Summary

  • Boris Johnson answered questions from the public in a special programme on 5 Live, the BBC News Channel and online

  • PM was asked about labour skills post-Brexit, HS2, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and his plans to reverse Beeching railway cuts

  • The public also quizzed him about the NHS, how many children he has and alleged Russian interference in UK elections

  • Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn promises free full-fibre broadband for every home in the UK by 2030, through part-nationalising BT and taxing tech giants

  • Tories pledge measures to help "left behind" towns, including business rate cuts for small firms

  • Liberal Democrats promise a £100bn climate fund over five years

  • The Green Party pledges a universal basic income by 2025, with every adult receiving a minimum of £89 per week

Live Reporting

Joseph Lee, Vanessa Barford, Alice Evans and Ella Wills

  1. PM Boris Johnson live on Breakfast

    The prime minister is on air with BBC Breakfast.

    It is the first of the programme's interviews with party leaders as the campaign becomes dominated by more spending pledges.

  2. Do political parties still matter?

    You don't need to be a member of a political party to stand for election. So why are most candidates representing a party, and do they still matter in today's fragmented politics?

    Find out the answers in our video explainer.

  3. Lib Dems pledge £100bn to climate action

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Ed DaveyGetty Images

    The Liberal Democrats are pledging to spend an extra £100bn over the next five years on tackling climate change and protecting the environment.

    Ed Davey, the Lib Dem shadow chancellor and deputy leader, says the party would spend the money on clean transport, clean energy, and insulating people’s homes.

    “We’re doing this today because we believe that stopping climate change is probably even more important than stopping Brexit - it’s fundamental to what Liberal Democrats are talking about," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

    He says his party had the “probably the best record of any political party” on climate change, adding it “nearly quadrupled renewable power” when it was in a coalition government.

    “With these policies we want to make Britain the world’s first climate-friendly economy," Mr Davey adds.

    He says the party had a 10-year programme that would start with those on lower incomes to tackle fuel poverty.

    Asked about increasing borrowing to fund the measures he says: “Because we are staying in the European Union, our economy will grow... because you’ve got extra growth, we believe our debt burden will fall.”

    Read more about the Liberal Democrat £100bn climate fund pledge.

  4. Nationalising broadband will have 'very big' price tag - BT boss

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    BT OpenreachReuters

    Last night, the Labour Party made a surprise announcement that it would part-nationalise BT and offer free fibre optic broadband to everyone in the UK.

    BT's chief executive Philip Jansen has been responding on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. He says it's a "very ambitious" plan which will mean "very big numbers" in terms of government spending.

    He says it would require £30bn to £40bn of capital spending and might cost another £5bn that Openreach - the infrastructure company that the government would be taking on - normally charges to customers.

    And he says BT has a pension liability - "which we see as a responsibility" - of £60bn.

    The total bill could be "not short of £100bn", he says.

    Mr Jansen defends the money taken out of BT currently by shareholders in the form of dividends.

    "Our shareholders ultimately own the company and they provide the investment into the company," he says.

    Many of them have taken a loss as shares slid from £5 to £2 over two years, due to the risks involved in investing in faster broadband, he adds.

    Read more about Labour's pledge here.

  5. Ask Boris Johnson a question

    Boris JohnsonAFP

    Throughout the election we’re asking for the questions you want answered.

    This morning – from 9:00 GMT – we’re putting some of them directly to the prime minister in the first of a series of special programmes on 5 Live, the BBC News Channel and online.

    If you’ve got a question you can get involved via the hashtag #BBCYourQuestions, texting 85058 or emailing yourquestions@bbc.co.uk.