Image source, BEN LACK

Further news on the image of the sick four-year-old boy sleeping on the floor of an NHS hospital because there were not enough beds.

The prime minister has come under fire for his reaction to the photo. Now the chief medical officer of the hospital trust has apologised to the boy's family.

Dr Yvette Oade said Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was "very sorry" that Jack Williment-Barr had to wait for four hours without a bed.

Dr Oade said the children's emergency department of the hospital has had its busiest week since April 2016, in terms of the number of patients attending.

"Despite this, our staff are working tirelessly to provide the best possible care under these extreme pressures."

She said Jack was "quickly assessed" when he arrived at hospital, and within four hours doctors decided to admit him to a different unit to be monitored overnight.

But the unit "was also experiencing exceptionally high levels of demand" which meant he had to wait for a bed.

Jack was discharged the following morning.

“We are extremely sorry that there were only chairs available in the treatment room, and no bed. This falls below our usual high standards, and for this we would like to sincerely apologise to Jack and his family."

Dr Oade said the hospital was increasing its bed availability and that there were plans for a new children's hospital to be built in Leeds in 2025.

Chief executive Julian Hartley has spoken to Jack’s mother and offered a personal apology, Dr Oade added.

As we've reported, Health Secretary Matt Hancock is on a previously unscheduled stop at Leeds General Infirmary after Boris Johnson initially refused to look at a picture of four-year-old Jack Willment-Barr sleeping on the floor of the hospital, which featured on today's Daily Mirror front page.

"To tell you the truth, I was horrified," he tells the BBC.

"I've got three small children myself, I've spent too many evenings in A&E and i know what it feels like and i want to make it better.

Pressed on what he would say to Jack's family, Mr Hancock replied: "It's not good enough, and I've apologised."

BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

On BBC Radio 5 live's Drive programme, presenter Tony Livesey is in Crewe speaking to a variety of guests about the upcoming election.

A lot of the focus in Crewe has been on undecided voters, and Livesey asks polling expert Deborah Mattinson from Britain Thinks what the picture for that group of people is like nationally.

Mattinson says: "We did a focus group in Peterborough last week and we asked people to choose an emoji that best sums up the campaign for them and the two that were picked most were the weeping one - with floods of tears - and the other was the scream.

"People are incredibly unhappy and are unhappy with what is on offer. One person in that focus group said that it is no longer about who you agree with most, it is about who you disagree with least."

Watch: Undecided voters in Peterborough pick election emojis

Duncan Leatherdale
BBC News Online

Image source, GETTY IMAGES

This election will be the first to be held in December since 1923. So what was England like back then and how did the election turn out?

It was the year the Flying Scotsman was built and Wembley first hosted the FA Cup final.

George V was halfway through his 26-year reign as king and the British Empire covered one fifth of the world's land including Canada, parts of Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Domestically, it was a time of turmoil with the effects of World War One still being keenly felt five years after the conflict, ended.

Read more here.

Don't worry, it's not going to happen.

But a poll by YouGov of 2,424 adults carried out today found that Boris Johnson is the main favourite companion for 25 December, followed by Jeremy Corbyn.

While 34% of those surveyed said they didn't know. Too many good options to choose from? Or maybe a question you hope never have to think about?

"Why are you here today?" Health Secretary Matt Hancock is asked. A visit to the hospital does not appear to be in his original schedule.

But earlier, Boris Johnson was criticised after initially refusing to look at a picture of a sick four-year-old boy who had to sleep on the floor of a Leeds hospital because of a reported lack of beds. He later looked at the picture.

Mr Hancock replied: "I've come because I wanted to get reassurance from the trust that they're doing everything they can and I've been very impressed by the response of the trust."

"Not only did they know that there was a problem in this area before and they've already allocated the funds to sort it out, but also the staff have been absolutely brilliant in their response to this pressure of this increase of a third in the number of children attending A&E here."

Challenged on whether he is "panicking" because it's the middle of an election campaign, Mr Hancock replies: "No. What people want to see is the substance of increased investment in the NHS, making sure we're dealing with the problems and that's exactly what we're doing here."

On his way from the hospital, Mr Hancock was heckled by protesters who shouted "shame on you".

Image source, Getty Images

What are you not allowed to do in a polling station on election day?

The BBC is spending the day in Crewe - a key marginal seat - talking to undecided voters. The BBC commissioned an opinion research consultancy, Britain Thinks, to find out their key concerns. Some common themes emerged, particularly NHS privatisation, Brexit and trust.

