BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

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Former Conservative minister James Brokenshire defends his party's handling of Islamophobia accusations following strong criticism from the Muslim Council of Britain.

The council accuses the party of treating Muslims' concerns with "denial, dismissal and deceit" and says the issue of Islamophobia is "particularly acute" among Tories.

Mr Brokenshire tells BBC2's Politics Live that the party is committed to an independent review "by the end of this year" to ensure that it has "robust procedures".

But challenged by presenter Jo Coburn on whether the review would focus specifically on Islamophobia - as Muslim groups have demanded - he says the party wants “to make sure that we are robust in relation to all forms of hatred”.

It's not just the Labour Party that has been criticised by religious groups today. The Conservative Party has been attacked by the Muslim Council for Britain.

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Speaking at the launch of Labour's race and faith manifesto, Dawn Butler - the party's shadow women and equalities secretary - says: "We may have made mistakes, but they are not insurmountable.

"Let's give Labour a chance to change the direction of our country for the better."

Going on to quote Bob Marley, she adds: "We need to get up, stand up, stand up for our rights."

Ms Butler talks about a video of a Jewish man being harassed on the London Underground, saying it was "disgusting" and "unsettling".

A woman in a hijab intervened in the video, which was widely shared on social media. Commenting on the video, Ms Butler adds: "Being a mother of two I know what it's like to be in that situation and I would want someone to help me."

Jon Lansman, founder of the Labour-backing group Momentum, has questioned the chief rabbi’s decision to attack Labour over its handling of anti-Semitism.

He says he agrees with Ephraim Mirvis' remarks in the Times that “challenging racism is not a matter of politics, it goes well beyond that” and wherever there is evidence of it “it must be swiftly rooted out”.

However, he asks how Mr Mirvis would respond to the issues in the Tory party.

He cites comments from Boris Johnson, who compared veiled Muslim women to "letter boxes" in a newspaper column, as well as previously referring to "watermelon smiles" and "flag-waving piccaninnies".

Of the chief rabbi, Mr Lansman asks: “Did he not say ‘whoever the perpetrator, whoever the victim’? Does he not think that he, above all other Jews, has a duty to be balanced in his statements about racism? Is what he said in the Times today balanced in the context of this?”

He goes on to ask whether the chief rabbi thinks anyone is acting wrongly by preferring to vote for Labour because of their policies.

Channel 4 announced yesterday that it was devoting its leaders debate on Thursday evening to climate change.

Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon, Lib Dem Jo Swinson and the Greens' Sian Berry are all taking part.

Channel 4 said the invitation remained open to Boris Johnson and to Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party.

But the Brexit Party has now said it won't be taking part in the programme because it didn't "have faith that the broadcaster will conduct this debate in a fair and objective way".

Why is it not compulsory to vote in elections in the UK when it is in more than a dozen other countries around the world?

Let us answer...

And remember, the deadline to register to vote is tonight at midnight. Here's our guide to how to do it.

Ben Wright
BBC political correspondent

The message in Scotland isn't really focused on Brexit, but on the Conservative Party's opposition to a second independence referendum.

Of course, the majority of voters here voted to remain in the EU referendum so I don't think it's got the same emphasis by the Tory party up here as it does south of the border.

But Brexit is, of course, always on the agenda, not least after the former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Heseltine, dismissed as "nonsense" Mr Johnson's promises to get a trade deal done by the end of 2020.

There's certainly no love lost between the pair who have totally divergent views on Brexit.

Taking questions a few minutes ago at this manifesto launch, Boris Johnson said there was a tight timetable to get a new trade deal in place by the end of next year.

Many are very sceptical it can be done, considering how long these complicated trade negotiations take.

I think Lord Heseltine's intervention really puts the pressure on Boris Johnson to now explain in the remainder of this campaign how he plans to achieve that and what he wants to get.

Mr Corbyn also said of his party that Labour's "door will be open to all faith leaders".

"Chief Rabbi welcome. Archbishop of Canterbury welcome. Those from the Hindu community are all very welcome."

And he turned his attention to the difficulties faced by the Windrush generation.

"They deserve a total apology, they deserve compensation, but they also deserve to know that in future this country will never treat people like that, will never turn its back on those that have given us so much in their lives," he says.

"I'm with the Windrush generation and all that they've done for all of us."

Mr Corbyn now wraps up his speech and steps to one side to make way for Dawn Butler, shadow minister for women and equalities.

Now Jeremy Corbyn does indeed talk about anti-Semitism.

"I have to make this very clear - anti-Semitism in any way is vile and wrong," he tells those gathered.

"There is no place whatsoever for anti-Semitism in any shape or form, or in any place whatsoever, in modern Britain, and under a Labour government it will not be tolerated in any form whatsoever."

He says there is a "rapid" and "effective" system for dealing with reports of anti-Semitism iwithin Labour that is constantly under review.

He adds the party will educate people about anti-Semitism.

