Summary

  • The Conservatives hold first election rally

  • Earlier, the PM made a statement outside No 10, saying Parliament was paralysed

  • It came after Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns resigned from government

  • Labour's deputy leader, Tom Watson, announces he is stepping down

  • Elsewhere, Jeremy Corbyn pledges "real change" under Labour

  • The Green Party unveils plans to invest £100bn a year on climate change

  • Liberal Democrats pledge to spend £2.2bn a year on mental health

  • SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon urges Remain voters to back her party

Live Reporting

Victoria King, Jennifer Scott, Becky Morton and Alice Evans

  1. What are the papers saying?

    Guardian and i front pages

    Many of this morning's papers focus on the comments made by Jacob Rees-Mogg about the Grenfell Tower fire - suggesting it would have been "common sense" to flee a burning building - feature on the front of several papers.

    The remarks - for which Mr Rees-Mogg has apologised - make the lead for two of the papers: the Guardian and the i.

    See what the rest of the papers are saying here

  2. What's happening today?

    Boris Johnson will visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace to mark the start of the five-week election period.

    Later on, he will launch the Conservatives’ campaign, promising he can "get Brexit done".

    Meanwhile, in a speech Jeremy Corbyn will pledge "real change" under Labour.

    Elsewhere:

    • The Green Party will launch its campaign with a promise to invest £100bn a year on climate action
    • The Liberal Democrats have pledged to spend £2.2bn a year on mental health services, funded by a 1% rise in income tax
    • SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon will urge Remain voters in Scotland to back her party in a bid to stop Brexit.

  3. Good morning

    ParliamentGetty Images

    It may feel like campaigning in the general election had already begun, but today marks the official start after Parliament was formally shut down just after midnight.

    That means all MPs revert to being members of the public. Government ministers keep their posts.

    The dissolution ended the shortest parliamentary session in just over 70 years, with the Commons having met for only 19 days since the state opening on 14 October.