Boris Johnson is pledging to end NHS hospital car parking charges for millions of patients, relatives and staff as he prepares to unveil an election manifesto designed to take on Jeremy Corbyn on the health service and the cost of living.

Mr Johnson said the Conservatives would set out a programme to “get Brexit done and allow us to move on” and “unleash the potential of the whole country”. On Saturday night, he joked that Britain could be “Corbyn neutral” by 2020 if the Tories won the Dec 12 poll.

The Conservative manifesto will pledge to introduce free car parking at hospitals for the two million “blue badge” disabled drivers and passengers, as well as frequent outpatients, gravely ill patients, visitors to relatives in hospital for extended periods, and staff on night shifts who cannot use public transport.

The proposals will be funded with a £78 million-a-year pledge for hospitals in England and £216 million in capital funding for 19 hospitals to build multi-storey car parks.