As we wait to hear from Jeremy Hunt and Rachel Reeves over at the Times CEO Summit, here's a quick look at this morning's media interviews from the main political parties:

• Housing Secretary Michael Gove said it was "deeply regrettable" that a second Tory candidate is being looked into over the timing of an alleged bet they made on the date of the election - but we have to wait for the outcome of the process, he notes
• Asked about widespread warnings of a Tory wipeout, Gove said of course they are looking at the polls but it's ultimately a choice between Sunak and Starmer on 4 July
• In a tense interview, the Green Party's Sian Berry was challenged on her party's proposals for a wealth tax policy to help plug the gap in NHS funding. She said it would only fall on the "broadest shoulders"
• Shadow housing minister Matthew Pennycook said his party would appoint a taskforce on new housing developments in the first few weeks if Labour wins the election. Right To Buy, he said, wouldn't be scrapped, but they would review the discounts council houses are sold at

Sean Seddon
Live reporter

We are officially into the final fortnight of the campaign and it has already been a busy start to the day.

We've been listening to the likes of Michael Gove, Matthew Pennycook and Kate Forbes being grilled on topics like housing and the state of the opinion polls - you can read about those conversations by scrolling back.

We're soon going to be shifting our focus away from our own studios and over to the Times's CEO summit.

The paper is hosting business leaders at its annual gathering, where they will be addressed by the two contenders to be the next chancellor of the exchequer: Labour's Rachel Reeves and the person who currently holds the title, Jeremy Hunt.

We'll be listening to everything they have to say and bringing you the most important information here.

In her last question, Forbes defends the SNP's record in office, saying its tax policies have "mitigated against some of the worst of the austerity".

She says that has led to Scotland having the "best A&E units in the UK" and better paid public workers.

Forbes says people have experienced austerity for 14 years and there could be more if Labour sticks to the same fiscal rules as the current government.

She calls for a change of approach "at source", away from tight spending rules and towards investment.

Peeling away from the radio waves, we're going to dip back over to BBC Breakfast, where Deputy First Minister of Scotland Kate Forbes has just been interviewed.

She begins by saying this election is an opportunity to support Scottish independence, highlighting how a vote for SNP is a vote for independence.

But it is put to her that both Labour and Tories say they won't countenance a second referendum on the matter - isn't she banging her head against a brick wall?

Forbes replies that it is a pretty damning indictment of democracy if people express their views and it is not respected by the government (she's referring to those Scots who previously voted for independence).

Amol Rajan asks Pennycook on the Today programme about the right to buy scheme - Labour has not pledged to abolish it.

Amol says two-thirds of council houses were transferred to private ownership over the last four decades.

Pennycook says he wants to see affordable homes, but that the outflow of existing stock should be stopped.

He says right to buy would not be stopped, but Labour could review generous discounts that saw an outflow of council homes. Pennycook says Labour would do that by slashing discounts and putting in place more protections for extra social homes.

It is "scandalous", Pennycook says, that councils are building new council homes and several years later they are being sold off and rented back to those same authorities.

Asked about how many new towns would be built under a Labour government, Pennycook says "we've not picked a number".

Instead, the party would appoint a taskforce in the first weeks of any future Labour government, which would determine where these developments should be located.

Pennycook says that without these sorts of large developments, it won't be possible to build the number of houses the country needs.

Pennycock is next asked about Labour's approach to the green belt.

He says it will be for local authorities to release land as they see fit rather than a decision being made by central government.

Pennycock says using green belt land must be strategic and be the right type of land, citing grey belt as an example.

The so-called grey belt includes land within broader green belt areas that has been neglected or has already been built on - such as disused car parks or areas of wasteland.

Pennycock says authorities must ensure when building does goes ahead it serves the needs of the local communities.

Immediately following up from Gove's interview on BBC's Radio 4 Today programme is Labour's shadow housing minister Matthew Pennycook - who is first asked for two ways his party would change planning to make it easier to build homes.

He replies that Labour wants to reverse what he calls damaging changes to planning policy – he says they want to reverse the previous government's abolition of housing targets because - he claims - that saw housebuilding collapse.

Pennycook adds that what is needed is a mechanism for strategic planning across the country.

Gove is asked about stamp duty and if he has ever sought to abolish it. He says he hasn't because of the amount that it would cost.

He says, however, that raising the stamp duty ceiling on lower cost homes has been a positive intervention.

When it comes to council tax, he says he hasn't pushed for a re-evaluation of council tax as it could have unforeseen costs.

He goes on to say he is concerned that Labour might introduce additional council tax bands.

Michael Gove rejects the suggestion that the government has failed on housebuilding, but admits "we haven't done as well as we should".

He says one million homes have been built over the last parliament but accepts that's not as many as ministers had wanted.

