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Boris Johnson says the "biggest threat" currently facing the UK economy is the "uncertainty that is still being posed to our political system by the whole Brexit debate".

Speaking at a whisky distillery in Elgin, he says his plan is to bring back his deal in December and “get out of the EU in January”.

Asked about Conservative spending plans, Mr Johnson says there have been nine years of solid growth and credits Conservative “prudence” for the cost of borrowing being “at an all-time low”.

He also repeats claims that a Labour government would increase the chances of a new vote on independence in Scotland, saying that “only Scottish Conservatives can prevent another referendum”.

Image source, AFP

Back with a Westminster focus, the new Speaker of the House of Commons says he will not permit the kind of parliamentary manoeuvres recently used to block a no-deal Brexit allowed by his predecessor John Bercow.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle says he would not allow the procedures used by MPs to seize control of the agenda.

It would make it harder for MPs to derail a government after the election, even if it does not have a majority.

Read the story in full here.

Continuing his speech in Rossendale, Jeremy Corbyn says one of Labour's "first priorities" is to deal with the housing crisis.

He says Labour wants to tackle homelessness, build council housing, regulate the private rental sector and provide more support for those who want to buy their first homes.

Mr Corbyn says his party would also get rid of all flammable cladding that remains on tower blocks following the Grenfell Tower fire.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is making a speech at an event in Rossendale, Lancashire, expanding on the party's pledge to share investment fairly across the country.

“The levels of public sector investment vary greatly across the country," he says, adding that transport in particular can be poor in the north of England.

You can get a train to Paris quicker than you can get one between Liverpool and Hull, he jokes.

Mr Corbyn says Labour will invest in train and bus services, as well as build a Crossrail train service for the north of England.

His comments come after Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell set out spending plans "on a scale never seen before" earlier today.

Boris Johnson says a Conservative election candidate’s comments - that women should “keep their knickers on” if they didn’t want to “give out the wrong signals” - are “completely unacceptable”.

Former BBC presenter Nick Conrad, who has been selected for the Broadland seat in Norfolk, made the comments while hosting a radio debate about a rape case in 2014 while he was a presenter at BBC Radio Norfolk.

Mr Johnson says Mr Conrad had apologised “long ago” but maintains the “comments are completely unacceptable.”

Read the full story here.

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Of course the election will come in the run-up to Christmas.

And apart from the disruption it will cause for festive preparations, there's a row going on about whether having polling stations in the usual venues will mean there's scant room for Mary and Joseph.

Election officers have hit back angrily at calls from the education secretary for general election polling stations not to be placed in schools - but to be put somewhere else.

Gavin Williamson wanted to avoid disruption to school nativity plays and Christmas concerts, which could clash with the 12 December election day.

But election officers have written to the education secretary to express their "extreme disappointment".

They say in many areas there are "no alternatives" to using schools.

Read our full story here.

Away from student issues, people in Leeds and the surrounding area have been asking us questions about the various costs associated with holding general elections.

Andrew in Pudsey asked us whether MPs get paid during the election period. Kate wondered whether a returning officer earns any money for their work and Francis in Rothwell wanted to know the total cost of staging a vote on this scale.

We’ve found the answers to these and more as part of our Your Questions Answered series for the General Election 2019.

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has also been out campaigning today, pushing the party's green agenda on a visit to the West Country.

During a tour of a Forest School in Welton, Somerset, Ms Swinson says the Lib Dems are committed to environmental issues and are looking to gain seats in south-west England.

Ms Swinson chatted to staff and children at the eco-friendly nursery and joined a group toasting marshmallows on a fire.

As the BBC heads out across the country for the election, shoppers in Leeds have been telling us the one thing to change at the general election which they think would improve life in the city.

Here's what they said:

Kada Bendaha, 47, said there should be better support for independent businesses.

He said: “It seems like there’s more help for massive companies like Starbucks and Uber than for local businesses and it’s a real struggle for them.

“Look at the market, that makes Leeds what it is but you see Sainsbury’s opening just outside - that says it all really.”

Jo Ramsden, 48, wanted something to be done about homelessness.

She said: “I just walked past a homeless guy and, while it's not as much of a problem in Leeds as in some other cities, it’s still really shocking.

“I just hope something changes to make things more equal for everybody.”

Umair Shaikh, 26, works in property, he said he was concerned about rental prices in the city.

“It’s getting ridiculous - the prices are increasing and they need to do something about it.

“A lot of the property developments are for students but that doesn’t help working professionals.”

During this general election campaign, the BBC will be broadcasting from 10 different locations around the UK.

Today it’s the turn of Leeds, where the BBC's Chi Chi Izundu and Kris Bramwell have been speaking to students and other residents:

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There is a buzz of excitement with students here in Leeds, especially the ones who will vote for the first time in a general election.

The city is home to more than 70,000 students - many of whom are eligible to vote.

But when and how the students vote is their main concern.

Polling Day (12 December) is close to the end of term, so some may not have any lectures to attend during that last week and want to head home.

Do they stick around at their term-time address to cast their vote or will they head back to their home constituency? Who do they vote for? Will it impact who is selected for the seat and therefore the overall government?