"An attack on a mosque, an attack on a synagogue... is not acceptable in any way."

It comes after Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis claimed the party was not doing enought to root out anti-Jewish racism and questioned Mr Corbyn's ability to lead.

In the Times, external, the rabbi said "a new poison - sanctioned from the very top - has taken root" in the party.

"Labour is a party of equality and human rights," Jeremy Corbyn is telling the audience at a launch event in Tottenham, north London.

He criticises the idea of introducing voter ID, which was suggested in the Queen's Spech in October, saying it would discourage people from voting.

He also thanks grime artist Stormzy for encouraging people to register to vote.

All of the assembled journalists are waiting to hear whether he addresses those remarks made by the chief rabbi.

Image source, Pool

After a delayed start, Jeremy Corbyn is now at the podium at a launch event for a race and faith mini-manifesto in Tottenham, north London.

He is under particular scrutiny after Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis condemned the Labour Party's handling of anti-Semitism.

The race and faith manifesto says a Labour government would:

• Change the law to make attacks on places of worship a specific aggravated offence
• Work with social media firms to combat the rise of anti-Semitism online
• Order an independent review into the threat of far-right extremism
• Review the national curriculum to ensure it teaches about racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and black history, and to continue education about the Holocaust
• Ensure coroners services meet the needs of faith communities, with “out of hours” services to ensure quick burials when required

Image source, PA Media

Mr Johnson is asked about the remarks of the chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.

"I do think it is a very serious business when a chief rabbi speaks as he does. I've never known anything like it," he tells the audience at the Scottish Tory manifesto launch.

"Clearly, it is a failure of leadership on the part of the Labour leader that he has not been able to stamp out this virus in the Labour Party."

He links that to what he calls a "general failure of leadership", namely Jeremy Corbyn's decision to take a neutral position on Brexit.

Diane Abbott continues her address by saying "random" stop-and search can prove "fatal" for relations between the police and communities.

But she says she supports stopping and searching people when it is evidence-based.

Boris Johnson is a supporter of the tactic and wants to increase its use to tackle knife crime.

Ms Abbott also says a Labour government would end the hostile environment immigration policy and bring justice for the Windrush generation.

"My mother came here on a boat in the 1950s and the way the Windrush scandal hurt her generation is something I personally will never forgive," she adds.

Diane Abbott, who was the country's first black woman MP, has taken to the stage at the Labour event in north London, with Jeremy Corbyn now at the venue.

Talking about the late Bernie Grant, a black former MP for Tottenham, she says he is "spoken about like a saint now", but was "villified" in his time.

"Just because you're vilified now, doesn't mean you're not right," she adds to applause.

The Sun's Westminster correspondent wonders about the remark...

Diane Abott also vows that if a Labour government is elected there will be more ministers from ethnic minority backgrounds than ever before.

Johnson concludes his speech by repeating a promise to make the UK "the greatest place on earth".

BBC Scotland's political editor Brian Taylor remarks to Mr Johnson that Nicola Sturgeon has nurtured "an intense loathing" for him and his policies, asking: "Is it mutual at all?"

The prime minister replies: "I'm not by nature one of those people who bears any resentments against anybody.

"Our politics has become a bit divisive. One thing that'll take a lot of acrimony away is to get Brexit done."

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Labour candiate for Slough Tan Dhesi was next up at the Labour event in north London.

In a passionate speech, he said he was proud of the Labour Party's "rich and proud and diverse history" of fighting for minorities.

He pointed out there had been no independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, despite Boris Johnson promising to hold one on national TV.

Tan Dhesi is the first turban-wearing Sikh voted into Parliament.

Our political correspondent, travelling with the PM, points out which issues he's keenest to focus on.

Scotland, of course, voted by a large margin to remain in the EU in 2016.

Back to Boris Johnson at the launch of the Scottish Conservatives' manifesto, where he gets some early applause with his remarks on another referendum on Scottish independence.

"We don't want another referendum on Scotland. We don't. Why? Because we don't want to destroy the most successful political partnership of the last 300 years."

Turning to the manifesto pledges, he says there'll be £3.1bn more funding for Scotland.

"This is a transformative manifesto in which we can unite and level up this whole United Kingdom.

"I want, as a One Nation Conservative to unleash the potential of the whole country."

He repeatedly refers to a "Corbyn/Sturgeon coalition", saying the choice at the election is between "sensible one-nation Conservatism" and "out and out socialism".

He says the "Corbyn/Surgeon coalition wants to "rip up" the Brexit deal and warns that they jointly pose a "threat" to the union.

Jokes-wise, Reuters political correspondent sees some well-trodden ground...

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We are still waiting for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to appear at the launch of his race and faith manifesto in north London.

But Labour's David Lammy is now addressing attendees.

Singers at the event earlier kept them entertained with a rendition of Tracy Chapman's Talking 'bout a Revolution.

Our political editor is watching what's going on.