Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Allan from East Yorkshire asks: Can we have more NHS dentists? There are no NHS dentists local to me, and others 10 miles away have long waiting lists.

This is a long-running issue. Research by the BBC in 2022 found nine in 10 NHS dentists across the UK were not accepting new adult patients.

All the main political parties have promised to increase access to NHS dentistry. But how realistic their plans are remains to be seen.

Last year the Nuffield Trust think-tank warned the situation had got so bad that that the traditional model of NHS dentistry might have “gone for good”.

It said restoring services would probably need an unrealistic amount of money and called for radical reform, suggesting NHS support would need to be completely scaled back for some adults.

The original universal service is a mix of free care for some and subsidised support for others.

The Nuffield Trust said one option could be to start charging adults for the full cost of treatment beyond emergency work and check-ups.

The young, old and those on the lowest income could then continue to receive free care.

Kevin Peachey
Cost of living correspondent

Robin Plumley, 69, Hampshire, asks: How is the government, of any colour, going to pay off the national debt with all the various spending and tax cuts promised?

The two main parties have a commitment to reducing debt as a share of our national income. Remember debt rose sharply during Covid.

You’ll hear politicians of all colours talking about chasing economic growth. That’s because if the economy grows then the national debt falls, by that measure, without the need for tax rises or spending cuts.

Ultimately, the tax burden is rising. A new government will also need to make key decisions on its spending plans early in the next government.

Justin Rowlatt and Mark Poynting
Climate editor and climate reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Elizabeth, 63, from Cambridgeshire, asks: Given that the world has five years left to prevent it going over 1.5C hotter (than pre-industrial temperatures), why are we not taxing the use of airplanes, particular frequent fliers?

It is true that the aviation industry doesn’t pay tax on most of the fuel it uses and there is no VAT on plane tickets - although Air Passenger Duty is charged on flights from UK airports.

Aviation has contributed roughly 4% of human-caused warming - and because of the need to cut emissions to meet global climate targets, the parties have proposed different approaches.

Both the Conservatives and Labour talk about supporting the UK aviation industry and promoting sustainable fuels, although these are not widely available yet.

The SNP also call for support for greener fuels. The Lib Dems and the Greens say they will increase the charges on those who fly frequently, will stop airport expansion and will ban some short-haul flights in the UK.

Plaid Cymru want to increase Air Passenger Duty and fuel tax for private jets. Reform UK, meanwhile, has called for the UK to scrap its climate targets, and doesn’t mention aviation in its manifesto.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

How would the parties tackle current hospital waiting times? I am a medical secretary at a GP practice. I am constantly explaining to patients that they could be waiting a year or more to see a consultant in several specialities.

Tackling the hospital backlog during the next parliament features in the manifestos of all the main political parties – the waiting lists stands at more than 7.5m in England.

That is more than 3m higher than before the pandemic, although it is down from a peak of nearly 7.8m in September.

Labour, perhaps, goes into the most detail, promising to create 40,000 extra appointments, scans, and operations a week in England by getting NHS staff to work at weekends and increasing the use of the private sector.

That represents an increase of less than 2%, but experts believe it could be just enough to get the NHS back on track in England.

The other parties have also promised to increase activity to reduce the waits for treatment.

Achieving that though will remain a challenge. Despite the NHS budget and the number of staff increasing, the number of patients being seen for planned care such as knee and hip replacements has not gone up since before the pandemic.

An analysis by the Health Foundation said the plans set out by Labour, the Tories and Liberal Democrats were unconvincing.

Kevin Peachey
Cost of living correspondent

What are the political parties going to do about absurd rent prices? How are the parties going to bring down rent so professionals in their 30s don't have to houseshare? Yasmin, Greater Manchester

We’ve had some new, official figures on the cost of renting a home. Average rents paid to private landlords in the UK rose by 8.7% in the year to June. , external

That’s a big rise compared with the norm of the last decade, but the rate has slowed over recent months.

The National Residential Landlords Association says there is a “chronic shortage” of homes to rent, with lots of tenants chasing each home.

That’s why rents have risen sharply. As my colleague Nick Triggle wrote earlier on GP access, it's about supply and demand.

While analysts think these increases will continue to slow, there are wider issues tied into parties’ housing policies overall – such as whether enough homes, specifically to rent, are being built.

Justin Rowlatt
Climate editor

The UK contributes less than 1% of global CO2 emissions, writes Mike, 63, from Northumberland. We have already cut emissions by 50%. Why then is the country preparing to spend billions of pounds on reducing emissions further when it will have a negligible impact on the climate?

This is a great question. All of the main parties except Reform have committed to cutting the UK’s emissions - so why are they bothering?

Well, there are a few different answers. Firstly, the UK led the world’s industrial revolution and is actually the eighth highest emitter of greenhouse gases since 1850 - gases which are mostly still affecting the climate.

