BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

Even before the Brexit Party's announcement, some candidates were choosing to stand aside to help others who remain in the race.

Politics Live reporter Greg Dawson spent the weekend in Beaconsfield and nearby Marlow, where former Conservative Attorney General Dominic Grieve - standing this time as an independent - will be up against a newly-chosen Tory candidate, but no Liberal Democrat opponent.

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

The Brexit Party's decision to stand down some candidates makes life a bit more straightforward for the Tories. Read Laura's latest analysis.

It's a judicial review which, put simply, is the process by which ordinary people and organisations can apply to the courts to challenge the lawfulness of decisions made by public bodies.

Every month the courts in England and Wales receive around 300 requests to test whether decisions and actions taken by government departments, local authorities and other public bodies are lawful.

The process is a tried and trusted legal procedure which helps hold policy-makers to account - but it can last a long time - usually months.

In judicial review cases, it's not the court's job to rule on whether the decision made by the public organisation, in this case ITV, is correct or not.

What the court is concerned about is the way in which the decision or action has been taken: have the right procedures been followed? Has the public body exceeded its powers?

Additionally, the court may be asked to rule that a decision or action is "irrational" - in other words, so unreasonable that no sensible person could have arrived at it.

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The announcement that the Lib Dems are launching a legal challenge over not being included in ITV's debate is "certainly a big ramping up of the argument over these TV debates", says BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley.

"They've looked at Ofcom's rules and decided they have a chance of pushing though a judicial review which would basically say, 'this isn't representing all the different shades of opinion when it comes to Brexit, it's not giving the public a full picture when it comes to the general election.'

"That ITV debate was supposed to be next Tuesday so they're going to try and make this happen pretty quickly."

The BBC announced last week it was also hosting a leaders' debate between just Mr Johnson and Mr Corbyn, prompting more anger from Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson.

Nick Eardley says Sal Brinton wouldn't quite be drawn on whether the party was going to do the same thing when it comes to the the BBC. There's a process to go through first where they will complain and try to get the BBC to fold.

Away from serious election developments, we've also seen a few campaigning cliches in evidence today. Boris Johnson has been pulling a pint - we think he's also been spotted holding a baby elsewhere - at the Lych Gate Tavern in Wolverhampton.

Mr Johnson was meeting veterans in the West Midlands pub, alongside the Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer.

During his visit news came through that Nigel Farage wouldn't be fielding candidates in seats won by the Conservatives in 2017.

Mr Johnson got behind the bar to pull a pint of BFG (Bradley's Finest Golden), but asked if he would taste the beer, he replied: "I'm not allowed to drink until Brexit is done."

However, according to a report from the PA news agency, he added: "I'll wet my whistle" before indulging in a sip.

The pub landlord Dave Buck reportedly joked that Mr Johnson's pint-pulling technique was "terrible".

"People know more about where they stand on Brexit than for which party they will vote for," says Sal Brinton, president of the Lib Dems, on the decision to take legal action.

She's been speaking in the last few minutes outside the High Court in London.

"So it is vital for our democracy to have both sides of the Brexit debate represented at the top table of the leaders' debates," she went on.

"ITV's current proposal fundamentally disrespects the many millions of people who strongly support remaining in the European Union."

More on the breaking Lib Dem debate news. ITV had announced plans for a head-to-head debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, hosted by news presenter Julie Etchingham on Tuesday 19 November.

After the main event, ITV said it would hold a live interview-based programme to allow other parties to comment on the debate.

ITV said it intended to offer viewers balanced election coverage and would also hold a multi-party debate ahead of the 12 December election.

The Lib Dems are launching are legal challenge against the decision to exclude Jo Swinson from the ITV leaders’ debate.

Party president Sal Brinton said the decision disrespected Remain voters.

She said it was too early to say whether the party would also challenge the BBC over their plans for a straight debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn.

Earlier, politicians took a break from electioneering to mark the 100th Armistice Day since World War One.

They've also used the day to announce policies related to the armed forces.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Reuters

On Sunday, Jo Swinson attended the Cenotaph, while Nicola Sturgeon laid a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance in Edinburgh.

Image source, Reuters

The SNP is calling on Westminster parties to follow their lead and scrap tuition fees.

Students who are from and study in Scotland do not have to pay fees - unlike those in England who pay up to £9,250 a year.

Earlier, Lib Dem candidate - and former Tory minister - Sam Gyimah said scrapping the fees would be a "fantasy".

But SNP candidate Mhairi Black says her party "has made it a reality".

She add: “It should come as no surprise that a former Tory universities minister turned Lib Dem candidate is in favour of imposing thousands of pounds worth of fees on students - putting off and potentially excluding many young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“It's clear that a vote for the SNP in this election will ensure Scotland’s escape from Brexit, the damaging Tory agenda, protect students from all backgrounds, and put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.”

Image source, Getty Images

The headlines are being dominated not by those candidates standing for the 12 December poll, but those who now aren't...

