The father of a man killed in the London Bridge terror attack has launched a stinging attack on Boris Johnson, accusing him of using his son’s death to “make political capital” and taking the country “for a ride”.

David Merritt, whose 25-year-old son, Jack, was one of two people killed by terrorist Usman Khan, condemned Johnson for using the attack as justification for a series of tougher criminal policies.

Posting on his social media account, Mr Merritt responded to a reference of the attack during Friday’s BBC leaders’ debate, saying: “If prisoners have engaged with rehabilitation and turned their lives around, why should they be punished for what Khan did?”

In his first direct attack on Johnson, who he had previously pleaded with to stop politicising the death of his son, he said: “Corbyn spoke the truth last night. Johnson lied and used our son’s death to make political capital.

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He added: “Wake up Britain: this man is a fraud. He’s the worst of us, and he’s taking you for a ride. You may think the options open to you in this election are not entirely to your liking. Me neither, but I’ll be voting least worst option: anti-Tory. For all our sakes, for the future of the country, please, please do the same.”

Johnson was judged to be less trustworthy than Corbyn by a margin of 38pc to 48pc in a poll after the two leaders sparred in Friday’s TV debate.

Broadcaster Andrew Neil also tore into Johnson last week for refusing to commit to an interview on his BBC show, telling viewers he wanted to put “questions of trust” to the British PM. Johnson was previously laughed at by audience members in an TV debate when he said the truth matters in the election.

Meanwhile leaked documents used by Labour as evidence the Tories are planning to sell off the NHS were linked to a Russian operation on Reddit. The social media site said it had banned 61 accounts after investigating suspect activity. The campaign shared similarities to a Russian operation dubbed “Secondary Infektion” uncovered by Facebook earlier this year.

Corbyn used the leaked documents as evidence the government was at an advanced stage of negotiations with the US to open up the health service to American pharmaceutical companies.

Elsewhere, new polling has shown that enough Remain supporters are ready to vote tactically to prevent Johnson winning an overall majority and delivering a hard Brexit.

A poll of 10,000 voters found that 44pc of Labour Remain voters are ready to back LibDem candidates where they are best-placed to defeat Conservatives, while 39pc of Lib Dem supporters are prepared to do the same to help a Labour candidate beat a Tory.

Lord Cooper, David Cameron’s head of strategy ahead of the Conservatives’ 2015 election victory, said the Tories and the Brexit Party had “effectively become one”, and that the “broad-based, open-minded, aspirational One Nation Conservative Party” has now been replaced by a “narrow nationalist party” obsessed by the single issue of securing Brexit at any cost.

And Alastair Campbell, who helped Tony Blair to three successive Labour election wins, said it was time for Remain voters to set aside party loyalties in order to keep open the chance of a referendum.

“This election is not about Jeremy Corbyn or Jo Swinson – neither can win a majority,” he said. “It has come down to one simple question: do you want to give Johnson and the reckless right-wing gang that surrounds him total power to do whatever they want?

“It is not too late to stop him and secure a democratic Final Say on Brexit. But a lot more people are going to have to focus on who can win their seat, hold their noses and put aside party loyalty – or even views about the respective leaders – if we are to have a real chance.”

©Independent

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