Gove points to "constraints" on supply, including "legacy EU rules" on things like the environment, as well as local opposition to plans.

Back over to Michael Gove's second media appearance of the morning with the BBC, as he is now joining Radio 4 Today programme.

The interview begins with hosts playing a clip of young people in Dagenham talking about how hard it is to get on the housing ladder. How will Gove's party's plan help them? Young people he says want to do what everyone wants: a place to call their own.

Gove replies that he sympathises with those people and we need to make easier to finance buying a house - and one of the things is what we are doing with stamp duty and we need to build more homes.

He then goes on to highlight his party's pledge of a revised Help To Buy scheme.

Chris Mason
Political editor

The BBC can reveal this morning that the Conservative candidate being looked into by the Gambling Commission over a bet relating to the timing of the general election is married to the party’s director of campaigning.

Laura Saunders, the party’s candidate in Bristol North West, has worked for the Tories since 2015.

It is not known when the bet was placed or for how much money.

She is married to Tony Lee, who is the Conservative Party’s Director of Campaigns.

Saunders has been approached for comment by the BBC and has not replied.

A Conservative Party spokesman told the BBC: “We have been contacted by the Gambling Commission about a small number of individuals. As the Gambling Commission is an independent body, it wouldn’t be proper to comment further, until any process is concluded.”

A bit before Michael Gove joined BBC Breakfast this morning, Professor Sir John Curtice and go-to election guru sat down to discuss today's newspapers - which paint a depressing picture for the Conservatives ahead of the general election.

He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there are difficulties in extracting accurate data with all the different methodologies used in polls but says it boils down to two points.

"In terms of vote share, the Conservatives are at the moment heading for their worst performance since the First World War."

Curtice adds that the Conservatives may not even quite reach "their lowest ever number of seats in the House of Commons which was 156 all the way back in in 1906".

Ending the interview on a reflective note, Gove says "others will judge" if his personal record is a success after 14 years playing an influential role in the government and in his party.

The housing secretary has already announced he is quitting the Commons ahead of the election.

Quoting the musical Hamilton, Gove says it is unlikely to ever be completely satisfied in politics but says he is proud of the party's achievements on things like education, the environment and childcare.

Though this segment has wrapped, we'll soon be bringing you more from Gove when he is grilled on Radio 4's Today programme in just a few minutes.

Naga Munchetty puts to Michael Gove next: you are levelling up secretary, have you levelled up?

Gove replies that he thinks the government has made progress but he doesn't think that they've gone as far as they needed to. He says they always made it clear it would take until 2030 to deliver.

He says devolution helped the levelling up agenda, for example, in Teeside.

"Come to Teeside and I defy anyone to say what happened there isn’t levelling up," he says.

Another example he says is Greater Grimsby where he claims there has been real progress towards levelling up.

Speaking about opinion polls, which show Gove's party on course for a heavy defeat, the housing secretary says Labour might be "tempted to rig the system" if it wins a very big majority at the next election and "entrench forever rule" by extending votes to 16-year-olds and other groups.

He speaks about the party having "unchecked power" and says the Commons needs a "balance of people", not "yes men and women".

Asked if these warnings amount to him conceding defeat, Gove says he won't give up until "the whistle finally blows".

"Never say die," he adds.

Gove is next asked about reports of a Tory wipeout being headlined all over the papers this morning - including the front page of the Daily Telegraph. What does it make him think ?

He says that's not the view of the Telegraph itself but the polling companies are reputable and that of course, politicians look at them. Ultimately, he says, the choice is between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.

Over now to the interview with the housing secretary.

Michael Gove begins by saying it is "deeply regrettable" that a second Conservative candidate is being looked into by the Gambling Commission over a bet relating to the timing of the general election.

Last night, the BBC revealed Laura Saunders - who has worked for the party since 2015 and is standing in Bristol North West - is being looked into by the regulator.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning, Gove says he would "have to wait and see" what the outcome of that process is, but that it would be "disappointing" behaviour if proven.

He continues: "If people have used inside information to place bets that's deeply wrong, but what I can't do is get too much into the detail while there's an investigation."

Gove adds that on the "broad principle", "it's reprehensible".

Chris Mason
Political editor

While we wait to hear from Gove, a bit of breaking news.

Boris Johnson might not be appearing on the campaign trail in this election campaign.

But, it has been announced this morning, he will publish his memoirs later this year.

The book will be called Unleashed and will be out in the autumn.

Rishi Sunak will no doubt be relieved it will appear after the election, rather than before it, given Johnson’s capacity for generating attention.

We're just minutes away from hearing from Housing Secretary Michael Gove - who, as reminder, will not stand at the general election.

We'll be bringing you fresh lines from that interview on BBC Breakfast, but you can also follow along live by pressing the Watch Live button at the top of this page. Stick with us for more.