That's where we're going to leave our live coverage for today. Thanks for joining us.

As campaigning cranked up a gear ahead of the official five-week election period starting just after midnight on Wednesday:

• The Lib Dems launched their campaign, claiming that stopping Brexit would deliver a £50bn "Remain bonus" for spending on public services
• Jeremy Corbyn made a speech accusing the PM of trying to "hijack Brexit to sell out our NHS" and pledging to "get Brexit sorted" in six months
• Boris Johnson claimed Labour's position was "to go back to square one", and urged the Labour leader to "come clean" on his Brexit proposals
• SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon told voters that a vote for her party was "a vote to escape from Brexit"

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

The Lib Dems are aiming high this time. They believe this is a very unpredictable election - and after the crazy politics of the last few years, they're probably right about that.

By the same token though, they're not really holding a serious expectation that Jo Swinson could win outright and end up in No 10.

But what they want to do is create a sense that the Lib Dems believe genuinely that they could take a very significant step forward, rather than just grabbing a few extra MPs here and there.

That's really the pitch that they're setting out.

Amol Rajan
Media editor

Sadly, this case of a doctored video shows that what matters for an effective social media strategy is not accuracy, but noise.

The Conservatives’ video will have induced in many viewers a false impression of what Sir Keir Starmer said. Their defence, that it was edited for time and effect, and the jaunty music shows it to be clearly satirical in nature, rubs up against the fact that it was in a basic sense misleading.

But the fact the Conservative Party’s press office, having received enquiries, then released a further attack on Sir Keir, shows why this minor saga will be chalked up as a success.

By highlighting the original misrepresentation, journalists merely draw attention to it. In an age of media consumption when our attention is finite, and fought over by the world’s most powerful companies, what matters is briefly capturing enough voters’ minds for long enough to convey the impression that Labour is in a pickle over Brexit.

Of course, everything about this minor affair shows a world in which campaigning isn’t about civilised debate, nuance, policy or argument. It’s about the digital blitzkrieg, and who has the most brutal weaponry. In social media elections, might is right.

Outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has told the BBC he thinks the UK will leave the EU by the new Brexit deadline of 31 January 2020.

"I do think that it will happen, but this is a too-long story, it has to be brought to an end," he said.

He also said he did not think Labour's pledge to renegotiate a new Brexit deal was a "realistic approach" - although he acknowledged this would be an issue for his successor.

Image source, EPA

Labour made Brexit the focus on Tuesday, promising to get it "sorted" in six months. Read our piece to find out more about the party's position on the issue that led us to an election in the first place.

Radio 4 PM

Conservative Andrew Bridgen describes Jacob Rees-Mogg as "an intelligent and compassionate man", but says his comments regarding Grenfell Tower were "uncharacteristically clumsy".

"I think you have to put them into the context of Jacob - Jacob is a leader, he's an authority figure.

"And what he's failed to realise is that in a life-threatening and stressful situation, most people would probably defer to the advice of an authority figure, be that someone from the fire authority or the police, and not come to their own conclusions."

BBC Radio 4

Image source, AFP/ Getty Images

Those were the words Boris Johnson, newly installed in Downing Street.

In Radio 4 documentary 99 days in Number 10, Journalist Anne McElvoy talks to senior players within the Johnson government as well as critics and friends inside the Conservative Party as they navigate the excitements, strains and upheavals of a PM.

The programme will air at 20:00 GMT this evening and will be available to download on BBC Sounds.

The Conservative Party has been accused of posting a misleading video on its Twitter page, which features a GMB interview with Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer.

BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford spotted a discrepancy between how the interview went out this morning and the video.

He says the Conservative Party version appeared to have been edited to make it look like Mr Starmer did not know the answer to a question and was "stumped" at the end.

In the original version, Mr Starmer immediately answered the question.

GMB presenter Piers Morgan said Mr Starmer did answer immediately, "albeit not very convincingly".

"But the way this has been edited is misleading and unfair to Keir Starmer," he added on Twitter.

The BBC's media editor Amol Rajan said many viewers would think the video was authentic.

The BBC has contacted the Conservative Party for comment.

BBC News Channel

Image source, Reuters

"There is a simple choice at this election between the Conservatives, who are looking to get this done, so we can move on and talk about things people want to talk about, and the Labour party, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, The Brexit Party, who basically want months, perhaps even years of more rowing about Brexit," says Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly.

"I know which I'm in favour of and I think I know what the British public want as well."

Asked about today's story involving Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns, Mr Cleverly said he didn't know the details of the case but added that Mr Cairns was "a fantastic secretary of state".