Secondly, thanks in part to that early industrial revolution, the UK is a relatively rich country. Some people say this gives the UK a moral responsibility to set an example for others to follow.

The Paris climate agreement - which nearly 200 countries including the UK have signed up to - recognises that it will take longer for poorer or developing countries to cut their emissions.

Finally, there could be real benefits from early decarbonisation. Investing in green tech early could mean the UK steals a march on other countries and gets a bigger slice of these new and booming sustainable industries.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Kathleen Finn from Northern Ireland has a simple question: Why is it so hard to see a GP?

In simple terms, Kathleen, demand has gone up faster than supply.

A big factor in that is the failure by the government to achieve their pledge to recruit an extra 6,000 GPs in England during this Parliament. It has achieved less than half of that target.

It has meant that the number of patients per GP has been rising. In 2015 there were fewer than 2,000, but that has now increased to nearly 2,300, according to an analysis by the British Medical Association, external.

The other UK nations have all struggled too.

This has happened at a time when the needs of patients have been getting more complex.

The result is declining satisfaction. The British Social Attitudes Survey, external, which has been running since the early 1980s, saw satisfaction with GPs fall to its lowest-ever level this year with just 34% of the public saying they were happy.

The government has though increased the number of allied health professionals, such as physios and pharmacists, working alongside GPs which has helped relieve some of the pressures.

All the parties are promising improved access to GP care.

Image source, Getty Images

Justin Rowlatt and Mark Poynting
Climate editor and climate reporter

Jen from Wiltshire has asked for more coverage on climate change because, she says, the next five years are crucial for climate action.

Rapidly cutting global emissions this decade is widely seen as crucial for meeting international climate goals.

Most of the parties would say they have strong policies on climate change in their manifestos. Except for Reform, all have committed to the UK reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or earlier, and to hugely ramp up renewables.

The ambition and emphasis varies between parties of course, as they try to sell their own approach.

Labour are keen to talk about the economic opportunities of green growth; the Conservatives are wary of going too fast.

The Lib Dems and SNP all want to get to net zero sooner than the current 2050 target; the Greens and Plaid Cymru sooner still.

The outlier is Reform, which says net zero needs to bescrapped because it’s "damaging our livelihoods and the economy".

How can I get on the housing ladder?published at 15:43 British Summer Time 20 June

15:43 BST 20 June

Kevin Peachey
Cost of living correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Daniel Baker from Nottinghamshire says he and his partner both work full time and rent their home privately. They feel "penalised for something that's not our fault and would like to own our own home one day".

One of the biggest issues for voters in this election is housing – and the parties are fully aware of this. When pressed by Nick Robinson, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admitted that owning a home has become more difficult.

There are a range of policies floated by the various parties aiming at making things easier for first-time buyers – from building more homes, helping with the deposit, abolishing stamp duty for some buyers and so on.

Don’t forget, some housing policy is devolved, so decisions are not made entirely in Westminster. My colleague Douglas Fraser has written about the situation in Scotland.

All these policies will need to go under the microscope. And the promises to build require levels of construction not seen for decades.

Help with deposits doesn’t address whether new buyers can cope with high mortgage rates. Stamp duty isn’t paid by most first-time buyers in many areas of the country.

Housing is complex, local areas have different needs, and prices vary considerably. That’s why it is such a knotty, and debated, topic.

Dulcie Lee
Live page editor

Image source, .

Ahead of tonight’s BBC Question Time Special at 20:00 BST, we’re answering your election questions - and have heard plenty from you on housing, dentistry, tax and climate change.

On hand, we have our cost-of-living correspondent Kevin Peachey, climate editor Justin Rowlatt, health correspondent Nick Triggle, and climate reporter Mark Poynting.

Over the next hour or so, they’ll be answering your questions as part of our Your Voice, Your Voice project.

And if you’ve still got a burning question, don’t worry, we still want to hear from you. Get in touch by emailing bbcyourvoice@bbc.co.uk

Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage has also been reacting to the gambling probe, telling a reporter in Cheshire: "From all the news that’s breaking today it looks like the Conservative Party is more corrupt than even its worst critics could have imagined.

"They're literally stealing the light bulbs on the way out the door. This is another shocking scandal."

He's been on the campaign trail today in the northern English county, telling supporters there his party's support among those aged 15 to 25 has "rapidly" increased.

Farage says the following he's built up on TikTok and Instagram has been "amazing".

Image source, PA Media

Any candidate found to have been using inside information to place a bet on the date of the general election should "no longer have the support [of the party]", according to the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Douglas Ross.

He says if anyone is found to have done so - which hasn't happened yet - their behaviour would be "completely unacceptable", "completely wrong" and he doesn't "in any way condone" it.

