Statistics regulator also criticises Labour’s £4,800 claimpublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 21 June

16:32 BST 21 June

By Anthony Reuben

You may remember earlier in the campaign that the statistics regulator criticised the Conservative claim that Labour would increase taxes by £2,000, external for each working family.

It pointed out that the estimate was added up over four years and that it had warned against doing that.

The regulator has now written a letter , externalabout Labour’s claim that Conservative manifesto plans would raise people’s mortgages by £4,800, which was an estimate made over five years.

The letter says that many of the principles set out in the first statement about the £2,000 also apply to the £4,800.

“When distilling these claims into a single number, there should be enough context to allow the average person to understand what it means and how significant it is,” the letter says.

Sir Keir Starmer would not negotiate with the Scottish government on an independence referendum if the SNP wins a majority of Scottish seats, he says.

SNP leader John Swinney has been campaigning on a promise to increase pressure for another vote on any incoming government.

Swinney expects Westminster to have a Labour majority after the general election, so Starmer's refusal to hold talks will be a disappointment.

Answering a question from Bauer Media, Starmer says: "The ambition between the SNP and Labour is stark.

"We say elect Labour MPs in Scotland so they can sit at the heart of an incoming Labour government, bringing about the change that I think so many people in Scotland want."

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has claimed Sir Keir has "already adopted the same old Westminster arrogance when it comes to respecting Scottish democracy".

Jordan Kenny and Kirsty Grant
BBC Newsbeat and Reliable Sauce podcast

Let's hear more from Newsbeat's Race Across the UK - they've been in Birmingham with the Reliable Sauce podcast to find out what young people want from the next government.

Luke McCombe, 23, says his biggest concern is the cost-of-living crisis and the impact it's having on students.

Birmingham City University Students' Union officer Luke says that the cost of rent means many students struggle to afford food and some have considered dropping out of uni because of money worries.

He says some uni essentials like textbooks, stationery and laptops are out of reach for some, who he feels are "getting a lesser deal" than more well-off students.

So far Luke says no party manifesto has stood out to him in terms of help for those at uni.

"I think the general argument I've heard is, 'well, their mum and dad will help them'.

"But, actually, a lot of their mums and dads are impacted by the cost of living crisis too."

Luke believes politicians should make more of an effort to speak to those in higher education to find out what they need.

"I haven't seen any of those conversations taking place right now," says Luke.

"They need to happen for something to be done.

"Why's it taken so long?"

You can hear more from Luke and others on the Reliable Sauce podcast on BBC Sounds.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg and Adam Fleming are about to start answering your election questions in a live episode of Newscast.

You can still send in your queries to the team using the email newscast@bbc.co.uk.

And to watch Electioncast: Your Voice, Your Vote Q&A, press the Play button at the top of the page from 16:00 BST today.

Jordan Kenny and Kirsty Grant
BBC Newsbeat and Reliable Sauce podcast

BBC Newsbeat's been out on the road for its Race Across the UK, and in Birmingham we teamed up with the Reliable Sauce podcast to find out what matters to young people.

Student Ellie Ricks, 24, says climate change is a "pivotal issue" for her and having a "strong stance on it is super-important".

Ellie says she's pleased that some party manifestos are talking about decarbonising by 2030, but is disappointed by mixed messaging on fossil and renewable fuels and thinks politicians appear to be pledging support for both.

"I think sustainability has become a bit of a buzzword," she says.

"It's become sort of this formless blob that people can fill up with whatever they want. They call anything sustainability these days, and it just sort of slides over people's heads."

She thinks one thing the next government could do to help the environment would be investing in public transport and making it more affordable.

"It's getting to the point where it's not even feasible to just get transportation everywhere."

You can hear more from Reliable Sauce x Newsbeat on BBC Sounds.

A Labour government wouldn't offer an end to Tory austerity, and would have to be held to account by SNP MPs in Westminster, Kate Forbes tells the BBC.

