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The Liberal Democrats have written to the prime minister's independent ethics adviser Laurie Magnus "demanding" an investigation into alleged bets by Conservatives on the date of the general election.

The letter, written by deputy leader Daisy Cooper, calls for "urgent clarity" before 4 July polling day, into whether any government ministers bet on the date of the general election.

Cooper says she believes "this could amount" to a breach of the ministerial code, and "the public deserves to know the true scale of this scandal before they go to the polls".

Earlier today, Rishi Sunak said he was "not aware" of any other Tory candidates being looked at by the Gambling Commission and confirmed his party is carrying out its own internal inquiries.

Emily McGarvey
Live editor

We're 10 days out from polling day and the campaigns are showing no signs of slowing down.

Ready for some more? Well then, get settled in for an evening of political ping pong as we're about to kick off our coverage of live broadcast interviews involving several party leaders.

First up, from 17:30, the Sun is broadcasting its own election special with Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer taking questions from a live audience, in a version of its programme Never Mind The Ballots.

Then from 19:00, the Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay will be interviewed by the BBC's Nick Robison on Panorama.

Also this evening, the prime minister is expected to speak at a campaign event in London alongside Tory members. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will also attend an event in Devon.

As always, we'll bring you live updates, reaction and analysis from our experts and correspondents - stick with us.

Jordan Kenny
Newsbeat politics reporter, in Belfast

Let's check-in now with our colleagues at BBC Newsbeat, who continued their general election Race Across the UK today in Belfast:

We've been set the challenge of getting this microphone from one end of the country to the other before 4 July, speaking to young voters about the things that matter most to them. Today we’re in Belfast – our eighth checkpoint.

The catch? Newsbeat listeners have the chance to decide the points we have to pass through to unlock our next stop.

We meet Adam, 20, and Chloe, 18, who are from Belfast. They tell us services such as transport and the NHS are important to them, and they want to see more investment.

"Maintaining the roads and footpaths," Chloe says, as in the area she lives in "a lot of footpaths are messed up".

"I have a little sister, and when we take her out in our buggy, there are cracks and potholes," she says.

Adam feels the NHS needs more resources, describing waiting times as "brutal".

"It’s understaffed and underfunded. I think most of the nurses are underpaid too."

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Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says Labour would be "really happy" to meet JK Rowling to provide her "assurances" over the protection of women-only spaces.

Rowling criticised the party in The Times last week, accusing it of a "dismissive and often offensive" approach to women's concerns.

Reeves says protection of single-sex spaces for women would "absolutely stay", adding that her party was "not going to be changing anything around biological sex".

"For me, those protections, whether it is about prisons, refuges, changing spaces, that is really important to me, it is really important to the Labour Party that those single sex spaces based on biological sex are protected."

Why the two biggest parties reject today's IFS criticismpublished at 16:18 British Summer Time 24 June 2024

16:18 BST 24 June 2024

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

The latest IFS analysis - that the UK's future economic challenges are being "largely ignored" by the Conservatives and Labour - is based on the assumption that economic growth remains sluggish, as most economists forecast it will.

Labour say that's wrong. Their plan is to grow the economy, and they say that with economic growth this difficulty between public spending, raising taxes and borrowing more - the "trilemma" as IFS director Paul Johnson puts it - would disappear.

The Conservatives would also take issue with the assumption that growth remains slow. They say they would grow the economy through cutting taxes.

Both parties have ruled out increasing income tax, national insurance, and VAT over the course of five years - in other words one term of government.

But there might be more to it than that. Though no politician would ever say this on a microphone, I suspect there is a bit of frustration at the notion from an economist that a successful politician can go into a general election campaign saying: "Things are going to be very hard and there are going to have to be some terrible tough choices. Eat your greens and vote for me."

That is not usually how successful political campaigns are run.

Whether that says more about politics or about us as voters is a separate question.

The Green Party has pledged to restore full access to NHS dentistry in the UK, ending what it calls "dental deserts".

It says its MPs would push for a new contract for NHS dentists that is backed by an additional £3bn for the dentistry budget by 2030.

The party's co-leader Adrian Ramsay says it's a "national outrage" children are being admitted to hospital for tooth decay, adding that "prevention is much better than treatment".

Data published in February, external showed there were nearly 48,000 tooth extractions in NHS hospitals in England for patients aged up to 9 carried out in 2023.