• Nigel Farage is standing down 317 candidates in the seats the Conservatives won in the 2017 election
• The Brexit Party leader says it will stop the 12 December poll ending in a hung Parliament or a second referendum
• However, his candidates will still fight in seats against Labour and Remain-backing parties
• Boris Johnson welcomes the move as "a recognition that there's only one way to get Brexit done, and that's to vote for the Conservatives"
• But Tory Party chairman James Cleverly warns it could still split the vote in Tory target seats
• Meanwhile the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems have made pledges to support the Armed forces and veterans
• The Lib Dems have also unveiled a plan to fund adult learning with a "skills wallet"

The Green Party's Caroline Lucas says Nigel Farage's decision to stand aside in seats held by the Conservatives is evidence that the "Conservatives have morphed into the same narrow sect as The Brexit Party".

"This is the alliance Trump wanted. We must resist delivering Trump the result he wants too," said Ms Lucas.

The leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price, also said the announcement was "proof" that the prime minister and Mr Farage were jointly "planning to deliver a disastrous no deal".

Image source, Getty Images

The decision by Nigel Farage to stand down his Brexit Party candidates in Tory-held seats may make "little difference" in the election, according to YouGov’s political research manager.

Chris Curtis, from the pollsters, says it may help the Conservatives keep hold of their existing seats, but most marginals they are targeting will be a straight battle against Labour.

He says this two-way fight is "the most important dynamic in deciding who will be celebrating Christmas in 10 Downing Street".

Mr Curtis adds: "On current polling, we have seen around a 4% swing from Labour to the Conservatives, which would mean the Tories gaining a large chunk of seats off Labour, potentially in places like Barrow and Furness, Great Grimsby, Workington, Bridgend, Gower, and Stoke-on-Trent Central, whilst Labour will win few, if any, seats from the Conservatives.

“Given this, Farage’s decision to stand aside in current Conservative-held seats and not in Labour-held seats that the Tories will be looking to gain will likely make very little difference."

The YouGov expert also says Mr Farage's statement could make some Leave supporters feel more comfortable with voting Tory.

But, he concludes: "Given The Brexit Party was already trending downwards in the polls, it looked like this was happening already.

"So, despite today’s drama, this is unlikely to be a game-changing moment.”

The Labour leader has given his reaction to Nigel Farage's announcement that The Brexit Party won't stand in Conservative-held seats. This follows similar reactions from shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, external and shadow education secretary Angela Rayner., external

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A bit more from politics professor Sir John Curtice. He was asked about what difference The Brexit Party will make by standing aside.

"Given the current state of the polls which show a substantial swing from Labour to Conservatives, we would certainly expect the Conservatives to hang on to most of those seats anyway," he says.

"There are two exceptions of course.

"One is that the Conservative Party is at risk of losing seats to the SNP in Scotland and that was confirmed by a poll that came out last week. To be honest The Brexit Party is sufficiently weak [in Scotland] that this is probably not going to help the Tories very much in that.

"The second area where the Tories are potentially at risk of losing seats is to the Liberal Democrats. And it's here perhaps where the decision of The Brexit Party to stand down might at the margin help the Conservatives."

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What do you want to know ahead of the 2019 general election in London? Send BBC News your questions and we'll do our best to answer them.

And in the meantime, here's one we prepared earlier...

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"We perhaps should not exaggerate how important on its own this is", says polling expert Sir John Curtice.

"It's the Liberal Democrat and Conservative contest where the Tories might be helped out - but in the crucial Conservative Party/Labour ones, so far Nigel Farage is not offering the Conservatives any direct help."

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Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith says the news today that the Brexit Party will not be standing in Tory seats "means that our focus can be very, very clear on the Labour Party".

But he says he hopes the Brexit Party realises that even standing in Labour-held seats "will also end up helping those Labour incumbents who are sitting there worrying at the moment about the fact that they have a very, very large Leave vote and that if that is split they might just sneak through".

Mr Duncan Smith is also asked whether he would urge Boris Johnson to try to persuade the Brexit Party to stand aside in further seats.

"What we need is people who might vote for Brexit [Party] to recognise if they don't vote for the Conservative then Brexit is done," he replies.

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Brexit Party candidate Ann Widdecombe is asked about the seat she is standing in - which was Conservative in 2010 and 2015.

Isn't that an example of a seat which the Tories would need to win in order to get a majority?

"Our concern is not to get a Conservative majority, it's to get a Brexit majority," she says.

"And that can be achieved just as easily by a Conservative standing down as a Brexit Party candidate standing down.

"We've made huge concessions today, and I think that is probably as far as we will go."

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Image source, PA Media

Ann Widdecombe, who is standing for The Brexit Party in the Labour-held seat Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, is asked what the logic is behind the news that hundreds of Brexit Party candidates will stand aside in seats held by the Tories.

She says it is an "enormous concession" from leader Nigel Farage, adding: "As he put it himself, a sort of unilateral pact.

"But you really can't expect we won't take Labour on, and we are," adds former Conservative Ms Widdecombe.

"And any consequences that flow from that are down to Boris's stubbornness."