The SNP deputy leader says it's probably inevitable that Labour will form the next government, but adds that if people want to end austerity and form strong links with Europe, they should vote SNP.

She says she hears the voters' plea "for real change - an end to Tory government and a fear that Labour might mean more of the same".

She adds that SNP has a plan to stimulate growth, and wants to cut rates for over 100,000 businesses as well as cut value added tax (VAT) for hospitality businesses.

"We need to get SNP MPs in Westminster making the case for Scottish jobs in Scottish industry to ensure Labour don't forget about Scotland when they get into power", Forbes adds.

Jessica Parker
Political correspondent, on the Conservative campaign bus

Image source, PA Media

Here in north Wales, Rishi Sunak has continued campaigning this afternoon, after speaking at the launch of the Welsh Conservative manifesto earlier.

The prime minister headed into a farm shop to check out the local produce - including selections of jam and meat - before handing out buttered slices of Bara Brith, a Welsh fruit cake.

There is a cluster of seats in this region that the Tories took from Labour’s 'red wall' in 2019.

As the polls continue to hand Labour a significant lead, Keir Starmer has his eye on taking them back.

But at today’s manifesto launch - in a warehouse - the air was thick with defiance (as well as the strong smell of resin).

The room was packed with party supporters and the Conservatives are trying to use Labour’s record in the Welsh parliament as the basis for political attacks.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg and Adam Fleming will be answering your election questions in a live episode of Newscast later today.

Send in your queries to the team using the email newscast@bbc.co.uk.

You'll be able to watch Electioncast: Your Voice, Your Vote Q&A from 16:00 BST today in the player at the top of this page.

Earlier, at the launch of Welsh Labour's manifesto, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said a few words which we'll bring you now.

Labour's plan in Wales is "fully costed and funded", she told reporters, and aims to create a "stronger Wales within a fairer United Kingdom".

She added that "Labour is the party of devolution" and will "push power out of Westminster and work in partnership with the Welsh government".

Describing the Tory manifesto as being full of "gimmicks and reckless promises", Reeves said Keir Starmer had overseen a changed Labour Party - and it's now "back in the service of the working people".

She added that Labour wants "economic growth" and has plans to invest in new industries like renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and green steel.

Targeting SNP seats a mark of Starmer's ambitionpublished at 13:51 British Summer Time 21 June

13:51 BST 21 June

Phil Sim
Scottish political correspondent, in West Lothian

Image source, PA Media

Back in Scotland, perhaps the most interesting aspect about Keir Starmer’s visit here today isn’t the familiar message of change or the attacks on the SNP and Tory administrations.

It's the choice of constituency. In Bathgate and Linlithgow, the SNP is defending a healthy 18.4% majority over the Conservatives. Ten years ago this was a safe Labour seat, and now they’re actually coming from third place, needing to leapfrog both of their rivals.

Similar examples abound north of the border - former heartlands where the party has been squeezed out, reduced to a third wheel in a politics often dominated by a binary debate about independence.

So targeting these kind of seats is a mark of Starmer’s ambition to rebuild Labour’s fortunes.

But it is also a reminder of how far back they have to come from, and the scale of the recovery needed.

• You can find a full list of all the candidates standing in Bathgate and Linlithgow here

Election betting claims put focus on who knew what and whenpublished at 13:37 British Summer Time 21 June

13:37 BST 21 June

Chris Mason
Political editor

The revelations we have reported in the last few days about (at least) four people being looked into by the Gambling Commission over alleged bets relating to the timing of the general election has got me thinking - about who knew what and when about when the election might be called.

Just a day or two before, I had breakfast with a very senior Conservative figure, where much of the conversation was based around an assumption the election would be in the autumn.

But by the evening of the night before, I was beginning to hear from all sorts of folk in and around government that “something weird is going on at the centre”, as it was put to me at the time.

