Andrew Sparrow's election briefing: Johnson v Corbyn – the verdict

Johnson v Corbyn: snap verdict

A win’s a win, and the YouGov poll probably does give us a reasonably good idea as to what people who were watching the debate felt about it, but 51% to 49% is not much of a margin over someone whom the Tories regularly denounce as unfit to be prime minister. Johnson may have been focused and effective, but for much of the debate he sounded like a stuck record, constantly returning to a not entirely plausible refrain about getting Brexit done, while Corbyn had a wider and uplifting agenda, focusing on health, work and ending austerity.

Regardless of the YouGov verdict, one suspects Labour won’t be disappointed with Corbyn’s performance. The Conservatives are entitled to be relieved, but certainly not overjoyed.

What was surprising how little Johnson had to say on domestic policy. As well as frequently over-running his time, he ended up being reprimanded several times in the second half of the programme (which was not meant to be about Brexit) for returning to his EU withdrawal talking points.

The debate was better-natured than many people might have expected (Julie Etchingham’s decision to get them to shake hands on a good behaviour pledge seemed unnecessary on the night, as well as being of pointless long-term value, and ended up looking like a gimmick), and although this meant the audience never got to see the meaner side of Johnson, it also meant Corbyn got an easier ride than he might have expected. A constant Tory attack line against him is that he is a terrorist sympathiser who sided with Russia over Salisbury. There was not a word about that tonight – apart from Brexit, foreign affairs barely featured – and viewers whose only knowledge of Corbyn comes from negative newspaper copy may have been pleasantly surprised. The most uplifting moment of the debate (there wasn’t a wide choice) was probably his riff about how he would be a leader who listens.

There was not a single exchange that defined the whole debate. Corbyn’s “we have had nine years of chaotic coalition” was a good reply to Johnson’s claim about the so-called threat posed by a Labour/SNP alliance, and Johnson was uncomfortable when being challenged about his record on not keeping his promises. He could have been pushed much harder on this, given that his entire campaign for the Tory leadership was built around a promise he failed to keep (Brexit by 31 October).

But although Corbyn had a broader and more positive message, Johnson did have a clear one, about Labour delaying Brexit, and if he kept coming back to this point endlessly, he was doing so for a reason. It might not have been impressive debating, but it was very good message discipline, it was consistent with the thrust of the Conservative campaign so far, and it did the trick tonight. Three weeks on Thursday, it may well work again, too.

Meanwhile

• The Green party launched its election manifesto with the central plank a pledge to implement a zero-carbon economy by 2030.

• And the Democratic Unionist party launched … well, not quite a manifesto, but a 12-point plan (pdf) for Northern Ireland.

• The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, said a Labour government would beef​ up the regulatory system to prevent failures such as those of Thomas Cook and Carillion. But Labour said journalists were reading too much into what McDonnell said about not imposing a windfall tax on oil companies.

• Arron Banks’s Twitter account has been hacked and the entire private message history of the Leave.EU founder uploaded to the internet.

• Nigel Farage said his Brexit party might form pacts with the Tories on a local basis, but such informal agreements would be out of his control. It also emerged the Brexit party is being investigated for allegedly failing to answer requests for data it holds on some voters

• In an interview with the New Statesman Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary, has suggested that, if the Tories win the election, Corbyn should not resign immediately. Instead there should be a “period of reflection”.

• Johnson set out plans to tackle knife crime by expanding controversial stop-and-search powers which would allow police to search people without having any grounds for suspicion.

• The SNP said the Conservative opposition to holding a second independence referendum is “crumbling” after the Scottish secretary, Alister Jack, appeared to contradict Johnson’s vow to block another vote.

• Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, mocked Johnson for refusing to debate her or to allow a second independence referendum:

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