BBC Radio 5 Live

A heads-up. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price will take part in a special phone-in with listeners on BBC Radio 5 live from 9:00 GMT.

He's the latest leader to do so - Boris Johnson already has. Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, will do it on Friday, and Nicola Sturgeon will be there on Monday.

It's worth saying that the SNP's demands for the NHS also form part of what Nicola Sturgeon says would be the price of her support another party in the event of a hung Parliament.

By "another party" we effectively mean Labour because Nicola Sturgeon has vowed never to support a Conservative government.

The SNP says another leader "shouldn't even bother to pick up the phone" unless they are prepared to raise per-head health spending south of the border to levels seen in Scotland, which it says is currently £136 per head higher.

Doing so would see an increase of NHS spending in England of more than £35bn in resource funding in 2023/24, compared with 2019/20, the party says - which would mean an additional £4bn in Barnett consequential for the Scottish NHS.

The SNP also wants support for a second independence referendum in return for any backing.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

As part of its manifesto launch, the SNP is calling for a big increase in funding for the NHS across the UK.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Stephen Gethins, the party's foreign affairs and Europe spokesperson, is challenged over its record on health - which is a devolved issue.

Under the SNP, Scotland is only hitting two out of eight key NHS waiting times targets.

Mr Gethins acknowledges "we can always do better", but says the Scottish health service is "outperforming" the rest of the UK.

“The money we spend on public services, predominantly, still comes from Westminster and we’ve had a decade of austerity," he adds.

You can read more about the SNP's policies ahead of their manifesto launch here.

Ahead of her party's manifesto launch, a reminder that Nicola Sturgeon faced an Andrew Neil grilling the other day too.

She told him an independent Scotland would seek a way back into the EU "on a relatively quick" timescale.

BBC Reality Check looked closely at the claims she made in the interview and gave them the fact-check treatment.

The deadline to register to vote was midnight last night. Lots of people on social media - including celebrities such as footballer Raheem Sterling and singer Adele - reminded people to sign up in time.

According to the government's voter registration website,, external 660,000 people signed up yesterday.

Of them, 252,000 were under the age of 25 - while 207,000 were aged between 25 and 34.

It was the biggest spike in people registering to vote in the whole of the campaign.

It's worth noting that increase in applications is not firm evidence of an increase in the number of people able to vote - previous elections have seen voter registration applications from people who are already registered or who are below the voting age.

Jessica Parker
BBC political correspondent

For some of Jeremy Corbyn's critics, or those who are deeply concerned about allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, his failure to apologise will be, perhaps, further proof that Jeremy Corbyn has failed to take this issue seriously enough.

For his supporters, they would point to the fact that, as he says, he's been fighting racism all of his life, and, perhaps, point as well to the fact he apologised back in 2018 for the hurt caused to the Jewish community.

But no doubt it was a difficult day for Jeremy Corbyn after that intervention from the chief rabbi on the very day the party was launching its race and faith manifesto.

Conservative candidate and minister Robert Jenrick was also asked about Islamophobia.

"We want to be a party that has no tolerance whatsoever of racism, prejudice or discrimination of any kind... that is, I believe, the way we run the party," he said.

It was put to him that the party hasn't been open about the number of allegations made and how they're dealt with.

Will this promised inquiry be open, he was asked.

“This will be a very thorough investigation led by independent individuals and the findings will be put into the public domain… we will take the steps that are required."

He insists the party does take “robust action” against those found guilty, adding “I know that individuals are expelled, one was expelled just the other day."

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Miqaad Versi, of the Muslim Council of Britain, was also asked whether he was satisfied with a Tory promise to begin an investigation into Islamophobia and other forms of prejudice within the party before the end of the year.

Mr Versi said it was important any inquiry was independent and focused.

“When there is that prevelance of Islamaphobia in the Conservative Party, it is a specific problem that needs a specific inquiry," he tells the Today programme.

Asked whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission - which investigated anti-Semitism in the Labour Party - should also investigate Islamophobia in the Tory Party, Mr Versi said: "They definitely need to look at this."

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

As well as the row over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, the Conservatives have also faced criticism over the issue of Islamaphobia.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday that any party members found guilty of Islamophobia "are out first bounce".

However, Miqaad Versi, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, denied this was the case, saying there were multiple examples of Conservative councillors and even a Tory candidate sharing Islamophobic or far-right posts online.

He said there was a "structural problem" with the issue in the Tory party which meant Islamophobia was "not only tolerated", but those found to have engaged in Islamaphobia were "secretly" let back into the party - if any action was even taken in the first place.

"There’s no transparency, the processes themselves are not clear and unfortunately people don’t have any trust in the way things happen," Mr Versi told the Today programme.

Image source, Getty Images

A huge variety of interest groups not allied to a party are sending out adverts via social media.

Campaign organisation the Open Rights Group says both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn are building profiles of voters with their personal data - and says we should all be worried about that.

Read more from our technology correspondent here.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The Conservatives have promised "to make poor mobile phone signal a thing of the past" if they win the election by finalising, in their first 100 days in office, a £1bn agreement with mobile phone operators to pool existing phone masts and build new ones.

Today presenter Mishal Hussain suggests there's really nothing new in the announcement - it was trailed in October and has been worked on for years - but minister Robert Jenrick disagrees.