This was consistent with Downing Street building up to something they had told barely anyone about.

To be clear, the people I was hearing from didn’t know for certain an election was about to be called, but they were increasingly suspicious something was up.

And, as the evening of Tuesday 21 May trundled on, I was becoming increasingly suspicious too.

The morning after, when I was sitting at my desk at home at around 7am and making my usual round of phone calls to all sorts of folk in Westminster, a clump of people at the heart of government were not picking up, nor returning calls.

It all added up to enough of a raised eyebrow for me to go on the Today programme just before 9am and say that, while previous bouts of election speculation had not moved me much, this time I was jittery.

By 5pm, I was soaked through, standing in Downing Street watching the prime minister make his announcement.

In other words, in a postcode where keeping a secret isn’t easy and gossip is the currency of exchange, not many people knew what the prime minister was planning.

The essence of that day’s story was surprise. But perhaps not for everyone.

Jessica Parker
Political correspondent, on the Conservative campaign bus

Image source, PA Media

Aboard the Conservative campaign bus, Rishi Sunak says his anger about the betting saga is down to "the thought that someone might have done the things that are alleged".

Speaking to reporters, the prime minister repeated that individuals would be "booted out" of the party if they’re found to have broken the rules.

He again refused to be drawn further on the issue given they are "serious" and "potentially criminal" allegations - adding it’s right they’re "thoroughly and properly" looked into.

Sunak appears determined not to answer questions about what he knew and when - or whether he knows of any other potential bets by Tory figures - perhaps eager not to fuel a story that’s the latest thing to hang over his campaign.

Many people have got in touch with us via Your Voice, Your Vote to say that housing is the most important issue for them in this general election.

BBC Verify's Ben Chu has been taking a look at the housing targets set out by the Conservatives and Labour in their manifestos - you can watch his analysis below:

Becky Morton
Political reporter

Image source, Getty Images

As we said in our last post, Keir Starmer's been talking about Labour's plan to pass new laws to prevent rental "bidding wars" - if his party wins the election - saying he wants to stop landlords "ripping tenants off" by encouraging them to offer to pay higher rent to secure a property.

"We can pass legislation to say you can't do it because it is driving rents through the roof and it's not fair on people," he told a BBC Question Time election special yesterday.

However, pressed on how new legislation would work, he did not give further details.

Earlier this year, Labour proposed changes to the Renters (Reform) Bill, aimed at preventing bidding wars.

These included requiring landlords and letting agents to state the amount of rent payable when advertising a property and preventing them from encouraging prospective tenants to offer to pay more than this.

But a prospective tenant would not be prohibited from offering to pay more than the advertised rent under the proposals. This is similar to legislation introduced in New Zealand in 2021.

• Read more on what all this means here

While in West Lothian, Keir Starmer's been speaking to reporters about an array of issues, including the rental market.

A Labour government, his Labour government, would protect renters from landlords setting off bidding wars as a way of pushing up rents, he says.

He also promises action in relation to mould and poor conditions, if elected, and says no-fault evictions would be tackled as part of a "strong package of reforms".

Starmer mentioned Labour's plans to tackle rental bidding wars during last night's Question Time election special, but gave limited details about how the plan would work in practice. More on that in our next post...

Phil Sim
Scottish political correspondent, in West Lothian

Keir Starmer is in West Lothian today for a campaign visit.

The Labour leader has been a familiar sight in Scotland during this election campaign, as he pins his hopes on a revival in former heartlands to propel him into Downing Street.

This morning he's promoting Labour’s industrial strategy, which he says could create 69,000 jobs north of the border by investing in things like clean energy, engineering and research.

His party is proposing 10-year budgets for research and development institutions, as well as a warm homes plan to insulate houses and install solar panels.

All of that, they say, will create highly skilled jobs and grow the economy, while also promoting energy efficiency and cutting people’s bills.

