Image source, SALLY GIMSON

The Labour Party has removed another parliamentary candidate, less than two weeks after she received the endorsement of her local party.

Former journalist and campaigner Sally Gimson announced on 27 October that she was "delighted to have been selected" to represent Labour in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire.

But Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) deselected her earlier.

The Remain supporter said she had been "condemned by a kangaroo court".

The Labour Party said it did not comment on its internal selection processes.

Read our full story here.

Radio 4 PM

Continuing on PM, business minister Nadhim Zahawi admits it has been "a difficult 24 hours" for the Conservative Party.

As well as the resignation of their Welsh secretary, Tory minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has apologised over comments about the Grenfell Tower fire and the party has been accused of posting a video on its Twitter account which had been edited in a misleading way.

However Mr Zahawi tells the programme that ultimately this election is a choice between the Tories delivering Brexit and then investing in public services - or another referendum.

Radio 4 PM

Image source, Getty Images

Business minister Nadhim Zahawi says while former Welsh secretary Alun Cairns has resigned from his cabinet position to "clear his name", he should still be allowed to stand as an MP.

Mr Cairns resigned over claims he knew about a former aide's role in the "sabotage" of a rape trial.

However, he denies any wrongdoing and still intends to stand as a Tory MP.

Mr Zahawi tells BBC Radio 4's PM programme Mr Cairn's work as Welsh secretary has been "exemplary".

Asked whether Mr Cairns was fit to stand as an MP, Mr Zahawi says: “I think it’s up to the voters and I think they will appreciate the hard work he’s done over the last nine years."

BBC Radio 5 Live

We heard from him earlier on the News Channel. Now former culture minister Ed Vaizey - who's stepping down from Parliament - has just been on 5 Live Drive, talking about losing - then regaining - the Tory whip.

Here's another of your questions we've done our best to answer. This one's from Manuel Morak in north London.

If you've got one, you can send it to BBC News via the form on this page.

Q - Can I be in the hall and watch people counting the ballots?

A - Candidates standing in the election, their campaign agents and official observers registered in advance with the Electoral Commission are entitled to witness the vote count taking place.

In theory, members of the public may also view the vote count if they have applied to their local authority in advance.

If the authority decides they have the capacity for the individual to attend, they will do so as a guest of the returning officer.

Everyone present at the vote count will be issued with a ticket or entrance pass. They must maintain the secrecy of the vote and ensure the votes are not tampered with.

You can read answers to more of your questions here.

Image source, PA Media

The Liberal Democrats will be standing down their candidate in Beaconsfield to boost the chances of Dominic Grieve returning to Parliament.

Mr Grieve - a leading Remainer in the Commons - was a Conservative but was booted out of the party by Boris Johnson when he voted to block a no-deal Brexit.

He has decided to stand as an independent MP in the next election and his pro-Remain stance is likely to play a major part.

Now the BBC has found out that the Lib Dems will not stand in his way.

We also learned the party would stand down on the Isle of Wight to allow the Green Party a clearer shot at the seat - which is currently held by the Tories.

Leading Brexiteer Steve Baker is calling on local Conservative associations to block any candidates from standing who would vote against Boris Johnson's Brexit deal.

The Sun reported a ban on such candidates earlier.

Mr Baker - who chairs the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tory backbench MPs - took to Twitter to explain his decision.

"Any Conservative candidate who pledges to vote against Boris’s deal contrary to the manifesto should not be nominated," he writes.

"It is too late for self-indulgence and lack of discipline.

"Only by backing Boris and this deal can we move the country forward."

Confused? Got a question for us?

Send it to BBC News via the form on this page and we'll do our best to give you the answers.

We've answered this one from Mark Stolarek in Kirkcaldy:

Q - How do I know that my postal vote has been received and not altered?

A - To prevent fraud and ensure that every person votes only once, each ballot paper carries a unique identification number as well as a unique official mark. At the polling station, each voter's voter registration number is checked off against the unique number on the ballot paper.

So, although UK elections are supposed to be secret, it is theoretically possible to link each vote to the person who cast it. However, it is illegal to do so.

