BBC Breakfast

Lib Dem Sir Ed Davey says the Conservatives "reneged" on an agreement they'd made ahead of going into coalition government to help people struggling with social care costs.

At this election, his party wants to put a penny on income tax for everyone to help plug the gap.

"A penny on income tax is the fairest way to raise the money we need for those health services that are in crisis," he tells BBC Breakfast. "The more you earn the more you end up paying. It's a proportionate tax."

Political parties are urged to commit support for Welsh farmers in a post-Brexit Britain.

We asked teenagers what they would do if they were in charge of the country.

As the general election approaches we look at why MPs are not chosen by proportional representation.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Sir Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat election campaign spokesman, says people have lost hope as politics is "quite depressing" at the moment. 

He says the Liberal Democrats are the only party telling people they "don't have to accept" the way things are, they "can have change".

BBC Radio 5 live

You'll remember that Philip Hammond announced an increase in National Insurance contributions for self-employed workers in the Budget in March only to scrap the idea a few days later when it turned out to be very unpopular. 

Will you rule out trying to do it again if you're re-elected on 8 June, he's asked.

While suggesting again that we should all wait for the Tory manifesto, he adds: 

BBC Radio 5 live

Philip Hammond is now talking to BBC Radio 5 live. He says the Conservatives have "a great track record" in government "and we've got to go on building on it".

He acknowledges "we are facing pressure in all our public services", specifically because of an ageing population. 

"We know we've got more to do, we know we've got challenges in funding our public services," but a stable economy is the only way to do that. 

In contrast, says Mr Hammond, Jeremy Corbyn's manifesto is "a blueprint for crashing our economy".

Asked if he'll rule out rises in income tax or VAT, the chancellor isn't biting - wait until the manifesto launch, he says.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has been speaking to Good Morning Britain, presumably about the economy, but also, crucially, about "girl jobs" and "boy jobs". 

You'll remember, probably, Theresa and Philip May discussing those on The One Show last week.

Mr Hammond says he's tried to shows Mrs Hammond how to fill up the screenwash but she's not interested. Taking out the bins is a gender-neutral job in the Hammond household, it seems.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, AFP

Labour says it would scrap university tuition fees if elected on 8 June, would the Lib Dems commit to the same?

"No, we don't think that is affordable," says Sir Ed Davey. "We want to restore maintenance grants... We want to restore nurse bursaries."

The Lib Dems, of course, have been long haunted by the issue of tuition fees, having promised to scrap them ahead of the 2010 general election and then failed to keep that promise after entering coalition government.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

On the issue of abortion. Tim Farron once said abortion was "wrong", but Sir Ed says "the Liberal Democrats believe women should have a choice and Mr Farron "has changed his mind and said he is pro-choice".

When it comes to abortion, the former minister adds: "He's saying and the party's saying, 'We would not change the law.'"

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

"Because no party has given them hope or an alternative," says Ed Davey when asked why there doesn't seem to be a push for a second referendum among the general public.

But what difference would voting Lib Dem really make?

He says the more votes his party gets, the more likely it is that the next government will have to reflect some of their policies and priorities. 

When people see the "hard Brexit" on offer, he adds, people will be much more enthusiastic about a second vote.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The aforementioned Sir Ed Davey is on Today. He says "no-one could tell you what Brexit meant" at the referendum, and that's why the Lib Dems want a second vote.

He says it's "unlikely" that any sort of deal obtained by Theresa May would satisfy his party, but the "democratic issue" is that a deal good or bad should be put to the people.

We're expecting Lib Dem candidate Sir Ed Davey to pop up on the Today programme shortly but he's been on the Good Morning Britain sofa already and according to presenter Piers Morgan, he's revealed a change of heart by the Lib Dem leader.

Tim Farron has said in the past that abortion is "wrong".

ITV

Len McCluskey is "understandably" being "very cautious", but Labour is "playing to win", says the shadow business secretary.

Rebecca Long-Bailey told GMB a few minutes ago: "I do think we have a popular manifesto that will transform the country, from banning zero-hour contracts to bringing utilities back into public ownership and driving energy bills down. 

"There's a real agenda for hope here that people can really get behind."

Image source, AFP/Getty

As you'd expect, Labour's manifesto comes under the spotlight in the newspapers this morning.

Left-leaning papers are generally positive. "Labour's most exciting programme for decades", external is how the Daily Mirror views the document, "stuffed with smart ideas". The Guardian calls it a bold programme which offers the country a real choice, external but fears that Labour may not have done enough to convince voters outside the party that its policies are realistic or practical.

From the other side of the spectrum, the response is scathing. The Daily Mail calls the manifesto a plan to bankrupt the UK, external, warning it would lead to mass unemployment and national ruin. The Times brands it an "omnishambles", external. And in the Daily Telegraph, Jeremy Warner says Labour's pledges will ensure "electoral catastrophe", external for the party.

Image source, Alamy

Free sanitary products for those who cannot afford them have been promised by the Green Party of England and Wales.

The Greens pledged to end "period poverty" by providing towels and tampons to secondary school pupils and women in financial need.

A 5% tax on sanitary products has caused controversy and 320,000 people have signed a petition to abolish it, external.

Sanitary products are not exempt from VAT, as some medical products are. Green MEP Molly Scott Cato said it was an "outrage those on low incomes are forced to use socks or newspapers during their period because they can't afford a sanitary product".

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Rather unusually for an election campaign, the manifesto isn't really the Lib Dems' focus because they've made this vote about one thing only. Their pitch to be the party that will force Theresa May to give a second referendum on the terms of Brexit. All their other policies are very much in the background. 

So far though it doesn't look like that strategy is really working. The polls aren't shifting - they're struggling to win back old heartlands in the South West because that's Brexit country, and they haven't been able to hoover up Remain-supporting Labour voters in urban metropolitan seats either.

In part, that's down to Tim Farron. He hasn’t really managed to project his leadership to the country and he's being denied the chance to debate on TV with the two big party leaders as Nick Clegg had all the way back in 2010.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Len McCluksey's comments might seem negative, but the purpose of them is actually to protect Mr Corbyn. And that's because they're not really about the election. Instead, they're about the post-election clash between the pro and anti-Corbyn factions that will happen should Labour lose. 

Mr McCluskey is seeking to allow his ally to say, 'Look, I did OK. I got 200 seats in a hostile media environment, where the parliamentary party is against me, and I've been distracted by two leadership contests. There's no need for me to step aside.'