Green Party co-leader Sian Berry says the party is ready to "more than double our MPs" at this election.

The party had one MP until Parliament was dissolved - Caroline Lucas in Brighton.

Berry said: "Boris Johnson wants to make this the Brexit election. But this election is about so much more."

Green Party co-leader Sian Berry has taken centre stage to launch her party's election campaign.

Boris Johnson has met the Queen to confirm the end of Parliament. He got back into his car after some handshaking and a wave to the gathered photographers.

His visit lasted about 30 minutes.

Image source, UK Parliament

Veteran DUP representative David Simpson has announced he will not stand in the general election.

He has held the Upper Bann seat since 2005. His decision not to seek re-election comes after newspaper revelations about his private life and an extra-marital affair.

In a statement issued this morning, he said: "In recent times it has been well publicised that I made a mistake that brought hurt to my wife and family as well as bringing heartache to another family.

"These were my mistakes and for them I am truly sorry. I have learned from my failings and my wife and children have given me a precious second chance and together we intend to look to the future together."

Image source, UK Parliament

Here's a bit more on the news we brought you earlier that Conservative Ed Vaizey will not stand for re-election.

The former culture minister said the decision to stand down as an MP was "one of the hardest I have ever taken".

Mr Vaizey said he wanted to focus on his passion for the arts and creative industries, but would "remain an enthusiastic supporter" of Boris Johnson.

The MP for Wantage had the Conservative whip returned to him last month after losing it for backing efforts to block a no-deal Brexit.

Read the full story here

BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell says he expects the PM's audience with the Queen to be a short one.

While the election has already been approved by MPs, the monarch still needs to sign a royal proclamation confirming the end of the last Parliament.

Parliament was dissolved - or formally shut down - at just after midnight, meaning 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.

Boris Johnson has just been seen leaving Downing Street.

He is heading to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen after Parliament was dissolved in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Ed Vaizey, who was readmitted to the Conservative party last month, has said he will not stand in this election.

The MP for Wantage and Didcot was among the 21 Tory MPs expelled from the party in the summer after backing efforts to pass legislation to block a no-deal Brexit.

The former culture minister tweeted his resignation letter, which said: "I believe that now is the right time to move on because I am passionate about the arts, our creative industries and technology, and I want to specialise in these sectors."

Image source, EPA

An ex-Downing Street chief and adviser to former Prime Minister Theresa May has failed in his bid to run as a Tory candidate in the general election.

Nick Timothy was beaten by accountant Saqib Bhatti, who was selected to run for the Meriden seat in Solihull in the West Midlands.

Mr Timothy resigned as Mrs May's joint chief of staff after the Tories lost their majority in the 2017 election.

Mr Bhatti will contest the seat to replace Dame Caroline Spelman.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, Reuters

Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan, who won't be standing in this election but will campaign on behalf of the Conservatives, says the usual party manifesto won't be enough to win over voters.

She told Radio 4's Today programme: "I think there are people who are standing back and they're waiting this time to be wooed by the different parties on their doorsteps, but of course because of Brexit we know that there are a number of people now who don't think of themselves in party terms but they think of themselves still as Leavers and Remainers.

"The fact that we're still using those phrases three-and-a-half years after the referendum just shows really what a seismic change that has been in our politics."

Image source, EPA

The former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, who's standing down at this election, insists his party's success in the local elections shows it won't just be a two-horse race.

He told Radio 4's Today programme that the "issues of identity" which are underlying voters' standing on Brexit, which is "the overriding issue", has "cracked apart the two-party system".

He said: "That's of course been the story of the Commons in the last two years - I mean party discipline hasn't held and I think what will happen is that we may well have a four-party election."

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says there is "a very bad backdrop" for the launch of the Conservative campaign later.

She tweeted, external that Boris Johnson was heading to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen "with uproar in the air" about Jacob Rees-Mogg's comments about the Grenfell Tower fire and questions over Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns' future.