After an election all ballot papers and connected paperwork are sealed and stored for a year, before being destroyed. They can only be opened by order of the House of Commons or the High Court.

You can read answers to more of your questions here.

Image source, PA Media

As the first official day of the campaign rolls on, here are the latest stories from the election build up:

• MPs have been reacting to the news that Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns has resigned from his post
• The Tory MP quit over claims he knew about a former aide's role in the "sabotage" of a rape trial, but he will still be standing as a candidate in the next election
• Mr Cairns' local Conservative Association supports his decision, but Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn questions his "moral right" to stand
• Meanwhile, Labour has banned three of its former MPs from standing in the election
• Former ally of Jeremy Corbyn, Chris Williamson, was suspended from the party after accusations of anti-Semitism
• Stephen Hepburn was being investigated over a sexual harassment claim, while Roger Godsiff was facing a reselection battle

• Other parties have been out on the campaign trail, with the Liberal Democrats showing off their electric-powered bus and promising "Remain alliances" around the country
• The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon has predicted a hung Parliament is highly likely in the December poll
• While the Green Party is pledging £100bn a year for the next decade to tackle climate change
• Former Speaker John Bercow has announced his position on Brexit - he calls it the UK's "biggest foreign policy mistake in the post-war period"

BBC Radio 5 Live

One of the Conservatives' vice chairs, Ranil Jayawardena, has just been facing questions on 5 Live Drive.

Asked about the outcry over Jacob Rees-Mogg's Grenfell remarks, he points to the Commons leader's apology and urges people to focus on the recently-published report into the disaster.

"Let's not diminish the tragedy itself with politics," he adds.

He also says the controversial tweeted video of Labour's Sir Keir Starmer was "very clearly not doctored" - rather, he says, it was edited, with music added.

Felicity Evans
BBC Wales political editor

Image source, Getty Images

The resignation of Alun Cairns as Welsh secretary has big implications for the Welsh Conservatives.

It raises many questions to which we do not know the answers.

It leaves their general election campaign in disarray because, as Welsh secretary, Mr Cairns was supposed to be leading that campaign.

As things stand, it is not clear who that person will be.

Who from the current cohort of Welsh Tory politicians could be called up? Could it be Paul Davies, the low-profile leader of the party in the Welsh assembly?

Meanwhile, the party is hoping to make gains in leave voting seats in the north east of Wales.

Read more

We're keen to hear more of your questions whether on polling or policy? Send them to BBC News via the form on this page and we'll do our best to give you the answers.

Here's one we answered earlier, from Anna Bennett in Torquay:

Q - If I have a postal vote, can I still vote in person?

A - If you decide you don't want to post your ballot, or you miss the deadline, you can hand in your postal vote at your registered polling station.

But you can't vote in person in the polling booth.

If you want to cancel your postal vote, you can contact your local authority.

You can read answers to more of your questions here.

BBC News Channel

Former Tory minister Ed Vaizey has been speaking for the first time since he announced his decision not to stand for re-election.

The former culture minister had - along with nine others - the party whip returned to him last month after losing it for backing efforts to block a no-deal Brexit.

Describing the encounter with his long-term friend Mr Johnson, the chief whip and the PM's adviser Dominic Cummings, he said: "We all went in to see him [Mr Johnson), he was very decent about it.

"He had the chief whip sitting next to him, he had Dominic Cummings skulking in the corner."

Asked to elaborate, he said: "He was sort of working on his laptop, reading his notes. I've known Dominic a long time as well - it was an amusing scene."

He told BBC News he had doubted Mr Johnson's desire to secure a Brexit deal after the PM tried to prorogue - or suspend - Parliament for five weeks.

However, he said Mr Johnson had thought his vote had hurt his attempts to land a deal with the EU.

The former MP for Wantage, in Oxfordshire, now says he "misjudged" the prime minister and said the row should be considered a "disagreement".

Mr Vaizey says he will leave Parliament to focus on his passion for the arts and creative industries, saying it "felt more real" than being a politician.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss says it is “right" that Alun Cairns decided to resign so "he can collaborate fully with the case being put forward".

