Before we get fully immersed into the campaign trail today, we're going to first be bringing you the May inflation figures, which will be published by the Office for National Statistics at 07:00 BST.

Inflation is expected to have fallen back to the Bank of England's 2% target for the first time in nearly three years after falling to 2.3% in the year to April.

As regular readers of our election coverage may know, we'll also be covering the key lines from our early morning media round of interviews.

Among the guests we are expecting to hear from are work and pensions secretary Mel Stride and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, who will be hitting the airwaves on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Later today, the SNP is set to launch its manifesto, a day after Scottish Labour released its version, with the spotlight expected to be on plans for a "major investment" in the NHS.

MSP Fiona Hyslop will likely give us some insight in to her party's manifesto release ahead of that when she joins the Today programme later this morning.

It's going to be a busy one, but as always, we'll have you covered from every angle this morning (and afternoon) so stick with us.

In the year to April - the most recent inflation figure which was released last month - inflation fell to 2.3%.

Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time.

It marked a sharp fall from 3.2% in March, according to the Office for National Statistics, and is the lowest level in almost three years.

Looking a little bit closer at those figures from the Office for National Statistics, a big part of the reason behind the sharp fall in April's inflation number was falling gas and electricity prices.

This came after the energy price cap was lowered by the watchdog Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem).

According to the latest data, prices of electricity, gas and other fuels fell by 27.1% in the year to April - the biggest fall since records began being kept in 1989.

Image source, .

Imminent inflation figures sure to spark debatepublished at 06:07 19 June

06:07 19 June

Faisal Islam
Economics editor

It was only a month ago that the prime minister called a general election after a set of inflation figures were released.

This morning's set, for May, could yet show the headline rate of inflation back at 2% - the Bank of England’s target.

It is sure to spark a significant debate among the main parties. The Conservatives will hope for a lower figure to underline the story of a turnaround.

But the underlying figures for services inflation and core inflation are what really matter economically speaking. They did disappoint last month and actually suggested that an interest rate cut on Thursday was unlikely.

It remains the case that there is little expectation of a rate cut from the Bank of England. But the overall figures on price rises could help unpack whether a rate cut might still happen in early August.

It’s also worth remembering that this the last big economic release of the election campaign.

Here's a glimpse of some of the front pages this morning, which unsurprisingly focus on the election.

The Daily Mail says Labour has a "secret tax rise dossier" with plans to raise £60bn, while the Daily Express's headline quotes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as saying "Labour will tax your years of savings in weeks".

The Daily Telegraph reports "tax raid fear" as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer "suggests savers are 'not working people'". The Times also criticises Starmer's definition of "working people", and also reports that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson "shuns campaign trail as Tories face red wall decimation".

The Guardian uses a picture of Sunak on a boat under the headline "All at sea?". It also reports Labour saying that the "NHS will buy beds in care homes to cut hospital waits".

The Daily Mirror uses the same image of Sunak on the boat. The headline reads "you're going to need a bigger vote". It adds that the Tories are "adrift from reality" and, using the same pun as the Guardian, says that the PM is "all at sea".

• See what all the papers are saying here.

Image source, PA Media

Analysts say official figures to be published this morning are likely to show that inflation has fallen to 2%. If confirmed that will be the first time in three years that the Bank of England's inflation target has been met.

As he battles to keep the Conservative Party in office, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says that, with inflation "back under control", it is his "moral mission" to slash taxes. Labour's Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will say today that the party's energy policies will reduce families' bills by up to £300 a year by the end of the decade.

Breakfast and Radio 4’s Today programme will be hearing live from top officials from the major parties for their takes on the latest figure.

Also coming up are three manifesto launches: John Swinney is set to launch the SNP's in Edinburgh with the spotlight on plans for a "major investment" in the NHS, Sinn Fein is presenting its programme in Northern Ireland and in Manchester, George Galloway is due to outline the key policies of the Workers Party.

And of course our reporters will be bringing you any other significant developments as the parties continue to traverse the UK in search of votes.

Today marked 16 days until the election (not that we're counting), and what a day it's been.

The morning kicked-off with Labour leader Keir Starmer taking questions from the public during a phone-in on LBC, in which he didn't rule out changes to council tax if his party was to win the election. You can read more about that – and some other key moments from the programme – in our earlier post here.

It will be Rishi Sunak's turn to take questions in the morning, and we'll be bringing you updates here.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay was also on the media round this morning, telling the BBC his party would keep Labour "honest" if they won the 4 July election.

We also had another manifesto launch – this time from Scottish Labour, whose leader Anas Sarwar unveiled the party's pledges in Edinburgh.

And in the last few hours, we brought you live updates from a seven-way debate on Channel 4, which saw the Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, SNP, Greens, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru clash over issues such as crime, climate change and migration.

We're going to pause our coverage in the next few minutes, but before we go, I'll leave you with one last reminder that the deadline to register to vote in the 4 July election is 23:59 BST tonight. Registering only takes around five minutes if you do it online through this form., external

We'll be back here tomorrow morning for more – we hope to see you then.

