May's refusal to go head-to-head with Corbyn makes her vulnerable to claims she's avoiding scrutiny.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Fraser Nelson says he thinks Mrs May called this election because she was worried about her own authority over her party - not about her majority in the country.

She wanted to free herself from David Cameron's mantle and to get her own personal mandate, he tells Wato.

And now it doesn't look like that's going to happen to such an extent, it could be a "meeker Theresa May" we see after next Thursday, he adds.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Editor of the Spectator magazine Fraser Nelson says the entire campaign has been "a comedy of errors", but the big surprise is that the biggest ones have come from the supposedly "strong and stable leader".

The consensus in Westminster is still that she'll win with a considerable majority, but it has brought into question the way Theresa May runs things - only talking to a small bunch of aides and leaving the rest of the cabinet out.

"I think she'll have to be a little more collegiate when she returns to Downing Street," he adds.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Tim Collins, a former speechwriter to Margaret Thatcher, says huge poll leads early in the campaign "created a level of expectation that was difficult for the Tories to meet" as the weeks went on.

Predictions of a 150-seat majority were always far-fetched, he says, adding: "A lot of people got carried away."

The Tories are now getting back to a more realistic target of a 60 or 70-seat majority which is about what most Conservatives thought was likely all along.

He also argues that Mrs May is lucky there's "no Gordon Brown in her cabinet" maneuvering to take over from her at the first opportunity, so even if the victory is not stellar, she'll be safe.

Mr Collins says in the last week, she should focus on the positive things in the manifesto - like a higher living wage - rather than on the perceived failings of Jeremy Corbyn.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd is set to stand in for Theresa May tonight and it doesn't look like that's going to change.

A Conservative spokesman said: “There are no changes to the Prime Minister’s plans.

"She is out campaigning today, engaging with voters about the issues that matter, not swapping sound bites with six other politicians."

A Conservative source added: “The public want to see a leader who can stare down the EU-27 at the negotiation table, not someone who will need their iPad to remember their dodgy facts in a debate.”

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

This U-turn by Jeremy Corbyn has come as a complete surprise.

It follows what his aides believe was a successful performance in the Sky News and Channel 4 election programme earlier this week.

They are also convinced that Mr Corbyn's popularity is boosted every time that voters get to see him.

Moreover, of course, they hope it will throw Theresa May onto the defensive.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon is also sending an understudy tonight - her SNP deputy Angus Robertson.

His statement following Mr Corbyn's move?

"Theresa May called this election in the hope of crushing parliamentary opposition but instead the campaign has exposed her weak and wobbly leadership, as well as Tory plans to attack the incomes of older people and their increasingly reckless approach to Brexit.

"Indeed, tonight Amber Rudd must explain why she believes that the people of Scotland should entrust their future to people like Boris Johnson, when she herself said during last year's referendum campaign that he was 'misleading the public' on the EU."

Image source, Jeff Overs/BBC

Here's a sneak preview of the set for tonight's BBC TV debate in Cambridge.

Presenter Mishal Husain says Jeremy Corbyn - who has just announced he will be taking part in the debate - will be joining Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson, UKIP leader Paul Nuttall, Green co-leader Caroline Lucas, Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood and Conservative home secretary Amber Rudd.

The audience has been chosen by a polling company to reflect the country as a whole.

Some are undecided voters and come from different parts of the country - and half voted to leave in the EU referendum, and half voted to remain.

A selection of submitted questions have been chosen, but Mishal says the seven politicians taking part will not get a chance to see them in advance.

Image source, Jeff Overs/BBC

Image source, Jeff Overs/BBC

Image source, PA

"Great news, Jeremy Corbyn. Now will Theresa May crawl out from where she's hiding to debate?"

That's the reaction of Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas to Mr Corbyn's about-face.

She added: "Failing to show up to tonight's debate would show extreme cowardice from a prime minister resolutely avoiding proper scrutiny."

The Daily Politics

Howling Laud Hope, leader of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, says Nigel Farage has mooted joining up with UKIP in a coalition.

"I always said to him, yes Nigel - you kip, we sleep," Laud Hope quipped on BBC's Daily Politics.

Describing the Monster Raving Loony Party as "the parliamentary think tank" because other parties pinch its ideas, he added: "If you want tomorrow's policies, vote for us today."

He said the party's website allows people to send in their own policies - and if they are any good, it might use them.

He added that none of his party's candidates had managed to hold on to their deposits.

Here's the full statement from the Labour leader on his decision to join the BBC election debate:

The Daily Politics

Crossbencher Lord Hennessy joins the Daily Politics' debate on nuclear weapons and says he believes there will be a vote in the next parliament for the replacement of warheads - because it will take 17 years to rebuild them.

The Daily Politics

Labour's Fabian Hamilton says he believes nuclear weapons are "appalling and immoral", but he is a democrat and will support his party's position to renew Trident.

The shadow minister for peace and disarmament says: "I disapprove of these weapons but the fact is we've got them."

He says there is a need to negotiate a reduction internationally.

The Daily Politics

Labour's shadow health minister Sharon Hodgson says her party's proposal to scrap university tuition fees will put the "trust back into politics",

She says the introduction of tuition fees was "a fundamental betrayal of young people" who are sitting on "£40,000 worth of debt".

Ms Hodgson also says she has "absolute zero tolerance" for anti-Semitism or racism following the social media abuse faced by BBC presenter Emma Barnett in the wake of her interview with Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday.

"I have to go now because I'm going to Cambridge to get ready for the debate tonight because there is no hiding place," Jeremy Corbyn tells the Labour rally in Reading.

"We'll put our views out there and let the public decide."