In this handout image provided by ITV, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) and British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn shake hands during their election head-to-head debate live on ITV in Salford, Britain, Nov. 19, 2019. Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn faced a national audience on Tuesday night in the first ever televised head-to-head clash between the country's two top political leaders just weeks before the Dec. 12 general election. (Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Handout via Xinhua)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ­doubled down on his Brexit promises on Tuesday, saying only he could take Britain out of the European Union quickly in a testy leadership debate with opposition Labour's Jeremy Corbyn.

After the hour-long debate, polls showed the public were split over who was the victor: 51 percent said it was Johnson while 49 percent backed Corbyn - a result that analysts said reflected better on the Labour leader, who is trailing in opinion polls.

Both leaders tried to undermine the other in the first such debate before a December 12 election, called by Johnson to break the Brexit deadlock that has hurt Britain's international standing and weighed on the world's fifth-largest economy.

At one point, the host, ITV's Julie Etchingham, asked the two men to shake hands and promise to improve 

the tone of political debate in Britain, which is deeply divided since voters backed leaving the EU in a 2016 referendum.

"We certainly will come out on January 31, because we have a deal... that is oven-ready," Johnson said, reinforcing a message he has used throughout the election campaign that his Conservative government would end the Brexit crisis quickly.

Johnson is promising to implement the exit deal he negotiated with Brussels and lead Britain out of the EU by January 31. He pledged to meet a 2020 

deadline to secure a trade agreement for Britain's long-term relationship with the EU.

He took aim at Corbyn, saying his promise of a second referendum would only prolong Britain's departure from the EU, and prodded the opposition leader nine times to say whether his party would campaign to stay in the bloc or to leave at a new vote. 

Corbyn said he would honor the decision of the people.