Image source, .

Earlier we brought you the news that billionaire John Caudwell, a former Conservative donor, told BBC political editor Chris Mason that he will vote Labour for the first time in his life on 4 July.

You can hear Chris discuss the story and the impact it could have on voters with host Adam Fleming in the latest episode of Electioncast.

But that's not all. BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring tells Adam about the UK undercover voters – fictional social media accounts created to investigate what content is recommended to different types of voters in the UK.

You can listen here.

I’ve been in Stoke, speaking to young people about whether they have registered to vote – and why.

Jackson Prior is one of those who has before the deadline, saying: “It’s important to get young people’s voices heard”.

As a transgender man, he says he wants to make sure he is represented.

“A lot in the country is going against us,” Jackson, 27, tells Newsbeat. “I think it’s important for people like me to make sure they’re heard.”

Jackson adds it’s up to voters to “make sure the country goes in a better direction” in future.

Morgan Hughes also tells Newsbeat he registered to vote last night.

The 20-year-old says “it’s important to make sure you get your say”.

“Everyone gets their point across. Different parties have strong points and weaknesses.

“I think it's quite important for them to focus on what the people want, rather than what they want," he adds.

We've just brought you a flurry of updates and analysis from Channel 4's seven-way election debate, but if you missed it, fear not – let us bring you up to speed:

• Representatives from the Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, SNP, Greens, Reform and Plaid Cymru clashed over climate change, migration and stop-and-search in the debate on Channel 4

• The SNP and Plaid Cymru blamed Brexit for labour shortages, while the Liberal Democrats said the country has a skills shortage
• On violence against women and girls, the Conservatives said they would make sure victims get to provide evidence quickly, while Labour said the UK needs more specialist rape courts set up. Reform UK said the country needs a proper criminal justice system
• Away from the debate, Sir Keir Starmer didn't rule out changes to council tax under a Labour government during a phone-in on LBC earlier today
• Meanwhile, former prime minister Boris Johnson is working with Rishi Sunak on sending out letters of support to some candidates. Sunak says Johnson's support would "make a difference"
• Scottish Labour launched its manifesto today, in which its leader Anas Sarwar said the party would prioritise economic stability and growing the economy
• Speaking in Hampshire, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey claimed a “divided” Conservative Party would “fail in opposition” having “failed in government”
• On a visit to Oban, SNP leader John Swinney urged Labour to commit to abolishing the two-child benefit cap

Now seems like a good time to remind you that the deadline to register to vote in the 4 July general election is 23:59 BST tonight.

Registering only takes around five minutes if you do it online. It’s the same whether you plan to vote in person at a polling station, by post, or through a proxy voter.

Go to the gov.uk website and fill out the form, external. You'll need your National Insurance number or another form of ID, and current address details to hand. You can also register by sending a form to your local electoral office, external.

You can read our explainer on how to register here.

No evidence for Tice claim about returning migrants to Francepublished at 20:40 18 June

20:40 18 June

Speaking about small boat migrants in the Channel 4 debate, Reform UK’s Richard Tice said: “We’ve got to pick people up, out of the boats and take them back to France”.

When challenged, he went on to say “we’re entitled to do that”.

Tice has claimed before that the UK is “legally entitled” to do this, but there’s no evidence that it would be as straightforward as he claims.

International maritime law does allow for states to pick people up when they are considered to be in danger, but it does not state that they can be unilaterally taken back to France.

BBC Verify spoke to two maritime lawyers who said this could only happen if there was a prior agreement with the French to return them.

There is no such agreement.

Tice has insisted that “my own lawyers have advised me” that it would be legal.

We have asked to see this advice, but his office has not responded.

Has violent crime fallen by 44%?published at 20:25 18 June

20:25 18 June

By Lucy Gilder

At the Channel 4 debate on crime and immigration, policing minister Chris Philp claimed violent crime had fallen 44%.

This is right according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, external, the preferred measure of long-term crime trends.

In the year ending March 2010 – the period just before the Conservatives came to power – the survey recorded 1.8 million incidents of violent crime but the latest figures show just over a million incidents.

But these figures do not include sexual offences, which have risen since 2010 according to the crime survey, external.

The last question we're bringing you from the Channel 4 debate is about the climate crisis, and whether the parties think it will be the main driver of immigration in the future.

• For Plaid Cymru, ap Iorwerth says "absolutely", adding that we're already seeing the impact of climate change
• For Reform UK, Tice says it's important to create economic growth in developing nations to reduce pressure on migration
• The SNP's Brown talks about inequality of resources, and says to have influence on that you need moral authority and that the level of trust in the UK has diminished
• Philp, of the Conservatives, says talks about the need for peace and prosperity. He says the UK can promote prosperity through trade

An audience member asks the Channel 4 debate panel how the UK would ensure its foreign policy doesn't have a negative impact on migration.

