Starmer says election is a 'choice between Labour and Tories' as Reform unveils pledges

1. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has launched the party's election pledges in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales
2. The party calls the pledges a "contract" with voters - arguing the word "manifesto" has been devalued
3. The pledges include no income tax for people earning less than £20,000, and leaving the European Convention on Human Rights
4. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer dismissed "noise" from Farage and said the election is a "straight choice" between Labour and the Tories
5. Labour is today campaigning on the economy - saying its plans would create 650,000 jobs
6. At a meeting in London, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves tells business leaders their "fingers are all over" the Labour manifesto
7. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who's campaigning around Yorkshire and the East Midlands, insists the Conservatives can still win the election

Jonathan Ashworth speaking on Breakfast now

Press play at the top of the page to watch live - and we'll have key lines here soon.

Who's coming up on the airwaves this morning?

Several political guests are doing the rounds on radio and TV in the next few hours.

On BBC Radio 4's Today programme, we'll hear from Labour's shadow paymaster general, Jonathan Ashworth, as well as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

For the Conservatives, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps will be on the show.

Over on BBC Breakfast, Ashworth and Shapps will face more questions. And there will be other political guests who we'll also bring you.

What do businesses think about jobs promise?

Charlotte Edwards

Business reporter

PA Media

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks with a forklift truck driver during a visit to a Lancashire builders merchants earlier in the campaign

Business groups have been giving their reaction to Labour's focus today on creating jobs.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) told us whichever party wins the election should focus on creating the right business investment environment - but said Labour was "right to recognise that the UK’s pitch must be focused on how we can outsmart rather than outspend our rivals".

The British Chambers of Commerce said creating thousands of jobs in areas like engineering would require "turbo-charged" investment in upgrading workers' skills.

Last week’s official jobs figures, however, showed the scale of the challenge any party faces. Some 11 million people are currently unemployed or economically inactive - about a quarter of the working-age population.

Swinney focuses on ABC with SNP manifesto launch this week

PA Media

John Swinney (left) in Germany last week for Scotland's Euro 2024 opener, which they lost 5-1 to the hosts

SNP leader John Swinney is campaigning in the Western Isles today ahead of the party’s manifesto launch later this week.

Swinney has repeatedly talked about “ABC” during this campaign: that’s austerity, Brexit and the cost of living crisis, all of which he blames on Westminster.

He’s expected to tell activists that the SNP is the only major party in this election publishing a “truly left of centre manifesto”.

Opposition parties in Scotland have criticised the SNP’s handling of public services during its 17 years in power at Holyrood.

John Curtice on the poll that 'stole the headlines'

Our polling expert John Curtice looks at the trends in last week's opinion polls...

Reform on the rise: Polling guru looks at this week's figures

Why is Reform UK launching a contract?

As we've mentioned, Reform UK is expected to launch its party's "contract" this afternoon - that document that it is not calling a manifesto.

The party says "Our Contract with You", which will be presented at an event in South Wales, will set out "the reforms that Britain needs in the first 100 days following a general election and thereafter".

The BBC's polling guru Sir John Curtice gave us a snapshot of the state of the polls yesterday, reviewing the one YouGov poll that has put Reform UK a point ahead of the Conservatives.

We'll be covering the launch live, so stick with us.

What are Labour campaigning on today?

Labour will use the day's campaigning to highlight its pledge to create about 650,000 jobs over the next five years to help revive the UK's industrial heartlands.

The shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said investing £7.3bn in a new National Wealth Fund would unlock three times as much money from the private sector.

The fund is part of what the party call their Green Prosperity Plan, which is aimed at boosting investment in Britain.

However, the policy has been criticised by the Conservatives, who say it is part of "multi-billion-pound black hole" in Labour's policies.

Party leaders head back out on the campaign trail

Welcome back to our live coverage as party leaders begin the week with more campaigning ahead of the 4 July general election.

Here's what we expect to hear today:

The Conservatives claim that it has new analysis which finds Labour’s oil and gas ban would create a £4.5bn "budget black hole" in lost tax revenues. It comes as the party is set to announce its plan for "safeguarding Britain’s energy security for the future".

Labour has pledged to invest £7.3bn in a new National Wealth Fund to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in Britain’s industrial heartlands.

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning for fuel duty relief to be expanded to 20 new areas to support motorists in rural communities.