Here's another profile of one of them, Margaret, who gives a snapshot of the sort of dilemmas people are facing.

Who: Margaret, 65, payroll and pensions manager, from Glasgow

Recent voting history: Local elections - SNP; General elections - 2017 and 2015, SNP, but before that Labour or Green

Summary of election so far: Threat to NHS

Why undecided: “I am undecided because I have been analysing all of the mud-slinging at Jeremy Corbyn - why is everyone clutching at straws? I have been listening to him - when he said he would hold a second referendum but act as an adjudicator - I thought about it and it seemed the right thing to do. Being an adjudicator rather than an instigator. People are being scared into voting to leave rather getting an opportunity to make their own minds up.”

What would you say to a party leader: I would ask Jeremy Corbyn if he would stand down to save the party and allow them to have someone more charismatic.

What is the one thing a party could promise which would secure your vote: Whoever can categorically assure the public that the NHS will not be sold - and that colossal improvements in funding will be made available - will get my vote, unless it’s the Tories or the Lib Dems.

On NHS privatisation: It needs to be totally government-run - no private services - and there should be enough money to fund it properly. I think it’s mainly down to it being privatised and companies getting involved making money out of it - that what’s gone wrong.”

Image source, ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon is continuing her focussed attack on the prime minister in the final days of campaigning.

The SNP leader posed for the cameras in front of a mocked-up Downing Street front door with the words "Lock Boris out" emblazoned across it in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire.

She then headed to the constituency of Lanark & Hamilton East - a three-way marginal seat.

In 2017, the SNP beat the Conservatives to the seat by only 300 votes - while Labour came a close third. You can see the list of all the candidates standing here

"Voting SNP, we’re the main challenger in all the main seats," Ms Sturgeon says.

"If we want to stop Boris Johnson calling the shots come Friday we’ve got to vote to stop it.”

Compare where the parties stand on key issues - from Brexit and the NHS to education and the environment.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

I’m out with the Brexit Party in Barnsley today. Although the party has been struggling in the polls, Nigel Farage is continuing to target seats historically held by Labour but which voted Leave in 2016.

Mr Farage has been out on the streets with activists. These events are pretty stage-managed, with the leader being ushered to friendly front doors for a chat.

There are a fair few people here willing to give Mr Farage time - and who have been telling him they’re frustrated that Brexit hasn't happened yet.

Things seldom go completely according to plan though. Mr Farage was followed for about ten minutes by a man holding a Labour sign, telling the Brexit Party leader he’s a Tory who will do nothing for people in this part of England. Mr Farage was less than impressed.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is at Leeds General Infirmary, which is in the news today after the Daily Mirror published a photo of a four-year-old boy sleeping on a pile of coats in the hospital despite having suspected pneumonia.

Earlier, an ITV reporter tried to show Mr Johnson the picture on his phone, but he initially refused to look, before taking the device and putting it in his pocket. He later looked at the photo and returned the phone.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "He just doesn't care", while Independent Group for Change leader Anna Soubry called his actions "appalling".

The BBC's political editor suggests Mr Hancock has gone to the hospital to "try and sort this out".

Image source, onebluelight/Getty Images

Over the course of the campaign, our readers have expressed fears that floods or snowstorms could stop them from voting.

And now, perhaps the most hotly anticipated weather forecast of the year is here.

Drum-roll please...

...It's going to be wet and windy on Thursday.

An area of low pressure will bring gusts of up to 30mph and outbreaks of rain to all parts of the UK throughout the day - with particularly heavy downpours expected to hit the South and South West.

Snow could fall in mountainous areas of Scotland, while the rest of the country is likely to see temperatures of about 10C to 12C.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge breaks the news gently, saying it's "not going to be the nicest of days to be outside".

"(Thursday) starts off generally dry, with a fairly chilly start, so actually quite a nice start to the day away from the far west," he says.

"But unfortunately the rain will push in from the west over the morning so it is going to be a wet and windy day."

• December election: What difference does winter make?

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

In his campaigning, Boris Johnson says that, if elected, his government will negotiate a trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020.

But what about a no-deal scenario, if the UK and the EU do not manage to reach an agreement? That would mean trading according to the rules of the World Trade Organization, which regulates trade between 170 countries.

