UK leaders make final campaign pitch on poll-eve

With hours to go before voting begins in Britain's general election, Prime Minister Theresa May, Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and other party leaders hit the streets across the nation on Wednesday for a final push for votes.

The Tory leader said she was the only person who could "deliver for Britain" and negotiate the right Brexit deal.

Warning of "five more years of Tory austerity", Labour's leader promised more spending on health and education, BBC reported.

The Lib Dems were focusing on Remain-voting target seats while UK Independence Party (UKIP) said only it can stop Brexit "backsliding".

In Scotland, Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon warned that a vote for Labour risks "handing the keys of No.10" to Theresa May, while leaders in Wales and Northern Ireland were also making their last pitch for votes.

In the wake of Manchester and London Bridge attacks, May promised to change human rights laws if they hamper a crackdown on terror suspects, by potentially seeking opt-outs from the European Convention on Human Rights.

But returning to her central message on Brexit -- the reason she gave for calling June 8 election 50 days ago -- May said that the money which was spent on EU projects till now could deliver "huge benefits" across the UK after its withdrawal, due in 2019.

May's day started in London, where she chatted with butchers at Smithfield meat market in the city. She was accompanied by her husband Philip as she visited the Southampton, Norwich, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands.

Speaking in Norwich, she said a Labour government would "wreck the economy".

May said negotiations with the EU would begin in less than a fortnight and the question for voters was about who they trusted to deliver the best deal for Britain.

But emphasising Labour's plan to invest billions on public services, Corbyn said the NHS could not afford "five more years of underfunding, understaffing and privatisation".

He said: "The re-election of a Theresa May government will mean five more years of cuts to the NHS, five more years of increases in waiting times, five more years of more and more people waiting for social care and five more years of austerity."

The Labour leader had to reshuffle his top team on the eve of the election after announcing shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott was taking a break because of ill health.

Meanwhile, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron urged Labour supporters to "send a message" to May on issues such as Brexit and social care by supporting his party.

Campaigning in Edinburgh, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said re-electing SNP MPs would ensure Scotland retained a "strong voice" in Westminster and deny the Conservatives a "crushing majority".

At their final election rally, the Green Party called on people to "vote with their hearts".

Visiting Great Yarmouth, UKIP leader Paul Nuttall said only his party could keep the pressure on the next government to deliver a "real Brexit" -- with lower immigration, exclusive fishing rights for British trawlers within UK territorial waters and no "divorce bill".

Around 50 million Britons are eligible to vote in the general election on Thursday.

--IANS

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