Just pausing for a moment to remind you of what's been going on so far today:

• Election-wise the Lib Dems took top billing with their campaign launch
• Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn set out his plan to "get Brexit sorted" - the Tories, in turn, dismissed it
• Former Chancellor Philip Hammond announced he was standing down as an MP - feeling unable to run as an independent after losing the Tory whip
• Away from the election, Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg attracted stinging criticism for comments he made about the Grenfell Tower fire - he has since apologised
• And minister Alun Cairns, who denied knowing about a Welsh assembly candidate's role in "sabotaging" a rape trial, was emailed about it last year, BBC Wales has learned

When MPs officially pack up and head off for the general election campaign at the end of today, that will mark the end of the shortest parliamentary session in 70 years.

The State Opening of Parliament was only on 14 October and the House of Commons has met for just 19 days since then.

The session in October 1948 was even shorter - when there was only 10 sitting days.

On that occasion the session was called to debate one piece of legislation - amending the Parliament Act.

The dissolution of Parliament is due to take place shortly after midnight.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Another Conservative standing down at the next election, David Lidington, says it will be a "great wrench to leave this place" after 27 years in Parliament.

He says his "very diverse" constituency of Aylesbury has "changed a lot" during his time as an MP, and will need additional transport infrastructure to cope with population growth.

He says MPs should "look beyond" the need for physical restoration and renewal of Parliament, and also reform the "culture of the House of Commons too".

He says he hopes members of the next Parliament will avoid "the language of traitors, of betrayal".

BBC News Channel

Image source, PA

Sir Lindsay Hoyle also gives BBC News details of his politically-named pets.

His tortoise Maggie - “named after one PM” - has "a hard shell and is not for turning”.

Also named after a former prime minister is his rottweiler Gordon. “Gordon had this clunking fist and we have a dog with a clunking paw," he says.

And then there is Boris the parrot who can say “order, order” but "does repeat himself a lot".

BBC News Channel

Newly-elected Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay HoyIe says it is “an absolute privilege” to be in the role.

“I pinch myself this has happened,” he says.

He promises to bring his own “style” to the job - “trying to keep good order, don’t let it boil over, be nice to people - that is how I want to play things”.

He notes that during his first day as Speaker in the House of Commons he has not had to say “order” once.

“I’ve got a good track record so far,” he says, but adds that will probably “disappear” once MPs get on to more contentious issues.

In his resignation letter, Nick Herbert, who was elected as MP for Arundel and South Downs in 2005, says he has "done my best to stand up for local communities".

He continues: "I will continue to give my loyal support to the prime minister and the Conservative Party.

"While I was one of the leaders of the Remain campaign, I strongly believe it is the national and democratic interest to deliver the outcome of the referendum, and that is why I consistently voted for a deal."

He says he is "confident" that Boris Johnson was committed to a range of issues, including to building "an inclusive Conservatism which can appeal to the whole country".

We just learned that the former Chancellor, Philip Hammond, won't stand again and here is another Conservative joining him. Nick Herbert says "it's time to move on" after nearly 15 as a Tory MP.

"I will continue to give my loyal support to the Prime Minister and the Conservative Party," he writes.

We're hastily updating our run-down of all the MPs quitting the Commons - you can read it here.

Two senior Conservatives find themselves in the spotlight today. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns and Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Our political correspondent has asked No 10 about both matters...

Teleri Glyn Jones
BBC Wales News

Image source, Getty Images

A UK cabinet minister who denied knowing about his former aide's role in "sabotaging" a rape trial was emailed about it last year.

BBC Wales has seen the email sent to Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns in August 2018 about Ross England's role.

Mr England, who was selected as the Tory Welsh Assembly election candidate in December 2018, made claims about the victim's sexual history in an April 2018 trial, which led to its collapse.

Mr Cairns has been asked to comment.

Mr England, who was picked as the candidate for Vale of Glamorgan, said he had given an "honest answer" in the rape trial.

Read more on this story here

After we got news that one former Tory - Philip Hammond - can't bring himself to run as an independent in the election, a reminder that others feel differently.

Image source, PA Media

As it was during the last election, the selection of candidates for televised debates has already proved a flashpoint between politicians and television companies.

The Lib Dems have made a formal complaint after ITV said its head-to-head election debate would only include Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn. The SNP has also expressed anger at Sky's plans.

Now the Green Party is urging its supporters to sign a petition demanding the party be included in future debates, claiming to have been "shut out".

"We’re the only party that can hold the others to account on green policy and the electorate deserve a proper debate on this," the petition says.