after roasting Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit, supporting the IRA, stealth taxes and 'overthrowing capitalism'.

A snap YouGov poll found the PM performed better in the primetime BBC One clash by 52 per cent to 48 per cent - ironically mirroring the 2016 referendum and a result that will delight Tory strategists.

During a bruising hour-long session, chaired by Nick Robinson, Mr Johnson appealed for the public to back him on Brexit on December 12 so the country can move on.

He ridiculed Labour's muddled position of renegotiating with Brussels and holding another referendum, but with Mr Corbyn staying neutral. 'You cannot negotiate a deal if you are neutral on it… it's a failure of leadership on the biggest issue facing this country at the moment,' he said.

The veteran left-winger was also pressed over Labour's plans to introduce a four-day week in the NHS, and failed to deny that he wants to 'overthrow capitalism'.

But he insisted he was putting forward an 'ambitious' programme that could end child poverty, as he desperately to turn the tide as polls continue to show the Tories ahead.

The clash quickly turned nasty, with Mr Johnson getting a round of applause as he condemned Mr Corbyn for trying to 'lecture' people on the importance of ties with Northern Ireland after 'supporting the IRA for four decades'.

He also repeatedly swiped that his opponent was 'ignorant' on the benefits of free trade.

According to the YouGov poll, Mr Corbyn came across as more trustworthy by 48 per cent to 38 per cent, and also won on the NHS. But Mr Johnson trounced him by 62 per cent to 29 per cent on Brexit, 55 per cent to 36 per cent on likeability, and was seen as more prime ministerial by 54 per cent to 30 per cent. He was also seen as performing best on security 55 per cent to 34 per cent.

Labour will be dismayed that Mr Corbyn failed to land any significant punches, with the Tories seemingly in the driving seat just six days before the country goes to the ballot boxes.

Ipsos MORI research earlier found Labour has been making up some ground over the past three weeks, with its support increasing four points. But the Conservatives still have a 12-point lead, enough for a comfortable majority.

During a bruising hour-long debate tonight, Boris Johnson appealed for the public to back him on Brexit on December 12 - condemning Jeremy Corbyn for a 'failure of leadership'

The clashes quickly turned nasty, with Mr Johnson getting a round of applause as he condemned Mr Corbyn for trying to 'lecture' people on the importance of ties with Northern Ireland after 'supporting the IRA for four decades'

The PM and the Labour leader faced off in the final head-to-head of the campaign, in front of a primetime Friday night audience on BBC One and chaired by Nick Robinson (right)

A snap YouGov poll found the PM performed better in the primetime BBC One clash by 52 per cent to 48 per cent - mirroring the 2016 referendum. It was chaired by former BBC political editor Nick Robinson

During the debate, Mr Corbyn highlighted leaked Treasury documents released earlier in the day which he said showed Mr Johnson's withdrawal agreement meant there would be customs checks and restrictions on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland.

But the PM retorted tonight that the claims were 'not true'. And in a brutal put-down, he pointed to Mr Corbyn's long history of supporting republicanism - which included inviting convicted IRA members to Parliament weeks after the Brighton Bombing.