We mentioned in our last post that Ed Davey's been keen to talk about his party's plans for NHS dentistry - here's some more on that.

The Lib Dem leader earlier spelled out that his party would allocate £750m to NHS dentistry in England. (The plans only apply to England since health is a devolved matter.)

He points to people leaving the industry "at record rates", but also says on top of this there are "lots of NHS dentists" nearing retirement: "This really is a crisis and only the Liberal Democrats have the ambitious plan to tackle it."

Dentistry needs "significant investment”, he says, adding that "the Conservatives have got the worst of all worlds - an NHS dentist crisis and money that they allocated isn’t being spent".

The Lib Dems say they also want to take VAT off children's toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Jenny Hill
Political correspondent, on the Lib Dem campaign bus

Back to the Lib Dems now and leader Ed Davey who's been showing off his artistic skills at Harrogate College.

"I'm impressed actually", the art teacher says as she examines Davey’s still life with a critical eye.

As he meets art students, the Lib Dem leader wants to talk about his plan to invest £750m in NHS dentistry.

The accompanying media are arguably more interested in scrutinising not only his artistic prowess but his political performance during last night’s Question Time grilling (see our last post).

Davey - who’s running a very personal campaign - thinks it went quite well, despite tough questions about his party’s U-turn on student tuition fees and the Post Office scandal.

He also has an appraisal of his own. Asked about England’s performance last night, in their Euros match against Denmark, he describes it as pretty poor but declines to offer any words of advice to manager Gareth Southgate.

For anyone just joining us, you may still have some thoughts about last night's BBC programme, which saw Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Keir Starmer, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey and SNP leader John Swinney answer tough questions from a studio audience in York.

Here's what we learnt:

• Mistakes and trust: Davey admitted mistakes over his party’s U-turn on scrapping tuition fees, while Swinney acknowledged his own party’s turbulent few years. Audience members asked Starmer how they could trust him following changes of heart on big policy areas, and Sunak was pressed on how he could restore trust after what an audience member called the “shenanigans” of his party
• Davey justified "horseplay": Following a serious of election stunts, including riding a Slip N Slide, Davey said his campaigning style was designed to draw attention to genuine problems including mental health or sewage
• Swinney steered clear of party’s legal woes: He avoided any mention of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has been under investigation into the funding and finance of the SNP, and her husband Peter Murrell, who has been charged with embezzlement - both deny wrongdoing
• Starmer was pressed on Corbyn support: When pushed, he said he thought Corbyn would've been a better prime minister than Boris Johnson
• Sunak on betting allegations: The prime minister said he was "angry" to learn of allegations that Tory insiders were betting on the election and promised to "boot out" anyone found to have broken gambling laws. Asked about the claims today, during the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch, he repeated that he'd "boot" anyone found to be guilty out of his party

Read our key takeaways in full here.

Pantomime boos for reversal of 20mph speed limit, cheers for electric railwaypublished at 12:04 British Summer Time 21 June

12:04 BST 21 June

Gareth Lewis
Welsh political editor

The Conservatives might not be high on giddy expectations of electoral success.

But they might at least have approached those heights, thanks to the aroma of resin at the bathroom manufacturer where they launched their Welsh manifesto at Kinmel Bay in Conwy county.

The manifesto itself has a lot on transport.

From plans to reverse Wales’s 20mph lower speed limit - even though it was agreed by the Senedd - to a £1bn plan to electrify the North Wales main railway line, although details have been scarce since it was first announced last October.

With less than two weeks to go until polling day on 4 July, the Conservative attack line in Wales remains the same. It is an attack on the record of the Welsh Labour government.

“Twenty-five years of failure” as David TC Davies, Welsh secretary, told the audience here earlier, warming them up for Rishi Sunak - who's just finished speaking.

Throughout the launch, mentions of 20mph get pantomime boos. Electrification of the North Wales main railway line and plans for a new nuclear power plant at Wylfa get loud cheers.