Summary

  • Voters aged under 30 question top politicians on issues that matter to them, in a Question Time special on BBC One

  • Robert Jenrick (Con), Angela Rayner (Lab), Humza Yousaf (SNP), Jo Swinson (Lib Dem), Adam Price (Plaid Cymru), Jonathan Bartley (Green) and Nigel Farage (Brexit) made up the panel

  • Boris Johnson is criticised for initially refusing to look at an image of a sick child on the floor of an overcrowded hospital

  • Health Secretary Matt Hancock later visits the Leeds hospital to speak to management about the case

  • Mr Johnson also says the possible abolition of the BBC licence fee needs 'looking at'

  • Labour promises to 'end austerity' as John McDonnell sets out what it would do in its first 100 days in government

  • Jo Swinson defends her stance on extending transgender rights as she takes questions from BBC listeners and viewers

  • The BBC has been hearing from people in Crewe about their key issues - especially undecided voters

  • UK voters go to the polls on Thursday

  1. Watch: Price - Brexit will 'rip heart' from Welsh economypublished at 21:15 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

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  2. Watch: Swinson on Brexitpublished at 21:14 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

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  3. Price: Opinion polls show a shift over Brexitpublished at 21:09 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Adam Price

    Plaid Cymru's Adam Price - whose party wants another referendum - is challenged by Emma Barnett over Brexit. She asks what evidence he has that people have changed their minds, especially in Wales, which voted to leave.

    "The opinion polls show a shift," he replies. "But the only way to test it is to have that confirmatory referendum."

    Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson responds to Nigel Farage, who says he can't support the PM's Brexit plan.

    Ms Swinson - who wants to stop Brexit - says: "The Brexiteers can't even agree among themselves... that's why the specific deal needs to go back to the people."

  4. Swinson: I'm pro-Europe... I won't change my beliefspublished at 21:05 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Jo Swinson

    We're still on the second question which is on Brexit - specifically, how can it be democratic to have a second referendum on EU membership before implementing the result of the first?

    Jo Swinson, the leader of the Lib Dems - whose anti-Brexit party wants another referendum - says she wants to stop Brexit and is "not going to apologise for that".

    Pressed on whether it's anti-democratic, she says: "I'm pro-European... I'm not going to change my beliefs."

    "What's the point of a second referendum if you'll always to ignore the result?" the Tories' Robert Jenrick interjects.

    "You're saying I ignore the result which is just not true," she replies. "I answered a question - will I suddenly change my belief - and no I won't."

    Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage - whose party is strongly for Brexit - also interrupts Ms Swinson to say that these arguments about the benefits or disadvantages Brexit were heard during the referendum.

    He accuses the Lib Dems of breaking their word, saying former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown promised to respect the result.

    "We've got five parties who have broken their promise," he says.

  5. Poverty in figurespublished at 21:01 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Reality Check

    Labour's Angela Rayner said 4 million children are living in poverty.

    We don’t have a single measure of poverty but it's true to say there are around four million children living in relative low-income households, and this has increased slightly in the last few years.

    This is a government measure which refers to people with incomes below 60% of the median income in a given year. The median income is the one where half of people earn more and half earn less.

    chart showing how much you have to earn to be considered poor in different family sizes
  6. How is a second referendum democratic?published at 20:56 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Emma Barnett in the Question Time studio
    Image caption,

    Emma Barnett is hosting the debate - and all of the audience are aged under 30

    It's the second question and it's on Brexit - that didn't take long.

    Audience member Michael Wigram asks: "How can it be democratic to have a second referendum on EU membership before implementing the result of the first?"

    Labour’s shadow education secretary Angela Rayner - whose party is pledging another referendum on whether the UK should leave the EU - is pressed on whether Labour is the party of Remain or Leave.

    She says it's "frustrating" when people think Labour's trying to stop Brexit - saying they have tried to work with the government over it.

    Pressed on how she will vote, she says she wants to see what deal they get.

    "It has to be a deal that doesn't put jobs and the economy at risk in my constituency."