The leaders' debate: Key quotes as Johnson and Corbyn clash for the final time before the election Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn clashed on issues ranging from Brexit to the NHS: Brexit Mr Johnson attacked the Labour leader over a rival Brexit deal, saying: 'Who is going to negotiate it (a? Because as far as I can see everyone on the Labour front bench … is campaigning for Remain apart from Mr Corbyn who is neutral on the matter. How can you get a new deal from Brussels if you don't really believe in it?' The Labour leader said Mr Johnson wants a trade deal with the US which would take 'seven years' to negotiate. He added: 'He knows he can't get a deal quickly with the USA because of the way in which the US political system works. 'And so what he will do is walk out of a relationship with the EU into a relationship with nobody.' The future of the NHS On the accusations that he wants to sell the NHS, Mr Johnson said: 'This is pure Bermuda Triangle stuff. We've heard it time and time again from the Labour Party during this election campaign. Mr Johnson said: 'We'll be hearing about ''little green men'' next ... under no circumstances will we sell it off to anybody in any kind of trade deal.' The Labour leader said: 'The Prime Minister, the day after he was appointed, announced there was going to be 40 new hospitals, a week later that became 20, a bit later on it became six new hospitals. He seems to have a problem with the figures about hospital building in Britain.' Capitalism v socialism They were asked which political system helped poor people the most. Mr Corbyn said: 'Socialism carried out in a democratic way in this country and Scandinavia and other places has raised the living standards of the very poorest. And it was the post war Labour government that did massively to improve the living standards of the poorest working class communities in this country. This Labour government will do the same again.' To which Mr Johnson replied: 'And I would say it is one-nation conservatism, which understands the vital importance of a dynamic market economy as the only way in which you can pay for fantastic public services and for looking after the poorest and neediest in our society. That is the balance and symmetry at the heart of what I'm trying to achieve with this Government. To attack capitalism as Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell do is absolutely senseless.' Does Labour want to destroy capitalism? Asked if he thought Mr Corbyn 'wanted to destroy capitalism', the PM said: 'John McDonnell, who is the shadow chancellor, and some would say the intellectual driving force this type of plio-socialism, is committed, he says, to fermenting the overthrow of capitalism. I think that is a mistake. 'I don't think that is the right way forward for our country.' Mr Corbyn replied: 'My kind of socialism is one where you don't leave people behind, you don't ignore the fact that four million of our children are living in poverty, you don't ignore the fact that you have thousands of people sleeping on the streets of this country - the fifth richest country in the world. The inequality has got worse.' Lack of support from past leaders of their parties Both men were asked about Sir John Major and Tony Blair lining up together to urge voters not to back either main party. Mr Johnson said Sir John was 'wrong' and Mr Corbyn added: 'Tony Blair and John Major are welcome to make the comments they do. I urge them to look at the reality of what nine years of austerity has done.' Advertisement

'I do find it slightly curious to say the least to be lectured about the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by a man who all his political life has campaigned to break up that union, and actually supported for four decades the IRA in their campaign violently to destroy it,' Mr Johnson said.

As the pair traded blows on Brexit, Mr Johnson took aim at Labour's claim that it would thrash out another deal with the EU.

'Who is going to negotiate it? Because as far as I can see everyone on the Labour frontbench … is campaigning for Remain apart from Mr Corbyn who is neutral on the matter,' Mr Johnson said.

'How can you get a new deal from Brussels if you don't really believe in it?'

But Mr Corbyn insisted Mr Johnson wanted a trade deal with the US which would take 'seven years' to negotiate.

'He knows he can't get a deal quickly with the USA because of the way in which the US political system works,' he said.

'And so what he will do is walk out of a relationship with the EU into a relationship with nobody.'

The PM warned that Labour governments always went out of power with a crisis - but he said Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell would trigger one immediately.

Mr Corbyn said he wanted 'Socialism carried out in a democratic way in this country' to raise living standards.

But Mr Johnson shot back: 'I would say it is one-nation Conservatism, which understands the vital importance of a dynamic market economy as the only way in which you can pay for fantastic public services and for looking after the poorest and neediest in our society...

'To attack capitalism as Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell do is absolutely senseless.'

Asked if he thought Mr Corbyn 'wanted to destroy capitalism', the PM said: 'John McDonnell, who is the shadow chancellor, and some would say the intellectual driving force this type of plio-socialism, is committed, he says, to fermenting the overthrow of capitalism. I think that is a mistake. 'I don't think that is the right way forward for our country.'

Mr Corbyn replied: 'My kind of socialism is one where you don't leave people behind, you don't ignore the fact that four million of our children are living in poverty, you don't ignore the fact that you have thousands of people sleeping on the streets of this country - the fifth richest country in the world. The inequality has got worse.'

In one exchange Mr Corbyn contradicted Mr McDonnell, who has said he wants to introduce a four-day working week in the NHS as well as the rest of the economy. he wants to see the working week come down, but added: 'There is no plan to bring in a four day week in the NHS.'

Earlier, Mr Corbyn launched another frantic effort to bridge the gap, staging another 'reveal' of a leaked document, which he claimed showed Mr Johnson's Brexit deal would put up barriers between the mainland and Northern Ireland.