However, she adds that Labour's ruling body is also facing some difficult decisions this morning over candidate selection.

Image source, Twitter/Dr Laura Davies

A Labour candidate who has been deselected five weeks before the election says she was a victim of a "pretty sustained campaign of bullying and undermining".

Laura Davies was told on Monday after a phone hearing by Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) that the party wouldn't support her candidacy - which would have been her third in Shrewsbury and Atcham.

Speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire, Dr Davies said she wasn't expecting the decision, and says she was unaware of some of the complaints against her, which she says date back to 2017 and were completely trivial or fabricated.

Dr Davies had already lost a vote of confidence among her local party earlier this year after concerns were expressed about her stance on local hospital reorganisation.

The local party said in a statement: "A majority of the local party had lost confidence in Laura Davies's candidacy and the NEC has responded to this with their decision.

"Issues with her included her failure to work with and engage with members and her refusal to support our community's campaign to retain 24-hour A&E hospitals in Shrewsbury and Telford."

Tory Party chairman James Cleverly has denied that he refused to be interviewed by Sky News presenter Kay Burley earlier.

He says that he was conducting an interview with TalkRADIO when the Sky Breakfast host claimed he refused to appear.

The Liberal Democrats will launch their election bus in north London later. The eye-catching bright orange and yellow bus bears the message "Stop Brexit. Build a brighter future" alongside a picture of party leader Jo Swinson.

Later today, Ms Swinson will visit a mental health organisation, where she is expected to discuss her party's pledge to spend £2.2bn a year on mental health services, funded by a 1% rise to income tax.

Ms Swinson is then set to travel on the campaign bus to a pharmaceutical company and a school.

Image source, Sky News

Sky News presenter Kay Burley says Tory party chairman James Cleverly has refused to be interviewed on her programme - despite being in the studio.

She said she wanted to ask him about a number of issues - including Jacob Ress-Mogg's comments on Grenfell and Boris Johnson comparing Jeremy Corbyn to Stalin.

She said Conservative "spin doctors" had assured the show Mr Cleverly would appear to answer questions - following his earlier appearances on BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain.

But instead producers showed an empty chair, with the presenter saying: "Where on earth is he? He is 15ft away from me, James Cleverly - who is the chairman of the Conservative Party - and he says he will not come on this programme to answer all of those allegations".

She added that she was "fuming".

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, Welsh Conservatives

Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly says remarks made by prospective Gower MP Francesca O'Brien were "unacceptable" but suggested she would not be sacked as the Tory candidate.

Ms O'Brien posted on social media that people featured in reality TV show Benefits Street needed "putting down".

Mr Cleverly said: "This is a comment that the candidate themselves recognised was unacceptable. People often tweet in haste and regret what they have done afterwards."

Asked whether Ms O'Brien would be replaced in the Gower contest, he said: "We do take very seriously the language we use and sometimes we recognise that people make a mistake and, when they do so, if they recognise what they have done wrong and they apologise, I think that is taken into consideration. I think that's a balanced approach."

A senior Welsh Conservative says it looks "very difficult" for Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns to lead the party's election campaign in Wales after his former aide "sabotaged" a rape trial.

With Prime Minister Boris Johnson set to launch the Conservatives' UK election campaign later today, a senior Welsh Conservative said there was "increasing anger and alarm" among the party's election candidates about Mr Cairns' knowledge of the collapsed rape trial.

The source added: "It looks very difficult to see how Alun Cairns can lead the campaign in Wales without fully explaining the circumstances surrounding this case."

Another source said: "Our three priorities in the national campaign outside of Brexit are law and order, NHS and schools. He is undermining one of those."

Ross England made claims about the victim's sexual history in an April 2018 trial which led to its collapse.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns denied knowing about this, but BBC Wales has seen an email sent to him in August 2018 mentioning the matter.

The BBC has asked Mr Cairns to comment.