He says it would be "a landmark deal, the first of its kind anywhere in the world", and it's important that people know it'll help "millions of people" and be "one of the first priorities" of a Conservative government.

Why has the commitment on full-fibre bradband for all been watered down in the Tory manifesto, he's asked. The document suggests some places may get a lower quality provision instead.

"That's not the case," he insists. "Of course, there'll be some parts of the country where you wouldn't want to lay full-fibre... it can be delivered in other ways that make more sense."

He then tries to switch the focus to what he calls Labour's "barmy broadband pledge".

Jeremy Corbyn is promising to partly nationalise BT Broadband if he wins the election.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Richard Burgon also faced questions over Labour plans to scrap a tax break for married couples when he appeared on the Today programme.

Jeremy Corbyn conceded in his interview with the BBC's Andrew Neil that the policy meant those on lower incomes could pay more tax under a future Labour government - despite previously insisting only the richest 5% of taxpayers would face tax rises.

However, Mr Burgon refused to describe abolishing the marriage allowance as a "tax rise" and reiterated that under Labour there would only be income tax rises for those in the top 5%.

"That allowance is going away but it's more than made up for in the extra funding and resources they will be getting," the shadow justice secretary told the Today programme, adding that those on lower incomes would benefit from other Labour policies such as 30 hours of free childcare for parents of two to four year olds.

As well as our overarching policy guide, we're also producing video digests on the key issues.

Check out this one on climate change.

Channel 4, of course, is holding the first televised election debate solely focusing on climate change on Thursday.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Richard Burgon was also challenged on Labour's promise to compensate some of the women who lost out as a result of changes to the pension age.

Questioned whether this should be a priority, given that some of the women affected would be relatively well-off and it could cost £58bn, Mr Burgon vigorously defended the policy.

“This amounts to theft or robbery of money that these women paid into and money that they’re entitled to," he told the Today programme.

"It’s a wrong that needs righting," he added.

You can read more on Labour's promises to the Waspi women here.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

There's been some criticism directed towards Jeremy Corbyn, after he declined to apologise to the UK Jewish community following the chief rabbi's remarks on the party's handling of anti-Semitism within its ranks.

In a BBC interview with Andrew Neil, the Labour leader was asked four times whether he would like to apologise.

However, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon defends, saying he had already apologised on a number of occasions for the "real hurt felt by people in the Jewish community".

He's pushed hard by presenter Nick Robinson, who argues that doesn't amount to an apology for getting things wrong.

But Mr Burgon insists: “Jeremy has already said that the Labour Party’s processes were wrong, they weren’t swift enough, they weren’t hard enough."

Mr Burgon adds that the Labour Party has announced a number of policies aiming to "rebuild trust with the Jewish community", including making anti-Semitism awareness part of the school curriculum.

BBC Breakfast

Leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price is talking about his experiences of being gay.

"I came out to my mother Christmas Day when I was 25. Growing up in the 1980s, Section 28... it was a very challenging time," he says.

But he says thing have improved and he can sit on the Breakfast sofa now as an openly gay man and political leader.

"It shows that even in these dark times there is progress, it does get better. So don't lose hope.

"I'm here, hopefully, as a symbol of that. We can change the whole of society so it becomes more welcoming and includive."

Mr Price says he personally has received "very little" homophobic abuse, but he worries that "hate of all kinds" is on the rise, adding: "We have to be vigilant."

With the SNP set to launch its manifesto today there'll be more work for the team behind our election policy guide.

It brings together all the parties' main policies and helps you work out what matters to you.

Go on, give it a read.

As well as the row over anti-Semitism and the Labour Party, the Muslim Council of Britain accused the Conservative Party of "denial, dismissal and deceit" over Islamophobia.

Conservative leader Boris Johnson said party members guilty of Islamophobia "are out first bounce", but the council said it believed the Tories had "a blind spot" on the issue.

If you need a quick recap, the BBC's Nick Eardley has a summary of the key developments from Tuesday.

Here's a quick look at the main stories this morning:

• Nicola Sturgeon is launching the SNP’s election manifesto later, with a promise that a vote for her party would be a vote to "escape Brexit and put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands". She’s also calling for a big increase in funding for the NHS across the UK. Read the full story here.
• Meanwhile, the fall-out continues from the chief rabbi's extraordinary intervention in the campaign, criticising Labour and its leader. Read our political editor's analysis here.
• Jeremy Corbyn was also pressed by the BBC's Andrew Neil last night over his party's claim that only the richest 5% of taxpayers would face tax rises under a Labour government. He admitted those on lower incomes could pay more under a plan to scrap a tax break for married couples - but argued those affected would benefit from a higher living wage. Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

Hello and welcome back to another day of all things election.

The main event today is the SNP manifesto launch, where leader Nicola Sturgeon will set out her party's policies - and accuse Boris Johnson of being “dangerous and unfit for office”.

We’ll also bring you more reaction to Jeremy Corbyn’s interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil, with the fall-out occupying most of the front pages this morning.

In the interview, the Labour leader was asked four times whether he would like to apologise to the UK Jewish community after the chiefrabbi’s criticism of how his party deals with anti-Semitism.

However, he declined to do so, instead saying a Labour government would protect "every community against the abuse they receive".

Stick with us for the latest updates.