However, Mr Johnson flatly dismissed the claim, saying the UK would leave the EU 'whole and entire'.

And he went on the attack by ridiculing the Labour leader's extraordinary policy of calling a second referendum but refusing to say whether he wanted to leave the bloc.

The leaders were seen as having battled effectively to a standstill in their previous ITV showdown, although the PM managed to hammer home his key message on Brexit.

The 100-strong audience in Maidstone tonight was selected to include equal numbers of Conservative and Labour supporters, as well as a smattering of backers of other parties and undecideds.

There were slightly more Leave voters than Remain in the audience, reflecting the result of the 2016 referendum. Some of the audience was too young to have voted three years ago.

Robinson also posed some that have been submitted online.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has been facing criticism for ducking an interview with veteran BBC interrogator Andrew Neil.

Mr Corbyn was seen as more trustworthy by viewers, according to YouGov pollling tonight - but Mr Johnson won on a slew of other metrics

selected to include equal numbers of Conservative and Labour supporters, as well as a smattering of backers of other parties and undecideds

The Tory and Labour leaders did manage to shake hands afterwards despite exchanging insults in the bruising clashes tonight

In a scathing video that has received millions of views online, Neil pointed out that all the other main party leaders had agreed to be quizzed, with Jeremy Corbyn suffering a disastrous mauling over Labour anti-Semitism and his manifesto spending splurge.

Staring straight down the camera, he said: 'The Prime Minister of our nation will at times have to stand up to President Trump, President Putin, President Xi of China.

'So we're surely not expecting too much that he spend half an hour standing up to me.'

But a senior Tory source gave the strongest hint yet that Mr Johnson will snub the challenge, saying voters were fed up with programmes that were 'all about the interviewer' and involved 'endless interruptions'.

Who was in the audience for the BBC debate? The 100-strong audience in Maidstone tonight was selected to include equal numbers of Conservative and Labour supporters, as well as a smattering of backers of other parties and undecideds. There were slightly more Leave voters than Remain in the audience, reflecting the result of the 2016 referendum. Some of the audience was too young to have voted three years ago. Robinson also posed some that have been submitted online. Advertisement

Mr Johnson himself insisted he 'couldn't accommodate everybody' - joking that he was also having to turn down a debate with 'Lord Buckethead'.

'As I say, I think most people would say, I think I'm the only Prime Minister to have done not one, but by tonight two head-to-head debates,' he said on a visit to Kent.

'I've done 118 sitdown interviews with journalists, I've fielded innumerable questions ... we cannot accommodate everybody.

'There's a guy called Lord Buckethead who wants to have a head-to-head debate with me. Unfortunately I'm not able to fit him in. You know, we can't do absolutely everything.'

As the campaign turned increasingly nasty, Channel 4 is embroiled in a bias row after wrongly captioning a video of Boris Johnson with subtitles referring to the race of immigrants.

Mr Johnson made a speech yesterday in which he said new immigration controls would ensure 'people of talent' still come to Britain.

But in the broadcaster's subtitles of the speech, the phrase was changed to become 'people of colour', with the video then being shared widely online by people insisting the wrongly-reported comments were racist.

The channel today apologised for the mistake, saying: 'Boris Johnson says 'people of talent' not 'people of colour'. Our earlier tweet was a mistake. We misheard and we apologise.'

But senior Conservatives accused the channel of trying to smear the Prime Minister. Party chairman James Cleverly tweeted: 'Boris has used the phrase 'people of talent' many times during this election campaign in relation to our points based immigration policy.'

There was a boost for the Tories today as a YouGov poll for the Times put the party up eight points in Scotland since August, at 28 per cent.

Boris Johnson (pictured arriving in Maidstone tonight) appealed for voters to 'get Britain out of neutral' today as a dramatic poll showed the election battle has narrowed

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured arriving for the BBC debate in Maidstone tonight) has been frantically trying to close the gap on the Tories ahead of the election

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (left) and shadow trade secretary Barry Gardiner (right) were on hand to spin for the Tories and Labour respectively