Summary

  • Labour launches its election manifesto - entitled "It's Time For Real Change"

  • It includes a windfall tax on oil companies, as part of plans for a low carbon, green economy

  • Other policies include a pledge to build 100,000 new council homes a year by 2024

  • The party also set out its plans for another Brexit referendum and more cash for the NHS

  • Meanwhile, the Conservatives pledge to deliver a million homes over five years - and help first-time buyers

  • The Conservatives will also promise an extra £1bn a year for social care in their manifesto, party sources say

  • The Lib Dems' campaigning looked at the implications of Brexit for the creative industries

  1. Watch: Why are constituencies strange shapes?published at 17:49 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Media caption,

    Ever wondered why constituencies are the shape they are?

    From a "doughnut" to small and large sizes, constituency design is based on a number of factors.

    Why are constituencies such strange shapes?

    From a "doughnut" to small and large sizes, constituency design is based on a number of factors.

    Read More
  2. Chakrabarti: Fairy tale of trickle-down economicspublished at 17:47 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Radio 4 PM

    Shami ChakrabartiImage source, Reuters

    Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti has defended Labour's plans to ask "the rich" to pay more under a Jeremy Corbyn government to help fund the party's manifesto proposals.

    Labour's manifesto pledges would add £83bn to annual government spending by 2024.

    Ms Chakrabarti says people who earn less than £80,000 a year will not face a tax hike.

    "Most people who do earn less than £80,000 - and even some who earn a bit more - will understand the value of that more equitable distribution of wealth and power, and I believe it is in everyone’s interests," she says.

    She adds that the levels of inequality in the UK and the levels of under-investment in infrastructure are "really bad for business".

    "This fairy tale of trickle-down economics is actually trickle-up," she says. "The super-rich have so much money that it does not trickle down, they hoard it.

    "It’s poorer people who spend a bigger proportion of their money on products, services, shelter and food."

  3. 'Offer still stands': More on Channel 4 debate cancellationpublished at 17:45 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who was due to host a debate between party leaders on Sunday, says it's been cancelled because talks with Boris Johnson fell through.

    "Offer still stands," he adds.

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  4. Not going to vote?published at 17:44 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Here's what influence you could have...

    Students sitting on a wallImage source, Getty Images

    Not going to vote? You're not alone. The reasons vary - cynicism, feeling powerless, feeling uninformed - but across the UK, almost a third of the electorate didn't use their right to choose their MP in the last few elections.

    But if you think your vote doesn't matter, you could be wrong.

    Take Boris Johnson's constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, for example: 23,716 people voted for him in 2017, giving him a majority of 5,034.

    However, 22,798 voters on the electoral register didn't turn out at all. That means he has a theoretical majority of just 918 over those who didn't vote.

    Read our piece on what could happen if all the non-voters actually voted.

  5. The digital ad battle in Scotlandpublished at 17:42 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    The online campaign in Scotland is heating up, with all the major political parties seemingly developing strategies for Facebook advertising.

    Marc Ellison & Philip Sim, data journalists with BBC Scotland, looked into this issue and these are some of their insights.

    • The SNP, Conservatives and Lib Dems are all using the big constitutional issues of independence and Brexit in their messaging, while Scottish Labour is focusing more on local issues.
    • Ads aren't coming from the parties' national Facebook pages. Instead they are being promoted by the Scottish Conservatives party page in the case of the Tories, and at a constituency level when it comes to the SNP and Lib Dems.
    • Parties are also employing the use of targeting in their ads. Scottish Labour is focusing on younger voters, while none of the ads by the main Scottish Conservative's page have been shown to anyone under the age of 35, and two have been displayed exclusively to those over 45.

    You can read the full piece here.

  6. Does Johnson have a full plan for social care?published at 17:39 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    The Tories have pledged an extra £1bn per year for social care and said reform of the system should be decided on a cross-party basis

    Nick Eardley
    Political correspondent

    Boris Johnson has rubbished Labour's manifesto saying it's too expensive, there's no way that the party can possibly pay for it

    But the Conservatives are pledging quite a lot too. They don't want to be left behind in this race to attract voters with punter-friendly ideas.

    So Mr Johnson was talking about housing today - a million new homes - and he's also talking about social care. How to put more money in the social care sector and how to solve the problem that's been going on for years.

    But it's interesting because that cross-party initiative that he's talking about sounds radically different to what he was talking about when he took over as prime minister.

    Let me remind you of what he said when he took over No 10: "We will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared to give every old person the dignity and security they deserve."

    Sounds to me a bit like that idea of a cross-party initiative to try and find some consensus means we're not going to get a full plan from the prime minister when he launches his manifesto in the next few days.

    And it might be a while before that cross-party initiative came up with anything, if it does come up with anything at all.

  7. Proposals to be tested in Friday's Question Time specialpublished at 17:34 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Labour unveiled its manifesto today and its proposals, along with those of the Conservatives, Lib Dems and SNP, will be tested at the BBC Question Time leaders' special tomorrow.

    The BBC is hosting a series of special programmes during this election.

    • 22 November: A Question Time Leaders' Special at 19:00 GMT, hosted by Fiona Bruce. Conservative, Labour, SNP and the Lib Dem party leaders will take questions from the audience
    • 29 November: A live debate from 19:00 with figures from the seven major political parties in the UK - Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, Scottish National Party (SNP), Greens, Plaid Cymru and the Brexit Party
    • 6 December: A live head-to-head debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn. This will be hosted by Today presenter and former BBC political editor Nick Robinson from 20:30
    • 9 December: Emma Barnett will host a Question Time Under 30 special, focused on an audience made up of young voters. It will be broadcast from 20:30 GMT
  8. Channel 4 cancels election debatepublished at 17:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    The commissioning editor for Channel 4 Dispatches says Boris Johnson refused to take part.

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  9. Analysis: Labour plans to replace Universal Credit - but what with?published at 17:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Alison Holt
    Social affairs correspondent

    Labour's plan to scrap Universal Credit deals with its immediate concerns about the much-criticised benefit. However, it does not say what it would replace it with.

    Universal Credit was originally introduced to tackle the complexity and unfairness of the existing benefits system. But many of the accompanying changes became linked to austerity measures like benefit caps.

    Going back to the system which Universal Credit replaced would create its own problems. And its introduction shows just how difficult it can be to devise a new system that works.

    Labour has said it will start work on ideas for a new system immediately, but getting that right is likely to take years.

    Read more here: Labour Party manifesto - key policies explained

  10. Could Labour build 100,000 council houses a year?published at 17:22 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Reality Check

    Building siteImage source, Getty Images

    Labour's manifesto includes a pledge to be building 100,000 council houses and at least 50,000 affordable homes through housing associations a year by the end of the Parliament.

    Housing is devolved, so the party is talking about England only.

    This is a properly large number of homes to be building.

    To put it into context, a combination of council housing, housing associations and the private sector has managed to produce more than 150,000 dwellings in total for only two of the past 10 years.

    The last year in which more than 100,000 council houses were built in England was 1977.

    So how feasible is Labour's plan? Read our Reality Check piece here.

  11. 'People reckon this election is genuine junction'published at 17:21 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Our political editor shares the results of a poll, gathered by Ipsos Mori, recording the percentage of people who consider this election is important "to me personally".

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  12. Analysis: Labour's ambitious housebuilding planspublished at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Kevin Peachey
    Personal finance reporter

    Row of housesImage source, Getty Images

    Analysis of the Labour manifesto.

    Labour's promise to build 100,000 council homes and 50,000 housing association properties a year by the end of the five-year Parliament marks a rapid change. Building on this scale has not been seen for 40 years.

    The UK's population is getting older and one in five people has a disability, so the type of homes proposed will face close scrutiny.

    There are also questions over the availability of construction workers to build them.

    A £1bn fire safety fund is planned with the aim of protecting these homes - and existing social housing - from a disaster like Grenfell Tower.

    More people have rented from private landlords than social ones since 2013. Many are aged under 35.

    For them, rent controls would aim to keep down costs by linking rent rises to inflation (the cost of living) and giving city authorities the power to be even stricter. This will reignite debate over their effectiveness.

    The plan for a Department for Housing shows how central this area is to Labour's key policies.

    Read more: Labour and Tories push housing policies

  13. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe mentioned in Labour manifestopublished at 16:59 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Tulip Siddiq, the Labour candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn, welcomes the mention of her constituent, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, in the party's manifesto.

    The case of British-Iranian national Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe - who is in jail in Iran after being convicted of spying, which she denies - has been widely covered in the media.

    The party's manifesto says:, external "We have a duty to stand up for the security and sovereignty of our overseas territories, including the Falklands, and for the rights of our citizens and dual nationals abroad, and will continue fighting for justice on behalf of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other British nationals wrongly imprisoned or suffering mistreatment in captivity abroad."

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  14. In pictures: Day 16 of the election campaignpublished at 16:56 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn during the launch of his party's manifesto in BirminghamImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Party leader Jeremy Corbyn launching Labour's manifesto on Thursday

    Jeremy Corbyn"s son Thomas Corbyn (centre) with Stan Collymore (right)Image source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Mr Corbyn's son, Thomas, and former footballer Stan Collymore at the manifesto launch

    Laura Alvarez listens as her husband, Jeremy Corbyn, speaksImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Mexican human rights lawyer and fair trade coffee importer Laura Alvarez watches her husband, Mr Corbyn, speak

    Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn joins supporters after speaking at an election campaign event in Dudley, West MidlandsImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    After launching Labour's manifesto, the Labour leader headed to a campaign event in Dudley

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) during a visit to David Wilson Homes in BedfordImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Meanwhile, on the campaign trail in Bedford, Boris Johnson helped lay some bricks

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson (centre) during a visit to David Wilson Homes in BedfordImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    The Conservatives have not yet launched their manifesto - although it is rumoured to be coming on Sunday

  15. Who has been donating to political parties?published at 16:50 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Here's some more on the Electoral Commission figures we told you about earlier, which revealed how much each party received in donations in the first week of the official election campaign.

    The report only includes donations of over £7,500.

    For the Conservatives, 47% of their £5.7m worth of donations came from individuals, with the rest coming from companies.

    Among the notable Tory donations were:

    The biggest donation to Labour was £62,000 from Unite - 70% of their donations came from unions.

    The party also received £10,000 from Harold Immanuel, who stood against Labour in the Brent East parliamentary by-election in 2003.

    And the same amount was donated by Catherine McLeod, a former special adviser to Alistair Darling when he was chancellor.

    The biggest Lib Dem donation was £75,000 from Attestor Services.

    Read our full story here.

  16. Watch: Johnson says Labour plans 'not credible'published at 16:45 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    On a visit to a housing development in Bedford this afternoon, Boris Johnson gave his reaction to Labour's manifesto, saying that "none of this has any economic credibility".

    Media caption,

    Boris Johnson reacts to Labour manifesto: 'No economic credibility'

  17. Corbyn heckled in Dudleypublished at 16:39 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    Jeremy Corbyn being escorted into a Dudley Pensioners' club by policeImage source, PA Media

    We've been hearing what Jeremy Corbyn said in a speech at Upper Gornal Pensioners Club near Dudley, but before entering he was heckled by a small group of men.

    The group, who had been warned over their behaviour by plain-clothed police, shouted "scum" repeatedly.

    The Labour leader was escorted into the building by the police to speak to his supporters in the marginal constituency.

  18. Greenpeace: Labour manifesto takes climate emergency seriouslypublished at 16:31 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    GreenpeaceImage source, Reuters

    Greenpeace is backing much of Labour's manifesto, saying it takes the climate emergency "seriously".

    Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, says: "It's great to see Labour prioritising vital additional government investment to transform every sector of the economy, bringing with it enormous opportunities to address social inequality, poverty and poor public health.

    "The vision for public transport, walking and cycling is also progressive, recognising that we need to look beyond private vehicle ownership to ensure a cleaner transport sector that benefits all."

    But Ms Newsom says the document "stops short of getting full marks at this stage".

    She adds: "Its policy for tackling exploding aviation emissions is not fit for purpose, and the commitments on plastic pollution and waste don't go far enough.

    "All new runways, including at Heathrow, must be unequivocally stopped, we need progressive policies like a Frequent Flyer Levy to fairly contain demand growth of flying, and there must be a commitment to radically reduce the use of single-use plastic.

    "We hope to hear more from Labour on these issues as the campaign trail goes on."

  19. Only five days left to register to votepublished at 16:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 November 2019

    There are only five days left to register to vote (and only three weeks until the election).

    Anyone on the electoral register aged 18 or above on polling day can vote.

    According to recent reports by the electoral commission, one in four black and Asian people are not registered to vote, external as well as one in three young people, external overall.

    You can get all the details on registering to vote here.