"In many parts of the country it is now impossible to register with an NHS dentist, and many dentists are de-registering NHS patients to avoid treating them at a loss," Ramsay says.

• Adrian Ramsay will be interviewed by Nick Robinson for BBC Panorama from 19:00 BST, and you'll be able to watch the interview here

Andrea Leadsom says the claims about Conservative candidates and officers betting on the date of the general election was a "terrible story" but that people are innocent until proven guilty.

The former Tory minister adds that she would not campaign for someone who was "under that cloud" - you can watch that in the clip above.

Rishi Sunak has said his party was carrying out "internal inquiries", separate from the Gambling Commission, into alleged bets on the date of the general election.

Are companies 'terrified' of Labour's plans for workers?published at 15:25 British Summer Time 24 June 2024

15:25 BST 24 June 2024

Simon Jack
Business editor

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has claimed companies are "terrified" of Labour's plans to enhance workers' rights.

Speaking at a debate in front of business leaders hosted by Bloomberg, she cited the bosses of Curry's and Marks and Spencer who have voiced concerns that Labour plans to crack down on zero hours contracts, firing and rehiring and conferring more employment rights to workers on day one of employment could deter hiring and investment.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds insisted that Labour was the party of both business owners and workers - pointing out that most employers operate standards above the minimum levels they intend to introduce.

Labour has actually watered down many of its original proposals to the dismay of some union bosses who fear its charm offensive to business owners has gone too far.

The Unite union recently refused to endorse the Labour Party manifesto over concessions on workers rights.

Let's bring you some comments from Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey who's also weighed in on the Tory betting saga.

Davey is calling for "tougher action" from the Conservatives after it emerged a number of people linked to the party were being looked into by the Gambling Commission over allegedly placing bets on the timing of the general election.

A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission confirmed to the BBC it's "investigating the possibility of offences concerning the date of the election".

Rishi Sunak confirmed earlier today that his party was carrying out its own internal inquiries "in parallel" with the Gambling Commission's investigation.

"I'm glad the Gambling Commission and authorities are looking at this in detail," Davey says.

He goes on to call the government "discredited" and accuse the Tories of being "in this for themselves".

It's been a busy morning on the campaign trail, so if you are just checking in, here's what you need to know:

• Speaking at the launch of the Scottish Conservatives manifesto in Edinburgh, the prime minister said he was not aware of any other candidates from his party being investigated over election betting
• The Gambling Commission is yet to report on the four Tories it is already looking into - the BBC understands the investigation goes beyond this group
• Senior Tory Tobias Ellwood has warned the betting claims will cost the Tories seats at the election next week
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has faced questions on trans issues in schools and women's rights while campaigning in the East Midlands

• Elsewhere, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has been campaigning on NHS issues in Wimbledon, a marginal seat the party hopes to win
• Reform UK leader Nigel Farage delivered a speech in Maidstone, where he addressed his controversial comments about the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• In Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party launched its manifesto, where its leader Gavin Robinson said if people didn't vote it would risk helping to elect MPs who would "take Northern Ireland in the wrong direction"
• The IFS, an economics think tank, has claimed the manifestos put forward by the main parties don't fully explain how public services will be financed in the coming years

Stay with us throughout the day - we'll be following all the twists and turns on the campaign trail here late into the night.

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Jessica Parker
Political correspondent

Sir Keir Starmer claims news that the Conservative Party is conducting its own inquiries into Tory betting allegations is simply an effort to "knock this into the long grass".

A process, said the Labour leader, designed to "delay" answers until after the election.

The allegations dogging the Tory Party are a political gift for Labour.

It’s notable that Starmer was quick to bring the saga up at his stump speech in front of supporters at Northampton Town FC.

Starmer claimed the whole thing showed the "heart" of what the Conservatives have become.

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Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Labour's shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds are challenging each other on economic growth, in a debate hosted by Bloomberg.

Badenoch says businesses want people with the "right technical and vocational skills", and her party wants to ensure that people do apprenticeships to get practical skills, rather than certain university degrees that "don't deliver" what's needed for economic growth.

Meanwhile, Reynolds says higher education can deliver certain strengths, particularly around technology.

He adds that we should be a country that can "recognise the contributions" that both sectors - apprenticeships and higher education - can bring.

