General election: Leaders give final speeches before polls open
As five weeks of campaigning came to an end on Wednesday, party leaders rack up further mileage with a last-gasp bid for votes.
Thursday 12 December 2019 00:03, UK
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have concluded their general election campaigning less than four miles away from each other on the eve of polls opening.
Both the prime minister and the Labour leader chose east London venues for the final rallies of their election campaigns.
Mr Johnson addressed Conservative supporters at the Copper Box Arena in the capital's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
He told Tory activists the election contest was "tight and getting tighter" and urged his party to "find every vote we can to save our country from disaster".
Repeating the Conservatives' climate vow, the prime minister added: "Let's be carbon-neutral by 2050 and Corbyn neutral by Christmas.
"Let's get Brexit done and take this incredible country forwards together."
In another part of east London, Mr Corbyn later told Labour supporters the UK faces a "truly historic" choice on Thursday, adding: "We stand at a fork in the road."
"Tomorrow you can shock the establishment, by voting for hope," the Labour leader added.
"Hope for yourself. Hope for your family. Hope for your community. Hope for our NHS. Hope for our country.
"Tomorrow, vote for hope. Vote for real change."
As five weeks of campaigning came to an end on Wednesday, both main party leaders racked up further mileage with a last-gasp dash across the country in a final bid for votes.
Mr Johnson travelled through South Yorkshire, the East Midlands and South Wales before addressing the London rally.
The Conservative leader took part in photo opportunities on a milk round - to highlight his promise to "deliver Brexit" - and at a bakery to illustrate his "oven ready" deal to leave the EU on 31 January.
Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn campaigned in Glasgow and Middlesbrough before travelling to the capital.
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson concentrated her final day efforts around London and Surrey, where her party are targeting key seats.
She said it was "absolutely possible" to deny Mr Johnson a House of Commons majority through tactical voting.
"We know from past elections that very often voters who vote tactically come to that conclusion in the final hours before they cast their vote," she said.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon campaigned in support of her party's candidates in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Dunbartonshire as she toured Tory, Lib Dem and Labour marginal seats across Scotland.
She said: "This election is Scotland's chance to stop five years of a Boris Johnson government and all the damage that will do.
"It's now or never."
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage - speaking in his party's target seat of Doncaster - expressed his hope there would be "very, very, very heavy rain" in the South Yorkshire town on Thursday in the belief it would depress the votes of rival parties.
"I know that people who are going to vote for us will turn out, because they absolutely believe in our message, they believe in their hearts as well as in their heads," he said.
The Brexit Election on Sky News - the fastest results and in-depth analysis on mobile, TV and radio.
- Watch John Bercow with Dermot Murnaghan live from 9pm on Thursday
- Follow the Election Social show hosted by Lewis Goodall and BuzzFeed UK's Emily Ashton on Sky News' website, app and social media channels also from 9.45pm
- See the exit poll live at 10pm
- Watch KayBurley@Breakfast election special on Friday morning