Boris Johnson promises 'early Christmas present' with swift return of Brexit deal to Westminster

It will include a "triple tax lock," guaranteeing the rates of income tax, national insurance and VAT will not rise under a re-elected Conservative government.

Mr Johnson tweeted: "It's time to turn the page from the dither, delay and division of recent years and start a new chapter in the incredible history of this country, the greatest place on earth."

Sajid Javid insisted the party's manifesto would contain the “most detailed, most transparent cost[of] things that have ever been published in British electoral history by any party and everyone will be able to see that for themselves".

The Chancellor told Sky News: "The only risk of no-deal is if there is not a Conservative majority; that's self-evident.

"If we have a majority, we've got a deal that is ready to go. I will bring it back…before Christmas[and] it will be done by January. And then there is no prospect of no-deal.

"But if we don't win, if there is a Labour victory, a Corbyn-Sturgeon alliance, or a hung parliament, then the risk of a no-deal is back. The country doesn't want to see that," Mr Javid insisted.

Meanwhile, his Cabinet colleague Michael Gove, asked if there would be any possibility of asking for an extension beyond one year in the next phase, replied: "No."

The Cabinet Office Minister told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: "We'll be out of the EU actually by January."

On social care, the Scot said the Tories wanted to forge an “enduring consensus” on the issue, which in 2017 blew the governing party off course over the row on the so-called “dementia tax”.

"We want to work towards a position where people have absolute security, people are not selling their homes and people are not in a position where they have to see their savings disappear in this way," declared Mr Gove.

Asked that if a detailed strategy on social care was not in the manifesto it would be a political failing, he replied: "No, quite the opposite. It's important that we recognise the political challenge is one for all parties."

Mr Gove was pressed on the issue of trust and why the Tories were laughed at when it was mentioned. He told the Marr Show: "There's a very simple reason for that, which is that this broken Parliament has failed to deliver on Brexit.

“The reason why there is an issue with trust in politics is because we said, all of us, in 2016 that we would honour the referendum result, and more than three and a half years on, Parliament hasn't honoured that result," he added.

The Tories are also promising:

*£6.3bn for energy efficiency measures to cut fuel bills for 2.2m homes targeting social housing and "fuel poor" families, while maintaining the current energy price cap;

*a £1 billion boost for after-school and holiday childcare south of the border with the aim of providing on-site childcare for 250,000 more primary school children over the summer;

*£3bn for a national skills fund as the first step towards creating a new "right to retrain";

*£2bn for the "biggest ever" pothole-filling programme as part of the Tories’ national infrastructure strategy;

*£1.6bn over the next decade to find a cure for dementia;

*to axe “unfair” hospital parking charges for some groups:

*to maintain the pensions "triple lock", winter fuel payments and the older persons free bus pass;

*to reaffirm the existing commitment to make the UK carbon neutral by 2050 and

*to introduce a ban on the export of plastic waste outside the OECD group of developed nations to ensure less plastic is dumped in the oceans.

The manifesto is also expected to make clear that a future Conservative Government would not facilitate a second Scottish independence referendum for the life of the next Parliament ie until May 2024.

Mr Johnson described his decision to re-introduce the Withdrawal Agreement Bill - ratifying his Brexit deal with Brussels - in December as an "early Christmas present" for voters fed up with the wrangling over Britain's departure from the EU.

"As families sit down to carve up their turkeys this Christmas, I want them to enjoy their festive-season free from the seemingly unending Brexit box-set drama.

"The Conservative manifesto, which I'm proud to launch today, will get Brexit done and allow us to move on and unleash the potential of the whole country."

Although the bill cannot complete its passage through Parliament before Christmas, the move will be seen as a clear sign of Mr Johnson's determination to get it through in time for Britain to leave the EU by the January 31 deadline.

Following the election, the new House of Commons is due to sit for the first time on Tuesday December 17.

The first two days are likely to be taken up with the swearing in of the new MPs, potentially with the State Opening and the Queen's Speech on the Thursday.

That could mean MPs sitting the following Monday - the start of Christmas week - to allow the withdrawal bill to be formally introduced, although it is not clear whether there could be any further progress before the holiday.

MPs in the last parliament voted to back the bill at second reading, but the Prime Minister withdrew it after they refused to support a timetable motion to fast-track it through the Commons in just three days.

"It's time to turn the page from the dither, delay and division of recent years, and start a new chapter in the incredible history of this country, the greatest place on Earth,” declared Mr Johnson.

"We have achieved amazing things together in the past and I know we will achieve even more in the future; if only we choose the right path at this critical election."

The announcement of the tax lock comes after the PM last week let slip that the Tory manifesto would include a commitment to raise the threshold for national insurance contributions.

Initially it will go up to £9,500 saving 31 million taxpayers around £100-a-year. However, Mr Johnson's suggestion it could rise to £12,500 - saving £500-a-year – has been described as an "ambition" and it is unclear whether it will be met in the next parliament.