This was certainly the topic of conversation that dominated when we had a cup of tea and some biscuits with students yesterday.

As part of that, the students we spoke to have been also encouraging friends - both at university and in work - to at least register to vote. Because for them - to quote one - “this is our future”, and they want to have the say they feel they’ve been denied in recent referendums and general elections.

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The prime minsiter's second campaign visit of the day is in north-east Scotland, where he visited the Roseisle Distillery near Elgin.

Speaking after the visit he says the Conservatives are the "party that is going to keep our fantastic United Kingdom together", promising that the Scottish Tories would "prevent" a fresh independence referendum.

The prime minister also denies suggestions of economic irresponsibility, after Chancellor Sajid Javid said the Party would borrow to fund more spending.

"It's thanks to the prudence of the Conservatives that we are able to make some investments in our infrastructure, in technology, in our public services," he says.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, UK Parliament

Earlier, we reported on an election pact between three anti-Brexit parties: The Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party.

The trio have agreed not to stand against each other in dozens of seats in England and Wales.

The SNP has responded by saying anti-Brexit parties should "get behind" them in Scotland.

Stephen Gethins, the SNP candidate for North East Fife, said the election in Scotland was a "straight race" between his pro-Remain party and the Tories.

He added: “If other parties want to deliver a Remain message in Scotland, they know they have to get behind the SNP."

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

We have got into something of a bidding war between these two parties.

The Tories are talking about extra cash for police, for upgrading hospitals, and for what they call an infrastructure revolution.

Labour's John McDonnell is talking about pouring hundreds of billions into a once-in-a-generation upgrade to the country's infrastructure.

They're on the same terrain - they're both talking about the end of austerity.

They're both talking about a big increase in government spending, and they're both talking about paying for this by borrowing.

The risk for the government is that they might be seen as "Labour-lite" - offering something similar, but not as ambitious.

Read more about Labour and Tory spending plans here.

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 via the form on this page and we'll do our best to answer them.

Today we have been answering questions specifically from younger people, like this one from Max in London:

Q - From what age can you campaign?

A - You can campaign for a political party from any age. However, to vote in a general election you must be 18 on polling day, although you can register to vote from the age of 16.

To stand as a candidate in a general election you must be a minimum of 18 on the day nominations are announced, which for this election is 14 November 2019.

The age at which you can become a member of a political party varies. Some have no age restriction, but others want you to be 14 or 15.

You can read more answers to questions from young people here.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

A Liberal Democrat candidate who was told to step aside as part of a "Remain alliance" will now run as an independent.

Mike Powell was asked to stand down in Pontypridd after the party entered into an electoral pact with Plaid Cymru and the Green Party.

The deal between the three pro-Remain parties will see them not stand against each other in 60 constituencies across England and Wales.

Mr Powell tells BBC Radio 4's World at One he was first informed about standing aside three weeks ago.

"We had an NEC [national executive committee] meeting last night and basically were told, 'that’s it, you’re not standing'," he says.

But Mr Powell doesn't believe he will split the Remain vote by running in the constituency.

"I think the people deserve to have an opportunity to vote for someone who is going to represent the people of Pontypridd, rather than standing to represent a cause to remove Wales from the United Kingdom," he says - referring to Plaid Cymru's manifesto.

"I know there are an awful lot of members in the Welsh Liberal Democrats who are extremely unhappy with the way these negotiations have been dealt with."

Read about the election pact in full here.

BBC News Channel

Alun Cairns - who resigned as Welsh Secretary yesterday – has been keeping a “very, very low profile”, says BBC Wales correspondent Hywel Griffith.

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

But the BBC understands Mr Cairns is still planning to stand as a Conservative candidate in the upcoming election.

He has faced calls to quit as a candidate, including from the victim in the collapsed rape trial.

Our correspondent says there had been no sign of Mr Cairns at his local constituency office.

Earlier, former Labour MP Ian Austin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the party's leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was "unfit" to be PM.

He then called on voters to back the Conservatives and Boris Johnson in the upcoming election.

See what Labour's shadow chancellor - and close Corbyn ally - John McDonnell had to say about his remarks...

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Image source, Getty Images

Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell tells Radio 4's The World At One the news of Tom Watson standing down did not overshadow his speech this morning.

"Tom has made it absolutely clear he's not leaving for any political reasons, he just wants a change of life," Mr McDonnell says.

On former Labour Party MP Ian Austin's comments that Labour voters should support Boris Johnson in the election, Mr McDonnell told the programme: "He's been given a job by the Tories so obviously his intervention is on behalf of the Tory Party. And I think it's best dismissed in that way and move on."

He's referring to Mr Austin being given the unpaid role of the prime minister's trade envoy back in the summer.

Asked about progress made in tackling anti-Semitism within the Labour Party, he says: "We've done a detailed investigation, we've identified a small, a tiny number of anti-Semitic activities and we've dealt with it."

"I say to others in the Jewish community, help us then. Listen to what we're doing, tell us if we're going right or we're going wrong."

BBC Radio 5 Live