May, Corbyn face tough television grilling from voters

UK Prime Minister Theresa May and her chief rival in the June 8 general election, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, have answered tough question by voters in a televised program.

The two leaders, who won’t be debating each other because of May’s refusal, took turns on the BBC’s Question Time on Friday to defend their election pledges.

Corbyn began by slamming May’s decision to dodge a debate, saying it was a “shame.”

May responded by saying that "the only poll that matters is the one that takes place on polling day."

Corbyn (pictured below) defended his party’s decision to raise taxes for larger businesses, saying the extra money would allow the government to provide better public services.

May was also challenged on her tax policies and was grilled for the embarrassing U-turn she had to make on an unpopular social tax policy.

"What is the point of us working our whole lives and building up a pension if it's all going to be taken away again to pay for our care should we need it?" she was asked, and only responded by calling it a “fair” question.

Nuclear weapons

Perhaps the highlight of Corbyn’s Q&A session came when his opposition to the use of nuclear weapons was challenged by audience.

Asked if he would use nuclear weapons in a preemptive capacity, Corbyn insisted that he would not push the red button first and would instead push for a global disarmament.

"I don't want to be responsible for millions of deaths and neither do you," he said.

“The best protection is having good and reasonable relationships with the rest of the world so we don’t descent into the mentality where there are military blocks starting threatening each other,” he argued.

The Labour leader has openly called for an end to Trident, the UK’s nuclear weapons program, but has been forced to agree with its renewal after losing an internal party debate.

Brexit

Corbyn said he had a better team of negotiators to handle Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) than May and the ruling Conservative Party.

He insisted that his party was keen on retaining the UK’s access to EU markets, something May has ruled out.

May (pictured below), who campaigned against Brexit as then Home Secretary during last June’s Brexit referendum, said she had “absolute, resolute determination to respect the will of the British people” in the talks.

Coalition government

At some point, May warned voters that Corbyn needed to coalesce with other parties in order to form a majority government, saying that it would harm Britain’s standing in EU talks.

Corbyn ruled out a deal with other parties, including the Scottish National Party (SNP) in case of a hung parliament, saying he was looking forward to forming a majority Labour government.

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