Badenoch pushes back, saying her party values higher education but that not all students do degrees that lead to wages that would be higher than if they hadn't done the course.

Let’s briefly go back to Kent, where Nigel Farage has delivered a speech, saying that “the world is in a more dangerous place right now than it's been at any point since the Cuban missile crisis over 60 years ago".

He criticises the government for not debating defence issues enough, or the state of armed forces.

"A couple of years back, we would have thought war on a global scale was inconceivable but we now all, don't we, harbour that doubt," says the Reform UK leader.

He adds that the UK needs “at least 30,000 young men and women to join the army, get trained and stay as full-time soldiers".

Andrew Kerr
Scotland political correspondent, reporting from Aberdeen

The SNP leader John Swinney is speaking here at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen - saying that on this day eight years ago people woke up to the new reality of Brexit after the vote to leave the EU.

In the speech, he says billions have been wiped from the economy and Brexit has hit public spending with a devastating impact.

Swinney says the Conservatives have spectacularly fallen apart but that we won’t see the back of Brexit once, he assumes, Labour takes office.

He claims there’s been a conspiracy of silence on the two big parties on public sector cuts - but also on Brexit.

Swinney says he won’t be silenced and the SNP are giving voice to international values which he wants heard in the House of Commons after the 4 July vote.

Only by being an independent country can Scotland regain membership of the EU, he says.

Image source, Facebook

As we've reported, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, and Nigel Farage have all had their say on the Conservatives' election betting saga. But what are the facts?

• On 22 May, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a general election would for 4 July
• Conservative candidate Craig Williams - a senior aide to Sunak - apologised on 12 June after it was alleged he had made a £100 bet three days before the announcement
• On 19 June, the BBC revealed a police officer working in Sunak's close protection team was suspended and later arrested over alleged election date bets
• One day later, it was reported that the Gambling Commission was looking into the Conservatives' director of campaigning, Tony Lee, and his wife Laura Saunders - a Tory candidate - over similar allegations

• Sunak says he is "incredibly angry" over the allegations, adding anyone found to have broken the rules will be "booted out" of the party
• The Sunday Times reported yesterday a fourth senior Tory was being investigated, the party's chief data officer Nick Mason

Meanwhile in Maidstone, Nigel Farage has also had his say on the Conservatives' election betting saga.

Farage says the current claims are the "tip of the iceberg".

"I wonder how many people were running into betting shops with £100, £200, £500 - this scandal will get worse," he says.

He then jokes: "But I hear that Rishi Sunak is on the verge of doing something very decisive about it - I understand this afternoon he'll announce we're leaving the Gambling Commission."

Keir Starmer says Rishi Sunak needs to "show some leadership" over candidates being looked into by the gambling regulator over alleged bets placed on the general election date.

"If these were my candidates, I'll tell you what, they'd be gone," the Labour leader told reporters on a visit to a school in the East Midlands earlier.

For context: The Gambling Commission is looking into alleged bets on the election date placed by least four Conservatives, including two candidates. The prime minister earlier said he was "not aware" of any other candidate being looked at, and that the party "will act" if its own parallel inquiry finds wrongdoing.

You can watch the full clip by pressing the play button above.

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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is campaigning in Maidstone, Kent today - and he has addressed criticism of his Friday interview with BBC's Nick Robinson.

As a reminder, Farage said Russia's invasion of Ukraine was Vladimir Putin's fault - but "we provoked this war".

Farage says: "I was alone, I was the only person in 2014 who said there will be a war in Ukraine. I can't take those words away and nor would I want to."

Farage adds that he would "never, ever defend" Vladimir Putin.

"This has been turned into 'Farage makes outrageous statement', 'Farage defends Putin', well I've done none of those things.

"But if we're going to think towards a peace at some time in the not too distant future, perhaps it might be helpful to understand what went wrong in the first place."

He presents a large poster featuring a front page splash of the i paper dating to May 2016 - the headline: "Boris blames EU for war in Ukraine."

"Well, perhaps it's Boris Johnson that's morally repugnant and not me, I don't know. But can you see the sheer level of hypocrisy? Can you see the nonsense of all of this?"

It has been another busy day on the campaign trail.

But, as we mentioned earlier, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross - and international football referee - had something to get off his chest at the start of the party's manifesto launch in Edinburgh...

Image source, EPA