Yahoo News Thursday briefing: Now for the only poll that counts
We made it. Election day. The party leaders have given their final pitches, rallied their last rallies, and now here we are. We’ve got the news you need to get started today and you can follow live coverage of events from our indefatigable politics team, who will be working all day and well into the wee hours to bring you all the action – and the results.
What’s going on?
Well, the campaign is finally over. It’s been a whirlwind six weeks in which the leaders have travelled across the country, stolen phones, hidden in fridges, refused to apologise for their party’s handling of antisemitism when repeatedly asked by Andrew Neil, refused to be interviewed by Andrew Neil at all, posed in boxing rings, posed bulldozing a menacing tower of styrofoam blocks, watched as their confident promise of becoming prime minister quickly became a vanishingly small prospect, or as their pledge to help the Tories by pulling out of seats backfired.
Both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn whipped across the country yesterday as part of a frantic final day, seeking to woo undecided voters and cement support among their bases. Johnson’s final day was marred by accusations he hid in a fridge in order to avoid an interview with Good Morning Britain, which Marina Hyde called “the final frontier in election WTF-ery”. Tim Dowling has this handy guide to five politicians who have hidden – in fridges, toilets and behind trees.
In Bedford, Corbyn rallied supporters to get out to marginal seats and go “flat out” campaigning for the final day, telling voters they could go to the polls “in good cheer”.
As for what result we’ll see tonight, the Guardian’s election opinion polls tracker shows the gap between Labour and the Tories narrowing – though it comes with the usual caveats about relying on polls. Dan Sabbagh has written this guide to four election scenarios: from a thumping Tory win to a Corbyn coalition.
At a glance
Nigel Farage says his Brexit party candidates have been “hounded” over the course of a “very nasty” campaign.
The BBC has said its political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, did not break electoral law when she reported claims that postal ballots painted a “grim” picture for Labour.
Gary Younge has been back to his hometown of Stevenage to see what voters are thinking.
We’ve fact-checked the Tories’ claim that the cost of the festive season for families will rise by over £100 under Jeremy Corbyn. It won’t.
New research shows how Labour and the Conservatives have hidden away senior figures deemed to be embarrassing or “off message”.
John Crace has his final campaign sketch: Johnson ends painful campaign with usual bad gags and lies.
We’ve pulled together some of the best images from the election campaign.
Here’s what the papers say as Britain goes to the ballot box.
The day ahead
> Voters all over the country head out to have their say, with polls opening at 7am and closing at 10pm, and exit polls coming out at 10pm.
> Campaigning has ceased, so apart from appearances to place their own votes, leaders and key party figures should have a much quieter day than they have over the last six weeks.
> If you haven’t already, don’t forget to vote!
Sign up here to receive Andrew Sparrow’s afternoon round-up from the campaign trail – direct to your email inbox.
Best of the rest
> Human society needs to reach “peak meat” within the next decade to tackle the climate emergency, scientists are warning. Livestock emit large amounts of methane while forests are destroyed to create pasture and grow feed grain. In a letter to the Lancet Planetary Health journal, researchers call on countries to “declare a timeframe for peak livestock” after which production would not increase. More than 80% of farmland is used for livestock but it produces just 18% of food calories.
> Cave art depicting human-animal hybrid figures hunting warty pigs and dwarf buffaloes has been dated to nearly 44,000 years old, making it the earliest known cave art by modern humans. The artwork in Indonesia is nearly twice as old as any previous hunting scene, and may represent the oldest rock art on Earth.
“The most fascinating aspect is it has all the key elements of modern human cognition,” said Professor Maxime Aubert, an archaeologist at Australia’s Griffith University. “Hand stencils, a narrative scene, human-like figures that were conceived of something that doesn’t really exist in the real world. Everything is there by 44,000 years ago.” The oldest cave art on record is abstract forms attributed to Neanderthals, which have been dated to 64,000 years old.
> The question of how ring-necked parakeets became a part of British park wildlife may have been answered. One urban legend traces their origin to a pair released by Jimi Hendrix on Carnaby Street in 1968; another suggests they arrived in 1951 when Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn visited London with a menagerie to film The African Queen. Researchers at Queen Mary University London now say the population has probably grown from numerous small-scale releases, including by owners fearful of falling victim to “parrot fever” when outbreaks were periodically hyped in the UK press dating back to the 1930s.
Today in Focus podcast: John Crace’s election lowlights
The Guardian’s political sketch writer, John Crace, runs through the highs and the many, many lows of the 2019 general election campaign. And: Patrick Butler on the Guardian and Observer Christmas appeal.
Lunchtime read: The hunt for Ghislaine Maxwell
In the months since Jeffrey Epstein died in prison, his former partner has disappeared. Will she ever return to face her accusers?
Sport
England all-rounder Moeen Ali is taking a break from Test cricket to prolong his career. Bayern Munich beat a much-changed Tottenham 3-1 to end the group stage of the Champions League with a 100% record, while Gabriel Jesus scored three as Manchester City came from behind to win 4-1 and end Dinamo Zagreb’s hopes of progressing to the knockout stages. In Spain, Kieran Trippier missed a penalty but Atlético Madrid’s 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow guaranteed them a place in the last 16 and confirmed the march of the super clubs.
The British Olympic Association has called for the “fullest possible sanctions” to be taken against Russia following the four-year World Anti‑Doping Agency ban imposed this week for alleged manipulation of doping data. BT is to launch a monthly pass allowing sport fans to watch content including Premier League and Champions League football without a contract for the first time. And Major League Baseball has interviewed almost 60 people and obtained tens of thousands of electronic messages in its investigation into allegations the Houston Astros broke rules by using a television camera to steal signs.
Business
The pound has risen overnight to an eight-month high of $1.322 as investors bet on Boris Johnson winning a working majority in today’s election and ending the uncertainty over Brexit. Sterling, which has been in the doldrums since the 2016 referendum, also rose against the euro and is buying €1.186, its highest for two years. The FTSE100 is set to open up slightly this morning.
The papers
You can see a full round-up of the papers here. “Corbyn urges voters to deliver ‘shock to the establishment’” says the Guardian as Jeremy Corbyn hammers home the theme of his Labour leadership.
The Sun says “If Boris wins today, a bright future begins tomorrow … but if Red Jez gets in, the lights will go out for good”, referencing a 1992 election front page. It exhorts readers to “Save Brexit, Save Britain”. The Mail similarly carries lengthy front-page furniture to deliver its voting instructions, with the biggest point size reserved for one word: “BORIS”. The i has mugshots of the main players in a fairly muted presentation: “Britain’s future: you decide”. The Express goes with: “Brexit and Britain in your hands” with a big capital X right where you’d expect.
“For them … vote Labour” – that’s the Mirror, which has a panel of pictures illustrating the social causes of the election, from the NHS to Grenfell, child poverty and homelessness. “So here it is, Merry Xmas” – at least the Metro seems to want us to cheer us up.
With a yellow banner above its masthead the Telegraph announces “Decision Day” and says “Election on knife edge as Tory lead narrows”. The FT also has its reservations: “Polls cast doubt on Tory hopes of securing a decisive majority”, as does the Times: “Tories face last-minute threat from Brexit party”, below a farewell photo of the bearded face of the late David Bellamy bursting from a floral arbour.
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