Reform UK is expected to set out its party's pledges this afternoon in what it calls "Our Contract with You".

We'll also hear from all the other major parties throughout today, so stay with us for the latest news, analysis and reaction.

On social care, even the existing plans will be challenging

Alison Holt

Social affairs editor

Wes Streeting says he would have liked to have been more ambitious with Labour’s manifesto pledges on social care in England - and there are many with experience of the overstretched care system who are desperate to see ambitious ideas for this vital service.

As we’ve seen so often, the stumbling block is finding the money for reform to social care, which supports older and disabled people in the community.

Even getting the existing plans in place, is likely to be challenging.

Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg today, the shadow health secretary promised Labour would go ahead with the £86,000 cap on care costs in England due to be introduced in October 2025.

The Conservatives have said they still intend to implement the plan.

But in 2022, the National Insurance rise, which had been introduced to pay for it, was scrapped, the pilot schemes were stopped, and councils say the money was used to prop up the existing system.

So only when a new administration looks under the bonnet of government finances will we really know whether 16 months is enough time to get that change up and running.

Thanks for reading

We're about to pause our live coverage of the election - we'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning.

Our final post, coming next, is from our social affairs editor Alison Holt, on the challenges of reforming the social care system - for whichever party wins the election next month.

Thanks for reading.

Just 17 and a half days to go...

BBC

There are 17 and a half days to go until polls open on 4 July for the UK general election.

As Transport Secretary Mark Harper pointed out this morning, a small number of postal votes will already have been cast. But, for the rest of us, here are some key dates:

The deadline to register to vote is 23:59 BST on Tuesday. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 17:00 BST on Wednesday.

(The deadline to apply for a postal vote in Northern Ireland has already passed).

You’re also able to apply for a proxy vote before 17:00 BST on 26 June (that deadline has also already passed in Northern Ireland).

The Electoral Commission has more details if you need further help – you can read that here.

'They gave it to Scotland, they gave it to Northern Ireland - why not Wales?'

Let's have a look back at the last of this morning's interviewees - this time, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth.

During the election campaign he has repeatedly claimed Wales is owed £4bn following the cancellation of part of the HS2 project.

Laura asked Transport Secretary Mark Harper about this earlier in the show - he did not agree with the figure, and said some of the HS2 savings were being spent on the electrification of the railway in North Wales.

Watch ap Iorwerth's response below:

Plaid Cymru leader renews calls for HS2 money

'We were talking about mental health while coming down the slide'

Earlier, Laura Kuenssberg played a clip to Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey from Lee Castleton, a wrongly convicted sub-postmaster.

As a reminder, Davey was Post Office minister from 2010 to 2012, as the Horizon scandal unfolded.

Referencing Davey's campaign stunts, Castleton said: "I don't particularly like the buffoonery, I find it very Boris-esque and I don't think there's any need for it...

"Trust is never going to be built by swinging around on ropes or paddleboarding in Cumbria."

But the Lib Dem leader defended the approach - saying it helped gain attention for serious issues. Watch his comments below:

Ed Davey says stunts are to showcase policies

Row over Labour candidate safety concerns

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has criticised a Labour peer for calling Labour candidate Rosie Duffield "frit or lazy" after she called off local hustings over safety concerns.

Lord Cashman, a former EastEnders actor and Labour MEP, has apologised for his comments.

Duffield - who hopes to be re-elected in Canterbury - said it was "impossible" to attend a local hustings because of "constant trolling, spite and misrepresentation".

She has previously faced death threats and multiple instances of abuse over her stance on sex and gender.

Streeting told Times Radio that he strongly disagreed with Cashman, whose comment was "extremely unfair and I was very concerned Rosie's not able to participate in hustings".

Duffield told The Times earlier in the week that she has spent £2,000 on bodyguards while campaigning.

For the full list of all the candidates standing in Canterbury, click here.

Reuters

Tributes to Jo Cox MP - murdered eight years ago today

PA Media

Jo Cox, the former Batley and Spen MP was killed by Thomas Mair on 16 June 2016, a week before the EU referendum vote. Prosecutors said Mair was motivated by hate and his crimes were "nothing less than acts of terrorism"

Tributes have been shared online to Jo Cox, a Labour MP who was murdered eight years ago today.