    Meanwhile, the Tories’ housing secretary Robert Jenrick - says it is "absolutely essential" to carry out the result of the vote.

    He's challenged by host Emma Barnett to take some responsibility for the Tories "creating chaos and mess" when trying to deliver Brexit over the last few years.

    "I wish we had managed to get Brexit done a long time ago," he says. "I voted on every opportunity to get a deal done...we weren't able to do that."

    Do you take any responsibility? "No," he replies quickly, before saying Parliament has blocked Brexit.

  7. BBC Reality Check: Angela Rayner on povertypublished at 20:54 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Reality Check

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  8. Swinson: Safe seats prove voting system is 'broken'published at 20:52 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Jo Swinson

    Jo Swinson says she’d “love” to have a system where people don’t feel like they have to vote tactically – and can instead vote for people whose policies they really believe in.

    She says the very concept of a safe seat – where candidates from a particular party are voted in again and again, is “fundamentally a broken part of our politics”.

    Moving on slightly from electoral reform – one audience member says hardly anyone on the panel actually listens to voters.

    Off the back of that, Barnett accuses Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price of ignoring the electorate – he’s a pro-Remain politician but Wales voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU.

    Mr Price says he respects people who disagree but that he does not believe Brexit is good for Wales.

  9. BBC Reality Check on Nigel Farage's commentspublished at 20:51 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Reality Check

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  10. How much will this debate focus on Brexit?published at 20:50 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Sean Curran
    Parliamentary correspondent

    It’s taken a quarter of an hour but we’ve now had the first mention of Brexit.

    It will be interesting to see how much of this debate is devoted to the issue that prompted this election.

  11. Rayner: 'Poverty is priority'published at 20:48 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Rayner

    Labour's Angela Rayner is pressed over her party's pledge to abolish the House of Lords.

    She says "we will do it" and Labour is committed to electoral reform - but "our priority will be to deal with the poverty in our streets".

    The SNP's Humza Yousaf says the SNP also supports the abolition of the House of Lords, and proportional representation.

    "We believe in a proportional system," he says, saying Scotland has a hybrid proportional system.

  12. Electoral reform question kicks off debatepublished at 20:43 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Emma Barnett
    Image caption,

    Emma Barnett is hosting the programme tonight

    Audience member Catrin Ellis asks: "How can my voice be heard when I live in a safe seat constituency, so my vote won't change it?"

    The Conservatives' housing secretary Robert Jenrick says people should vote because "generations have fought for the right", adding that this election "feels like the most important election in my lifetime".

    The Conservative Party is the only party without any plans for some kind of electoral reform.

    Pitching in, Green Party leader Jonathan Bartley says: "We've never had a vote in this country on a proportional system. If we've seen anything with the paralysis in Parliament over the last three years, it's that we've got a broken system."

    Host Emma Barnett puts it to Mr Bartley that he's playing the current system by forming pacts with, for example, the Liberal Democrats. But Mr Bartley says he believes in a "fairer system".

    The question is then turned to Brexit Party co-leader Nigel Farage.

    He began the campaign saying members of the Brexit Party would stand in every seat but later he decided to stand candidates down in Tory-held 317 seats.

    Barnett asks: "Did you bottle it?"

    He denies that, saying: "I didn't want Jo Swinson to get a lot of seats."

    And Mr Bartley jumps in accusing Mr Farage of taking a salary as an MEP despite the fact he does not want to be part of the EU.

  13. Voting reform is first questionpublished at 20:36 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

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  14. Question Time special a chance to reach outpublished at 20:31 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Sean Curran
    Parliamentary correspondent

    Election day is almost within touching distance but today’s events have illustrated that there’s plenty of life left in this campaign.

    Tonight’s special edition of Question Time is a chance for the seven main parties to reach out to younger voters.

    They’re often overlooked in election campaigns, traditionally, political parties have concentrated on baby boomers, not least because they are more likely to vote.