The former director-general of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, tells Radio 4's World at One that a WTO regime would be "a shock for UK trade".

He compares it to moving "from first league football to fourth or fifth league football".

"My hope is that if and when Brexit happens we will negotiate with the UK an open trade deal," he says.

Jeremy Corbyn has been asked about his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell's, claim that some of Labour's opponents "hate" the people of Britain.

"I think it's pretty clear that they have a sense of almost contempt for the poorest working class communities across Britain that have seen their local services cut because of under funding in local government, and have seen so many people lose good jobs and end up on zero-hours contracts or insecure employment," he says.

"Yes, things must change in this country."

He declines to say whether he will resign if Labour loses the election, saying only: "Labour's going to win on Thursday."

Boris Johnson was due to visit to Bishop Auckland this afternoon, but it has now been cancelled.

It's understood it's because of protesters in the area and security concerns.

Downing Street staff on the PM’s campaign bus said more than 100 Labour activists with placards gathered outside the venue point where the PM was expected to visit.

It's not the first time this kind of thing has happened - at the weekend a walkabout was cancelled because of the same concerns.

The BBC is spending the day in Crewe talking to undecided voters and we're going to bring you a close-up look at a handful of them. Some key themes have emerged - NHS privatisation, Brexit and trust.

Some are still not sure where to put their cross, but others like Kim below, feel they do now have an answer thanks to what they've seen and heard today.

Who: Kim, 55, auditor, from Sutton Coldfield

Recent voting history: Local elections - Labour; General elections - Labour

Summary of 2019 so far: Chaotic, mess and shambles

Why undecided: I am undecided because whatever happens it’ll take a long time for the country to get back to how it should be - we need change - it’s not good carrying on with the Conservatives because we need change.

Having seen Angela Rayner this morning, I believe in everything she told me, so I am going to vote for them (Labour) now - she has made up my mind.

My partner voted Tory so it made me more unsure which way to vote.

What would you say to a party leader: I would ask any of them to just listen.

What is the one thing a party could promise which would secure your vote: Policies on homeless people, mental health and the NHS.

On NHS privatisation: It is the working class people, what will happen to them? They won’t have the money to pay for it. I am worried that if the Tories get back in they will make a mockery of the system. What else can they break?

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Boris Johnson is trying to do what other Tory leaders have tried to do and all failed, namely to break through the solid red line of traditional, loyal Labour seats in the north of the country.

The reason Boris Johnson believes he might be able to do it is two-fold.

One is Brexit and the belief that many traditional Labour Leave voters feel betrayed by Labour's convoluted positioning on Brexit.

And two, because of Jeremy Corbyn and the view that he is profoundly disliked in many traditional Labour seats.

But Mr Johnson has also faced very direct questions today about his own trustworthiness from one former political ally, the leader of the DUP Arlene Foster, who said in effect she couldn't trust Boris Johnson - once bitten twice shy.

She said the Brexit deal he reached left Northern Ireland cut off from the rest of the UK.

I suppose the question is that these questions around Boris Johnson's trustworthiness - do they hit home or do people just shrug their shoulders and carry on anyway?

Image source, Jane Russell/wpragency/PA Wire

Earlier this afternoon we challenged you to naming all of the political leaders depicted in the above photo.

The uniquely-garnished pints are going on sale tomorrow at the Two Chairmen pub in Westminster.

From left to right, the back row shows Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley, Conservative leader Boris Johnson, the leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster, and the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon.

On the middle row it's Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald, Plaid Cymru's Adam Price, and UKIP's Richard Braine.

And on the front row we've got Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the Lib Dems' Jo Swinson.

Image source, Getty Images

The issue of tactical voting is looming large in discussions about how this election will play out.

Tactical voting happens when a voter abandons the party or candidate they prefer, and votes for one with a better chance of winning in their constituency - often, but not always, in order to defeat a disliked candidate.

Our digital election team has pointed out that thousands of people are sharing links to tactical voting websites - and potentially millions of people are therefore seeing these sites.

Many of the sites involve a postcode search tool which generates advice on how to vote tactically in your area.

The idea behind each site tends to be either that tactical voting will help to stop or to secure Brexit, or to create a Tory majority.

Some newspapers, including the Guardian and the Telegraph, have also released their own tactical voting guides.

If the idea of tactical voting confuses you, read more here:

• What difference could tactical voting make?
• What is the secret behind tactical voting?
• Will people vote tactically in Scotland?