Mr Cairns resigned from his position as Welsh secretary over claims he knew about a former aide's role in the "sabotage" of a rape trial.

Ms Truss, who is also women and equalities minister, tells the BBC Mr Cairns has done a “fantastic job” as Welsh secretary.

However, she says “this is a very serious case" and it is "right that he focuses on contributing to making sure justice is done".

Gavin Stamp
BBC political reporter

Image source, Twitter

For the 60 or so former MPs who aren’t standing in the next election, this is the first day of the rest of their lives.

Many have spoken about how much of a wrench it is to leave Parliament. But life must go on as many remain public figures hoping, in time, to forge new careers.

So how have they updated their Twitter profiles to reflect their change of status?

For some, such as Sir Nicholas Soames, Amber Rudd and Jo Johnson, there seems to be no mention at all of their time in Parliament, politics or government.

Philip Hammond baldly states that he is a former Chancellor of the Exchequer but there is no reference to the party he represented for 22 years and from which he was recently ostracised.

In contrast, Nicky Morgan’s primary description of herself is as a One Nation Tory.

Others clearly want to put their time in Parliament behind them - Justine Greening highlighting her new social mobility venture and the fact she’s an Abba fan.

Owen Smith reminds people that while he is no longer an MP, he is still a campaigner, Remainer and Springsteener.

But the first prize for originality must go to Nick Boles, who labels himself as a “recovering politician gradually returning to normal life”.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has been visiting Cumbria on his campaign - but it didn't all go to plan.

A Labour voter in Whitehaven told him: "We don't need you coming here."

Karl Connor, 38, told Mr Farage that he spoke with men in his rugby club about the 2016 referendum.

He said: "The people in there thought they were going to take back control, thought it was about Islam, they thought it was about things that it was nothing to do with at all, and you're trying to profit from that politics of fear."

Two security men separated the pair as they discussed the issues, PA news agency reported.

Mr Farage received some more positive reactions from other people in the town, some of whom posed for selfies, with one woman shouting "you've got my vote".

BBC News Channel

A former aide to Boris Johnson has suggested Alun Cairns has done the prime minister "a favour by going quickly".

Guto Harri tells BBC News that Welsh Secretary Mr Cairns' resignation "probably means that in a day or two this thing will be forgotten".

Mr Harri - who was Mr Johnson's communications manager during his first term as Mayor of London - said Mr Cairns may have appreciated that the first day of a general election campaign was "not the best time to try and clear your name".

He added that the resignation was "not ideal".

Conservatives

The Conservatives have stopped funding all of their adverts.

They currently have no active adverts on Facebook or Instagram which leads us to wonder whether they have a new set of ads in the wings?

Liberal Democrats

The Lib Dems have a new advert asking people to sign up to their mailing list: “Stay up to date with our plan for how we will build a brighter future.”

The demographics show a slight bias towards this ad being seen by men – but we are not sure there is much to read into that.

Plaid Cymru

Another video has been launched about Plaid being the strongest party of Remain in Wales and how Westminster politics is holding Wales back.

But it is all set to a soundtrack that combines slightly tinny Balkan brass with a thumping baseline, with the text: “THIS. IS. WALES.”

Labour has a new group of ads, which all have the same look but carry different messages.

Three of them are adverts about the NHS.

One example message is: “Boris Johnson’s Trump trade deal will sell our NHS to the USA. Only Labour can stop him.”

Three of the other ads are about a vote for the Lib Dems letting the Conservatives in.

The text in these ads also suggests they are being targeted at specific constituencies, saying: “The Lib Dems cannot win here”, but we don’t get data to look into that.

One other interesting thing on these videos is that one of them says: “If you want to fight for remain […] Vote Labour 12 December.”

Is this the first clear pro-Remain piece of messaging we’ve seen from Labour?

We would guess this ad is targeted at a pro-Remain constituency.

Labour is also running an attack ad on the Conservative candidate in Gower: “SHOCKING: Tory candidate for Gower, Francesca O’Brien, said people who rely on social security needed ‘putting down’. She’s not fit to stand for Parliament. Agree? Pass this on.”