I will always carry Jo’s words with me as we campaign for change: “We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”

Sir Keir StarmerLabour leader

We also share Jo’s belief that, together, we can strengthen communities to become less lonely, better connected, and more united.

The Jo Cox Foundation

Now more than ever we should remember Jo's powerful message, that we have far more in common than that which divides us.

Dawn ButlerLabour MP

Jo was a passionate campaigner, activist, devoted daughter, sister, wife, and friend. She proudly stood for Batley and Spen and reached well beyond with her message of tolerance and kindness.

Hope Not Hate

Watch: Mark Harper asked if Tories were 'admitting defeat'

Mark Harper was earlier presented with one of the Tories' campaign ads, which suggests a huge Labour majority and no seats for Reform UK.

He rejected the notion that his party was admitting defeat, saying the ad was aimed at showing people if they voted the with the polls "that's what you'd get - and I don't think that's what people want".

He also said a vote for a party other than the Conservatives would be a vote for Labour.

You can watch that exchange back here:

Mark Harper asked if Tories are 'admitting defeat'

What are Labour's social care plans?

So, what has Labour promised in its manifesto on social care?

• 'National Care Service': "Build consensus for the longer-term reform needed to create a sustainable National Care Service"
• 'Home first' principle: Locally delivered services and support for people "to live independently for as long as possible"
• Partnership on discharge: A programme for the NHS and the social care sector to work together on hospital discharge
• 'Fair pay': A "Fair Pay Agreement" in adult social care "to set fair pay, terms and conditions" and training plans
• Visiting rights: A guarantee of the rights of people residential care to be able to see their families
• Role of care workers: Regulators tasked with assessing the role social care workers can play "in basic health treatment and monitoring"

I wanted our social care manifesto to be more ambitious, says Streeting

Let's go back to our headline, which comes from Wes Streeting's interview with Laura Kuenssberg earlier.

Streeting said that once Labour gets the economy growing - if it wins the election - there would be more money to invest in public services, including social care.

But he accepted: "I make no bones about the fact, of course, on social care I would have wanted the manifesto to be more ambitious.

"But to get policies in the manifesto, you had to run the gauntlet of answering two fundamental questions: Can we keep this promise? Can the country afford this promise?"

If not, "it's not in the manifesto," he said.

Watch the moment back here - and we'll bring you what is in the manifesto next.

Streeting says 'economic growth needed for social care boost'

For 4,515 candidates, the day of destiny draws closer...

The final list of candidates standing in the general election was finalised just over a week ago – we’ve got that list for you here.

The PA news agency have been through the numbers - with the 4,515 candidates for this general election a UK record. That's an increase on 3,200 candidates in 2019.

The Tories have 635 candidates, Labour 631 and the Liberal Democrats 630. As a reminder, there are 650 constituencies in the UK, including 18 in Northern Ireland, where the major UK-wide parties tend not to stand.

The Green Party has its highest ever number of candidates – 629 (of which 44 are for the Scottish Green Party).

As for the highest number of candidates vying for a single seat? That’ll be Sunak’s constituency of Richmond and Northallerton.

As well as Sunak 12 other candidates are standing (see the full list here) - representing Labour, the Lib Dems, Reform UK, the Greens, the Workers Party, the Yorkshire Party, the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and the Count Binface Party, plus four independents.

Getty Images

Thirteen people are standing to become MP for Richmond and Northallerton in North Yorkshire (shown here)

'Northern Powerhouse' leaders urge long-term strategy

Marc Ashdown

Business correspondent

A group of business leaders has written to all of the political party leaders urging them to commit to a long-term infrastructure strategy to help boost growth.

Organised by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, the letter, which was published in the Sunday Times, is signed by bosses from 36 companies including Mace, Arup, Hitachi Europe and Siemens Mobility.

Their central message is that building infrastructure creates jobs, generates tax revenue and boosts economic growth.

The business leaders stop short of endorsing a particular party, but are critical of the previous Conservative government, citing various examples of indecision.

They suggest the Northern Powerhouse Rail plans have suffered too many setbacks and reviews since being devised 10 years ago.

They call on the next government to build on the National Infrastructure Commission's recommendations to develop better transport links, especially in the north of England, and a more resilient UK energy sector.

Building more new homes and improving shopping and leisure facilities should also be priorities, and a failure to invest they warn risks negative economic consequences.