"But there is an independent process and I think it's right that due process is allowed to continue," he adds.

Veteran Conservative politician Sir Charles Walker has been on Politics Live today talking about the gambling watchdog's probe.

Walker - who is standing down at this election - says he believes it will not make any difference to the result.

"Nobody is going to change their vote off the back of this," he says.

The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, told the programme this incident feeds into a narrative that the Conservative party is "out of touch".

Labour and the Lib Dems have today been calling for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to suspend Laura Saunders - one of the Tory candidates the Gambling Commission is looking into.

Francesca Gillett
Live page editor

We've still got more reaction to bring you to today's main story on the betting allegations - but let's just look ahead to tonight for a moment.

No, not the England match (although you can follow that build-up here) - we're talking about the BBC's Question Time election special which will see the leaders of the four biggest parties take turns to answer questions from the audience.

Taking part are Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, Scottish National Party leader John Swinney and leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey - and they'll have 30 minutes each.

It will be broadcast from 20:00-22:00 BST on BBC One, radio and online as well as on BBC iPlayer, and of course we'll be bringing you all the live updates on this page. It starts after the Euros, so like me, you can watch it all.

Tom Symonds
Reporting from the Conservatives campaign bus

Housing Secretary Michael Gove says he is "unhappy" about allegations that two Tory candidates placed bets on the timing of the general election - and that the public will be looking on with a mixture of "surprise and consternation".

He was also asked about the Tories' director of campaigning, Tony Lee, who is also being looked into by the gambling watchdog. Lee has now taken a leave of absence.

Gove says "it's quite properly being investigated now" but in election campaigns there were "very human lapses by individuals".

"Let the process [of investigation] take its course. Be properly critical of people who've made mistakes and in the fullness of time hope that they can find forgiveness."

He said there was a need to concentrate on the real issues in this campaign and talk to the voters about the differences between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak.

Helen Catt
Political correspondent

These latest details have gifted Rishi Sunak's opponents a way to question both his leadership and his party's integrity.

They've come at a time that may be particularly damaging.

In just a few hours, Sunak is due to face a live studio audience, in a campaign where direct engagement with the public has been relatively rare.

These encounters always carry the risk of unravelling the most carefully planned campaign messages, even without the backdrop of a negative story.

Then there are the practical consequences: with their director of campaigning now taking a leave of absence, the Tories have lost a key behind-the-scenes figure at a point when their campaign really needs to double down to try to make up ground.

In the past few hours, the Conservatives have deleted a post on X which showed a spinning roulette wheel and the caption: "If you bet on Labour, you can never win."

The post was published yesterday - before it emerged the Gambling Commission was looking into the Conservative Party's director of campaigning and his wife over alleged betting relating to the timing of the election.

One of our newsroom colleagues did manage to screenshot the post before it was taken down, however, and we've shared it below.

You can read more on the allegations against Tony Lee and Laura Saunders here.

Image source, @Conservatives/ X

Jenny Hill
Reporting from Sheffield

The Lib Dems' Sir Ed Davey wanted to use his visit to a gardens in Sheffield today to talk about potholes and his party's plans to tackle them - but, like other leaders, he found himself answering questions about the gambling allegations facing Conservative Party candidates.

Davey told reporters he would suspend Laura Saunders - the second Tory candidate being looked into for allegedly placing a bet on the timing of the election - if he was in Rishi Sunak's shoes.

"I think it's quite awful," he told the BBC. "The idea that you bet on something you know the result - that is immoral, that is illegal.

"It needs a heavy hand from the top. We think there should be a Cabinet Office inquiry."

Image source, PA Media

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says Rishi Sunak should have suspended the Conservative candidate who's being looking into by the Gambling Commission.

Laura Saunders is the second Tory candidate to be looked into over alleged betting claims in recent weeks. Her husband, Tory campaign boss Tony Lee, is also being looked into. Neither have yet responded to the claims.

Starmer says if Saunders was one of his candidates "they'd be gone and their feet would not have touched the floor".

Our last few posts have been getting caught up with the various campaign trails - but the big story of today is on the latest allegations of betting among Tory candidates. We'll bring you more reaction to that very shortly, but this is where we're at:

• The gambling watchdog is looking into the Conservative Party's director of campaigning Tony Lee over an alleged bet relating to the timing of the general election.
• His wife, Tory candidates Laura Saunders, is also being looked into by the betting industry regulator
• This follows an apology from another Conservative candidate, Craig Williams, who is alleged to have also placed a bet on when the election would be
• Both Saunders and Lee have been approached for comment by the BBC and have not responded.
• Opposition parties have called for Saunders to be suspended - which we'll bring you more of in a moment
• And looking further ahead, we've got the Question Time leaders debate to bring you this evening at 20:00 BST. It's going to be a busy afternoon!