    During the 2017 election, age emerged as one of the great dividing lines in UK politics. This campaign began with a big push to get young people registered to vote in time for Thursday’s election.

    Over the next 90 minutes their concerns will get a very public airing.

  15. BBC Question Time under-30s special about to startpublished at 20:23 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Emma Barnett

    We're poised and ready to watch the BBC Question Time debate, starting at 20:30 GMT.

    The under-30s special, which is taking place in York, will last for 90 minutes.

    It's being broadcast on BBC One but we'll bring you all the best bits on here, too.

    On the panel will be:

    • Conservatives: Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick
    • Labour: Shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner
    • Liberal Democrats: Leader, Jo Swinson
    • SNP: Humza Yousaf, Justice Secretary in the Scottish government
    • Plaid Cymru: Leader, Adam Price
    • Green Party: Co-leader, Jonathan Bartley
    • Brexit Party: Leader, Nigel Farage
  16. Johnson flies twice in a day in final push for votespublished at 20:21 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Boris JohnsonImage source, Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images

    The prime minister has taken two flights today to squeeze in as many stops as possible in the final days of the campaign.

    He started the day in Grimbsy Fish Market, Lincolnshire, before flying from Doncaster to Teesside airport.

    From Teesside, Mr Johnson took a 30-minute flight to get to a Gloucestershire rally this evening.

  17. Facebook paying for ad with anti-fake news grouppublished at 20:15 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Our tech correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, has noted that Facebook is paying for an advert for the fact-checking website Full Fact, encouraging social media users to spot fake news.

    Facebook has previously made clear that politicians and political parties' claims would be exempt from its fact-checking scheme which is designed to reduce the spread of fake news and misinformation.

    It has come under pressure over its policy and rival social media giant Twitter has banned political adverts altogether.

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  18. Brexit Party expels two members over racist commentspublished at 20:11 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    The Brexit Party has expelled a local councillor and dismissed a part-time official after they were filmed by undercover reporters making racist comments.

    The two activists were filmed by Channel 4 News during campaigning in Hartlepool where party chairman Richard Tice is standing in the election.

    In a statement, Mr Tice said the party took immediate action when they became aware of "appalling" comments, withdrawing the whip from Councillor David Mincher and dismissing party activist Gordon Parkin.

    "Both I and the Brexit Party totally condemn the hideous remarks in question in the strongest possible terms," he said.

  19. In pictures: Campaigning continues into the eveningpublished at 19:44 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    With just three days before the election, every moment of campaigning matters - which is why the parties aren't taking a night off.

    Boris Johnson is on his way to a party rally, Jeremy Corbyn is speaking to crowds in Worcester and Nicola Sturgeon is at a miners club near Glasgow.

    Britain"s Prime Minister and Conservative party leader Boris JohnsonImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Tory leader Boris Johnson talks with journalists on an aeroplane bound for Birmingham

    SNP leader and Scotland"s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (centre) attends an SNP general election campaign event at Blantyre Miners Club in Blantyre, south east of GlasgowImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon visits a Christmas-themed campaign event at Blantyre Miners Club

    Britain"s opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during a general election campaign event in Worcester, south west EnglandImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks to crowds in Worcester on Monday evening

  20. Follow election night on the BBCpublished at 19:22 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    BBC election coverage

    There's three days to go until election night - but how to follow the coverage? Here's what the BBC has planned:

    • Watch the election night special with Huw Edwards from 21:55 GMT on BBC One, the BBC News Channel, or iPlayer
    • As polls close at 22:00, the BBC will publish an exit poll across all its platforms, including @bbcbreaking, external and @bbcpolitics , external
    • The BBC News website and app will bring you live coverage and the latest analysis throughout the night
    • We will feature results for every constituency as they come in, with a postcode search, map and scoreboards
    • Follow @bbcelection, external for every constituency result
    • From 21:45 GMT, Jim Naughtie and Emma Barnett will host live election night coverage on BBC Radio 4, with BBC Radio 5 live joining for a simulcast from midnight