Image source, EPA

“I can confirm that a suspect package was this morning delivered to Jo Swinson’s Parliamentary office," a spokesperson for her says.

“The staff immediately notified the police who attended and have now assessed the package as non-suspicious," they add.

"We would like to thank the parliamentary authorities and the police for their swift response this morning."

It's understood Ms Swinson was not in the office when the package was received.

Image source, PA Media

The House of Commons has confirmed which MPs have nominated candidates hoping to become the next Speaker.

Candidates must receive at least 12 nominations to stand in the contest.

The two dames to stand in the election - Conservative MP Eleanor Laing and Labour's Rosie Winterton - are the only hopefuls to have nominated each other.

You can find the full list on the Parliament website here., external

Labour's John McDonnell has said he often gets two death threats a week.

The shadow chancellor made the comments while chatting to NHS workers at the trade union Unison's London headquarters.

Calling for calm during the general election campaign, Mr McDonnell said politicians have "exploited" the Brexit result to "unleash forces" that are "dividing society".

"We've all had continual death threats. I usually get about two a week now. That's the sort of politics we have got at the minute," he adds.

He spoke after being told by a migrant NHS worker how he and a surgeon colleague had been verbally abused following the 2016 referendum decision.

Mr McDonnell says MPs must follow the advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury - who last week warned against MPs using inflammatory language.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has described talks over a possible election pact with other pro-Remain parties as "positive".

Mr Price said there had been negotiations with the Lib Dems and the Greens - and that they hoped to make an announcement "very soon".

Speaking at his party's election launch in Menai Bridge, Anglesey, he said: "In principle, we're very much supportive of the idea of trying to maximise the number of MPs from pro-Remain parties that are elected from Wales and indeed, of course, there are similar discussions between the Greens and the Liberal Democrats in England."

The BBC director of news has reminded viewers that "interviewing is not platforming" - as political parties gear up for the general election.

Fran Unsworth added that "reporting someone's words isn't an endorsement of what they've said".

In a blog post, the director wrote: "We have one simple priority over the next few weeks - our audiences.

"They have a wide range of views, and political allegiances, and we are here to serve all of them, wherever they live, whatever they think, and however they choose to vote. "It means everyone will hear people on BBC News they don't agree with, and opinions they don't share. It means we can't - and don't - take political sides.

"Our aim is to achieve due impartiality. That means understanding that not all issues are 'on the one hand, on the other hand'.

"We do not support 'false balance'. There are facts and there are judgements to be made. And we will make them where that is appropriate."

Image source, PA Media

Sinn Fein has announced it will not stand in three constituencies in Northern Ireland in a bid to prevent DUP candidates winning the seats.

The party will stand aside in South Belfast, East Belfast and North Down.

It is now urging its supporters to instead back the SDLP, the Alliance Party and independent unionist Lady Sylvia Hermon respectively in those three seats.

Announcing the move, Mary Lou McDonald called the upcoming poll "a once-in-a-generation election".

She said: "You can call this a pact, you can call it what you wish - the reality is we are asking people to come out and vote for those pro-Remain candidates. We believe that is the right and progressive thing to do."

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

Economist Esther Duflo says "part of the reason people do not trust economists" is that many economic predictions and forecasts deal with issues in "abstract" terms that people cannot relate.

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

"It's definitely true that they [the Brexit Party] pose a threat to both the Labour Party and the Conservatives," says Daily Mirror political editor Pippa Crerar.

She went on to say that for "cultural and historical reasons, Labour supporters who voted for Brexit, but don't feel they can support the Conservatives," may hurt Labour if they end up voting for the Brexit Party.

David Lowe, composer for BBC News, has made a rearrangement of keyboardist Rick Wakeman's song Arthur as this year's general election theme tune.

Check it out below.

The former Yes band member tweeted that he was "dead chuffed" at the BBC's choice.

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

Whereas the Leave vote is quite heavily concentrated behind the Conservatives - about 60% of Leave voters are saying they will vote Conservative - on the Remain side, Labour have still only got around 40% of Remain voters saying they would vote for the party and around 20% for the Lib Dems.

So that is why this is an election where the Leave side and the Conservatives appear to have an advantage.

Notice that the one name that has not been mentioned as part of pact discussions is Labour.

This means the extent to which the three parties talking about a pact (the Greens, the Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru) can have an impact is inventively limited because these are relatively small parties.

BBC News Channel

"The people of Wales voted Leave, but they didn't vote to take leave of their senses," says Adam Price when asked about his party's pro-Remain stance.

"The Brexit deal being served up by the Conservatives would do enormous damage to Wales," he says.

"We supported a compromise deal which would have kept our membership of the single market and the customs union.

"Unfortunately compromise has gone out of the window."

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

"I think as long as people have the basic services that they needed provided for them free at the point of use, people are not that bothered" if some NHS services are outsourced to private providers, says Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein.

Image source, Pacemaker

Brexit could "add fuel to the fire" of continued paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland, rather than be a direct cause of a return to violence, a new report says.

The Independent Reporting Commission published its second report on progress towards ending paramilitary activity.

It says two issues - the vacuum created by the absence of devolution and uncertainty over Brexit - are making the task "immeasurably more difficult".

Read the full story here.

Image source, PA Media

Confused by the latest election developments? Got a question about polling or policy? Or is there anything else you'd like us to explain?

Send your questions to BBC News and we'll do our best to answer them.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has warned broadcasters against "going back in time" by only inviting the leaders of the two largest parties to TV debates.

Her comments came after Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson complained to ITV over its decision to not include her in the first televised debate to be announced.

Speaking during a campaign visit to South Lanarkshire, Ms Sturgeon said: "The population, certainly in Scotland, but across the rest of the UK, is moving away from the two-party system."

Image source, Getty Images

"You've got the broadcasters not only sticking to that but actually going back the way, because in 2010, 2015 and 2017 they had a different approach to that.

"My message to the broadcasters is make sure that you're reflecting politics as it is and not just how you want it to," she added.

When asked if she would like to be included in upcoming TV debates, with the Labour and Conservative leader, she said she "absolutely" would.

She added that she would take on Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson "anywhere, anytime" in the run-up to the election.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

The big determinate in the vote will be whether people want a candidate in the mould of John Bercow who sought to strengthen the power of backbenchers in Parliament or whether people want a bit of a quieter life.

If they want that they will probably go for Sir Lindsay Hoyle or Dame Eleanor Laing - the two deputy speakers.

If they want someone to carry on in the mould of John Bercow, they might go for Harriet Harman or, someone else coming on the outside, Chris Bryant.

He is picking up quite a bit of support from senior Tories like Michael Gove.

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

"It was politics that set the NHS up and it will be politics that takes it where the country wants it to go " says MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle.

He also claimed that the Conservative party was telling "mistruths" when it came to NHS spending.

BBC News Channel

Asked if Plaid Cymru will join in a pro-Remain pact for the general election, leader Adam Price says "discussions have been going on for some time" but adds that he needs to consult with the local parties.

"Those of us who believe Wales should remain in the EU should put aside our party differences where it can make a difference."

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

"There needs to be an ability for a Speaker to stand up to an executive when they overreach," says Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle.