Summary

  • Nicola Sturgeon said that, based on talks she had already had, she believes that if Scotland achieved independence, it could re-enter the EU relatively quickly

  • The SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was the first party leader interviewed in a series of prime-time BBC One interviews by Andrew Neil

  • Boris Johnson spent the day in Wales, campaigning - and shearing sheep - at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair

  • Labour promised to introduce annual property "MOT" for private tenants in England

  • Jeremy Corbyn also insisted his £58bn pledge to compensate the Waspi women was "a moral debt we owe"

  • Nicky Morgan insisted Tory pledges on social care do amount to "a clear plan" despite criticism

  • Lib Dems talked defence and international aid - and attacked Boris Johnson's ties with Donald Trump

  • Former Prime Minister Tony Blair accuses both Labour and the Conservatives of offering "fantasies" in their general election manifestos

  1. Corbyn on Waspi promisepublished at 11:26 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Jeremy Corbyn meets campaigners in DerbyshireImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Jeremy Corbyn meets campaigners in Derbyshire

    Here's a bit more from Jeremy Corbyn on Labour's pledge of compensation for women who lost out on years of state pension payments when their retirement age was raised.

    Asked if the proposal, which may cost £58bn, means going against promises on borrowing only for investment, Mr Corbyn said: "It's a moral debt we owe to these women and, had the court case gone the other way, or another court case goes against the government, the government would have to pay, the government is obliged to pay.

    "What we're saying is we will pay it."

    The court case he is referring to is from October, when a group of campaigners lost a legal battle against the government over its handling of the issue.

  2. Latest headlinespublished at 11:16 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    What has happened so far today?

    Time for a coffee break, and a chance to catch up on what's been making the headlines this morning:

    • Labour are giving more details about their offering for renters in England. John Healey says their proposals wouldn't overcomplicate the system, but would stop "rogue landlords" from flourishing
    • Jeremy Corbyn addresses a group of the women affected by pension changes - known as Waspi women - saying their plight is the "moral responsibility" of the whole country. Labour yesterday made a £58bn pledge to compensate those affected. Read more about the Waspi issue here
    • But Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan, by contrast, says there isn't the money available to give the Waspi women what they want. She also says achieving a trade deal between the UK and the EU before the end if 2020 is possible. Our political editor points out there's considerable scepticism, to say the least, about that timetable
    • The inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, accuses the Conservatives of spreading misinformation. He describes the renaming of a Tory Twitter account as a fact checking body as "impersonation" - but senior Tory Brandon Lewis defends the move
    • Also making headlines is former Labour PM Tony Blair, who told an audience in London a Labour majority in the election would "pose a risk" to the UK
    • Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats' Chuka Umunna is giving a speech on foreign affairs. He is expected to warn that Boris Johnson will become Donald Trump's "poodle" if the Tories win the election and take the UK out of the EU

  3. Watch: Cabinet minister challenged on social carepublished at 11:12 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

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  4. Pro-yes majority in 2021 'mandate for indyref2', say Scottish Labour leaderpublished at 11:06 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Richard Leonard

    Labour would not block indyref2 if pro-independence parties win a majority at the next Holyrood election, according to Scottish leader Richard Leonard.

    However, he also said he still opposed breaking up the UK.

    During the BBC Question Time leaders' special on Friday, Jeremy Corbyn said he wouldn't allow a second independence referendum in the "early years" of a Labour administration - at least two years, in his words.

    Read more on Mr Leonard's comments.

  5. Johnson will be Trump's 'poodle', says Umunnapublished at 10:56 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Chuka UmunnaImage source, Getty Images

    Boris Johnson will become Donald Trump's "poodle" if the Tories win the election and take the UK out of the EU, the Liberal Democrats' Chuka Umunna will warn later this morning.

    The party's foreign affairs spokesman is expected to use a speech in Watford to claim the Tory leader is "following the Trump playbook" and has become part of "this global network of populist, right wing, authoritarian nationalists".

    "Not only will we cease to be that important bridge between the EU and the US but by withdrawing from the European Union, inevitably Johnson will become more reliant on Trump in the short term if he is re-elected," Mr Umunna is expected to say.

    "Johnson is desperate to secure a US trade deal to make up for the damage done to our global standing if Brexit happens."

    "From my own contacts with the US government, it is clear a high price will be demanded and close alignment with US rules and regulation demanded - we risk becoming a vassal state of the US if Boris Johnson gets a majority.

    "Leave the EU and the UK under Johnson will become President Trump's poodle. That is what is at stake at this election."

    Labour has also made much of what it says is the threat to the UK - and especially the NHS - posed by President Trump and Boris Johnson working together. The Conservatives insist the NHS will not be "on the table" in any negotiations with Washington.

    Our Reality Check team has looked at the issue of the NHS and a US-UK trade deal here.

  6. Where are the seats that could turn the election?published at 10:49 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Map

    Earlier we heard from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is touring some of the key marginal seats in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire this morning.

    As ever, much of the focus for the parties is on marginal constituencies - places where the winning majority in 2017 was small.

    So which are the battlegrounds which could make the difference? Read our analysis here on which seats could turn the election.

  7. Tories 'to take advice on ending free movement'published at 10:46 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    The Conservative Party will take advice on whether ending free movement will lead to staff shortages in the social care sector, Home Office minister Brandon Lewis said earlier.

    When Boris Johnson entered Number 10, he said he had a "clear plan" to "fix social care once and for all", but the Conservative Party manifesto does not contain a new strategy for the sector.

    The manifesto instead says the party will strive for cross-party consensus on the issue and pledges an extra £1bn per year for social care in England over five years.

    Asked whether ending freedom of movement after the UK leaves the EU will lead to staff shortages in the social care sector, Mr Lewis said: "We've commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee... they'll be reporting back very very soon.

    "And they will be advising government about what we need to make sure our economy has access to skills that it needs.

    "So government will ultimately make the decision around that points based system but it will be based on advice from an independent body."

    He later added: "We do need to do more work here in the UK to encourage people in the UK to take up some of these phenomenal careers. Social care is an amazing career."

    Keeping to the Conservative line, he said he didn't believe anyone should have to sell their home to pay for care.

  8. Kuenssberg: Blair comments about Labour 'remarkable'published at 10:45 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Tony BlairImage source, Reuters

    Earlier, we heard former Labour PM Tony Blair arguing that a hung Parliament might be the best outcome at the election.

    Reacting to his comments, the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg says: "I know politics has gone haywire in last few years, but it’s still pretty remarkable to hear a former prime minister argue against his own party being voted into power with a majority.

    "I wonder if John Major (former Tory PM) will make a similar intervention - he’s shown massive disapproval of Boris Johnson too, on the other side."

  9. Our Europe editor's view on a speedy trade dealpublished at 10:30 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    The BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler looked closely just a few days ago at the issue of how quickly a UK-EU trade deal could be struck.

    The best thing is to read her piece in full here, but a summary of sorts...

    She says Brussels is preparing to offer Boris Johnson a quick free trade agreement should he win the election, but it would come with the utmost levels of EU regulation bells and whistles attached.

    Mr Johnson will certainly try to negotiate those EU demands away, but that will take time.

    Right now, Katya adds, Boris Johnson insists he won't extend transition beyond December next year, but the EU has seen him break his political pledges before - and - thinks he'll have to again.

  10. Corbyn: Country needs to accept responsibility for Waspi issuepublished at 10:20 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Jeremy Corbyn

    We've been hearing a lot this morning about the Waspi women - those who lost out on years of state pension payments when their retirement age was raised.

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is currently in the East Midlands meeting a group of women who have been campaigning for compensation for those affected. Yesterday,Labour promised a payout to more than three million women - costing £58bn.

    Addressing them, he says their campaign has helped the country understand "the injustice which has been done to you and the need for the country as a whole to accept the moral responsibility."

    He says the way some people have suffered is “heartbreaking” and he is disappointed it has taken “so long" to get to this position.

    “I think you should celebrate your success in convincing a lot of people of the importance of this change. I will do absolutely everything I can to make sure we win the election in order to put that pledge into practice."

    The Tories, by contrast, say there isn't the money available to give the Waspi women what they want.

    Read more from BBC Reality Check on the whole issue.

  11. Minister responds to Tory misinformation claimspublished at 10:12 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Brandon LewisImage source, PA

    Home Office minister Brandon Lewis earlier responded to claims the Conservative Party was spreading misinformation during the election campaign.

    The inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, called the renaming of a Tory Twitter account as a fact checking body "impersonation".

    But Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It was always very clear, the tag was @CCHQPress, it linked through to the Conservative website and I do think it was right for the party to highlight anything that was said that was wrong misleading or a lie from the Labour Party."

    The minister was also asked about a Conservative Party Twitter video that appeared to be edited in order to make Labour's Sir Keir Starmer seem unable to answer a question on Brexit.

    Mr Lewis responds saying the Labour Party had a "ridiculous" position on Brexit.

  12. Morgan on 'second part' of Brexitpublished at 10:10 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    As our political editor Laura Kuenssberg pointed out earlier - and Tony Blair mentioned too - Brexit is about more than just implementing the withdrawal agreement. Part two is to negotiate a trade deal between the UK and EU.

    During her interviews this morning, it was put to Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan that therefore it's incorrect for the Tories to say they can "get Brexit done" by January because there's a lot more to it.

    Ms Morgan certainly agreed it was "correct" that Brexit would continue to be a key issue after that date.

    "I think a lot of people actually want to see the first big step, which is for the UK to leave the EU as they voted for..." she said.

    "But the second part is obviously building that new relationship with our friends and allies in the EU, but also with other countries around the world through trade agreements."

  13. Blair 'understands' people choosing Lib Demspublished at 09:57 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Tony Blair

    Here's a bit more from Tony Blair, who says he will vote Labour because he "has to", citing his position as a former party leader, but he “understands” why people in his constituency may vote for the Lib Dems.

    “I’ve got to vote Labour. There’s a big debate coming in the Labour Party," he tells Reuters.

    But he adds: “If we had a moderate centre-left leader of the Labour Party right now we would not be in the current position we are."

    Mr Blair's former spin doctor, Alastair Campbell, voted Lib Dem at the European elections in May and was expelled by Labour for doing so.

    The ex-PM was pushed to say if he would do the same, but as one political commentator, the Independent's John Rentoul, put it, , externalMr Blair seems to be implying it's "different for him because he wants to be part of the fight for the Corbyn succession".

    Tony Blair went on to say it looks like, if the polls are right, there will be a Conservative majority after 12 December, but he says the Tories are “peddling a fantasy” on Brexit.

    “They are pretending that when Brexit is technically done, namely we leave the EU, that it's practically done and it plainly isn’t, because we’ve got the big negotiations still to come - we go into a limbo land of transition.”

    He also says there is no rationale to all the spending promises the main political parties are making, and it’s treating people “like fools” because all of it depends on what happens with Brexit.

  14. I don't think a majority for either side is a good thing - Blairpublished at 09:41 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    A bit more from Tony Blair, who's doing a Q&A now with Reuters after his speech - he argues that a hung Parliament might actually be the best outcome for the country.

    “I don't think a majority government of either side is a good thing,” the former Labour PM says.

    “We must set about the urgent task of reconstructing the sensible mainstream.”

    He described the election as "650 mini elections" in each seat across the land, with Brexit a key issue.

    Mr Blair has long been a vociferous critic of Brexit and he insisted in his speech that a no-deal exit was still a possibility.

    “Brexit isn't over on the 12th Dec or even the 31st Jan next year… this negotiation [over a UK-EU trade deal] has not chance of being concluded in that transition period.”

  15. Sir Tim Berners-Lee attacks Tories over misinformationpublished at 09:32 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Sir Tim Berners-Lee

    In other news this morning, the inventor of the World Wide Web is accusing the Conservatives of spreading misinformation during the general election campaign.

    Sir Tim Berners-Lee describes the renaming of a Tory Twitter account as a fact checking body as "impersonation".

    "That was really brazen," he tells the BBC. "It was unbelievable they would do that."

    During a live TV leaders' debate on Tuesday the Tory press office account @CCHQ was rebranded "factcheckUK".

    The renaming remained for the duration of the hour-long debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn. The Conservatives insisted "no-one will have been fooled" by the move.

    But Sir Tim says the renaming "was impersonation. Don't do that. Don't trust people who do that."

  16. Tony Blair on Labour's manifestopublished at 09:26 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Tony Blair

    Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is currently giving a speech in London.

    He says the UK is in a mess, warning that neither the Labour Party nor the Conservative Party deserve to win the general election.

    He also says the public aren't convinced either main party deserves to win this election outright.

    Labour's manifesto if implemented, he says, would amount to "a revolution".

    It includes "virtually every demand that any pressure group has ever submitted chucked in for good measure".

    "The problem with revolutions is never how they begin but how they end."

  17. UK has 'basis' of trade deal with EU, says ministerpublished at 09:23 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    We heard from another senior Conservative a short time ago - Home Office minister Brandon Lewis. He was also confident about the prospect of negotiating a trade deal between the UK and EU by the 31 December 2020 deadline.

    "We already trade with the EU, we've got the basis of the deal we've already agreed, so it's a much simpler deal for us to do," Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 5 Live.

    It's worth noting that it took seven years to negotiate a trade deal between the EU and Canada.

    On the wider issue of Brexit, Mr Lewis followed the party line, blaming Parliament for the fact that the UK had not left the EU yet.

    "Parliament has dithered. We've seen all the delay, we've seen the freeze of Parliament," he added.

  18. Does rent control work?published at 09:14 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    Reality Check

    Homes to rentImage source, PA Media

    Labour's focus today is on plans to help private renters in England, including bringing in rent controls.

    But does rent control work? Our Reality Check team looked into this earlier this year, examining what happened in cities that introduced it.

    The verdict: It has been helpful for existing tenants in areas with particularly fast-rising rent, but it can be at the expense of new renters. In some places, it has also led to a shortage of supply.

    While the arguments for rent control are not overwhelming, it is possible that a well-designed policy combined with significant new homebuilding could be effective.

    Read their analysis in full.

  19. Latest headlinespublished at 09:07 Greenwich Mean Time 25 November 2019

    What has happened so far today?

    Here are the headlines following this morning's round of political interviews:

    • Labour's John Healey says Labour's plans to help private renters in England wouldn't overcomplicate the system, but would stop "rogue landlords" from flourishing
    • Nicky Morgan insists the Conservatives do have a "clear plan" to fix the social care system despite the lack of detail in their manifesto. She also says achieving a trade deal between the UK and the EU before the end if 2020 is possible. Our political editor points out there's considerable scepticism, to say the least, about that timetable...
    • Economist Sir Andrew Dilnot describes the Tory offering on social care as merely a "very vague" promise to seek a cross-party consensus on the way forward
    • Labour and the Tories have also been talking about their differing plans for Waspi women. Mr Healey called it "a priority" for Labour, who have made a £58bn pledge to compensate those affected by pension changes, but Ms Morgan says "there isn't the money" to do as the women have asked. Read more about the Waspi women's campaign here.
    • The director of think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, criticises Labour's Waspi plan, saying the policy's estimated cost is "a very, very large sum of money indeed". The IFS was pretty underwhelmed by the Tory manifesto on Sunday too