• The Liberal Democrat's Cooper says the country's reputation on the world stage has been "trashed", adding that the UK needs to work with its allies
• Plaid Cymru's leader tells the audience that many people come to the UK because of the English language connection and the years of the British Empire that forged those connections
• The Greens' Denyer says her party would increase the government's aid budget, take a proactive role in working towards peace in places like the Middle East, and tackle climate change

The panel now takes a question from an immigration solicitor, who says her clients are traumatised people who are being demonised.

She asks how humanity could be brought back into the system.

• Labour says they would scrap the Rwanda scheme and redirect that money to create a “proper border security command”
• The Tories say “safe and legal routes” need to be set up where necessary, and that people cannot illegally enter the UK by small boats from a safe place such as France.
• The SNP says the issue is about resources which need to be put into the home office and housing
• The Greens say it would allow asylum seekers to work while their claim is being processed
• Plaid Cymru says that the UK has international obligations and that the UK's standing on the world stage has been "damaged"
• Reform UK says has got to "pick people up" and send them back to France and that the UK is entitled to do that. "It will stop people dying," he says

The party representatives are now asked what their plan is to improve processing for asylum seekers.

• In Reform UK's view, Tice says, it's "complete and utter chaos" adding that the Home Office's incompetence has lead to more backlog and raised the cost for taxpayers
• Philp says changes the Conservatives have made through the Illegal Migration Act will make the process a lot faster "and a lot more final"
• And the Lib Dem's Cooper says the backlog is a "complete mess, entirely of the Conservatives making" and says her party would scrap the Rwanda scheme, which she calls "unworkable" and "immoral"

We're now hearing from an Afghan refugee who came to the UK when he was 12-years-old. He says the country should be proud of providing sanctuary for "people like me".

He says he's voting for the first time as a British citizen and that in this election he'd like to see a fair system and compassionate approach to asylum seekers.

• The Greens' Denyer says the UK needs to create safe and legal routes for asylum seekers, speed up the asylum system, and allow asylum seekers to work while they wait for a decision on their application
• The Tories' Philp says the UK is "generous" and "open" when there is a crisis, referencing what his government has done for Syrians, Ukrainians, and Hong Kong citizens
• And Labour's Thomas-Symonds says resettlement routes need to be reformed and says the UK has a duty to help those who've risked their lives to help the armed forces, referencing Afghans as an example

What has happened to small boat arrivals?published at 19:39 18 June

19:39 18 June

By Anthony Reuben

The Home Office publishes figures – going back to 2018 - for people detected crossing the English Channel in small boats.

The highest figure recorded in a single year was in 2022, when 45,755 arrived this way.

At the start of 2023, Rishi Sunak made “stopping the boats” one of his five priorities for government – he has not yet met this pledge.

Last year, 29,437 people arrived in small boats – down a third on the year before.

This year, 11,433 have been detected so far, external, which is up more than a quarter from the same period last year and also ahead of 2022 levels.

Sunak wants to send some of the arrivals to Rwanda – to act as a deterrent – but, so far, no-one has been forcibly removed to the African country.

Image source, Channel 4

The panel are now responding to an audience question about how they would make it easier to recruit workers from abroad?

• Labour's Thomas-Symonds says the country needs "fair pay agreements" for the the social care sector as well as national standards
• The SNP's Brown brings up Brexit and how the UK used to see many people from Europe come to the UK to work in the public services but that the flow of labour has now contracted
• Reform UK's Tice says the country doesn't have a labour shortage but that for too many people, "work doesn't pay"

• Plaid Cymru's ap Iorweth says restaurants in his constituency are struggling to find staff and blames Brexit for this
• The Lib Dems' Cooper pivots back to talking about skills shortages and says there's a need for ethical recruitment from abroad and that the domestic workforce need to receive better training

The parties in Channel 4's seven-way debate are now discussing immigration - the first question from an audience member is about how they plan to combat hostilities towards migrants.

• The SNP's Brown says migrants make a contribution to the country and there needs to be an end to the "hostile rhetoric" on the issue
• Reform UK's Tice claims the Tories have allowed mass immigration "deliberately" in contradiction of their promises, and says there needs to be a more efficient processing and appeals system, and also claims the country is not building enough homes for "our own people"
• The Lib Dem's Cooper hits out at that, saying the rhetoric around resources "fans the flames". She says investment is needed in a proper skills strategy as well as an end to "ridiculous arbitrary targets"
• The Greens' Denyer says the UK is "a country of migrants" and that migration is good for the country, adding that "some politicians" like to scapegoat migrants for issues she says are actually caused by underfunding public services
• Plaid Cymru's Ap Iorwerth says the question was about tackling hostility, but that the other parties on the panel need to stop creating hostile rhetoric in the first place, adding that pressures on public services are caused by a failure to invest in them
• The Conservatives' Philp says there are millions UK citizens who could work but don't. He says the top priority is to encourage those people to get into the workforce and talks of the need to welcome people who will "add value" to the economy
• Earlier in the debate, Labour's Thomas-Symonds said four Conservatives manifestos in a row broke their promises on reducing immigration. He said the numbers are too high and that there needs to be a plan to upskill the workforce