Finally, Farage is asked about Labour's lead in the polls, with Justin Webb pointing out the party doesn't mention migration* - a key Reform UK issue - in its six main pledges.

Farage says lots of people will vote Labour only in "disgust" at the "repeated broken promises" of the Tories.

He says he's launching the party's contract in South Wales for this reason, adding that "you've had 25 years there of a Labour government, taxes are higher, spending by head is higher" - but returns on the NHS and education are "worse".

He says Reform are "on your side", are "unashamedly patriotic", and concludes that immigration and the "exploding population" should be the main issue in this election.

• While Labour's six pledges don't mention regular migration, the third pledge, external is a new "Border Security Command" to tackle migrants crossing the Channel in small boats

Farage is now asked about comments from shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, about Labour getting the UK closer to the European Union - for example, when it comes to regulation in the chemicals industry.

Justin Webb asks: are you willing to compromise, and can you foresee a relationship with the EU that is actually closer?

Farage says it's time to talk about small companies, not the "giant corporates", saying they are the driver of "real economic growth".

Pressed on the UK's future relationship with the EU, he says at the time of Brexit, the UK was the seventh biggest exporter in the world and we're now the fourth biggest.

As important as business and trade with Europe is, it is a "declining part" of the global economy, he says.

Farage says the "encouraging" thing is we're starting to do more and more business with the 85% of the global economy that is outside the EU.

Farage is now asked about the resignation of candidate Grant StClair-Armstrong, after it emerged he previously urged people to vote for the BNP.

Can Farage guarantee you have rid of "unpleasant people" from the party?

Farage says this candidate is a "chap in his 70s" and that "he was never a member of the BNP, however, we don't find that acceptable".

He adds all parties are having problems with candidates, given a short general election campaign.

He also says the external vetting Reform paid for "wasn't done" - and, he says, he'll say more about that in the next couple of days.

• As a reminder, the BNP is a far-right party, which peaked in the 2009 European elections in the UK with 6.2% of the vote - its best national performance. Its policies included halting immigration, and banning the building of mosques.

Following on from those "bridgehead" comments, Justin Webb asks Farage if he will be vying to be prime minister in a general election in 2029?

"Yes, absolutely," he replies.

Farage says that during two recent seven-party debates on TV, the more Labour's Angela Rayner and the Conservatives' Penny Morduant argued, the more they sounded the same.

There are no real fundamental differences to the two parties, he says.

"We are aiming to be a big party," he says.

Asked about how he changed his mind to run in this general election, Farage says he doesn't need to do this.

I've come out of retirement because I think there's a huge gap between the country and Westminster, he says - adding that he's making a minimum five-year commitment.

Nigel Farage is first asked if you're elected and the party does well, what is the plan?

"It gives us a voice of opposition," he says, adding the plan is to build a big national campaigning movement to create "genuine change".

He says the party wants to create a "bridgehead" in Parliament - meaning a strategically important area of ground, often near a crossing.

Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage is about to speak to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, ahead of the launch of the party's manifesto - which they're calling a contract - later today.

We'll bring you the key moments shortly - and remember, you can listen live by pressing play on the Today tab at the top of the page.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast just now, Labour's Jonathan Ashworth was asked how many of the 650,000 jobs the party is planning to create over five years will be new, and how many will be replacement jobs - for example replacing jobs in the North Sea oil and gas industry.

As a reminder, Labour will not grant new licences for oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.

Ashworth says existing licences will be honoured, and new investment will be made areas such as hydrogen and carbon capture, meaning new jobs.

He wouldn't detail what percentage of the new jobs pledge would be replacement or new jobs, instead talking about the need for the energy transition.

Asked how much energy bills will reduce under a Labour government, Ashworth says energy bills will go down but "I'm not going to give you a figure".

We've got a new statement from Reform UK, following one of their candidates resigning from the party after it emerged he previously urged people to vote for the BNP.

Grant StClair-Armstrong, who is standing in North West Essex, also used a blog to post jokes using racial slurs and made a joke about “female hormones”, according to the Times.

A Reform UK party spokesperson said: "Some 15 years ago, by own admission made some daft, inappropriate comments at a difficult and angry time in his life.

"He regrets them, and has resigned."

Finally from Shapps, he says it's right to highlight the risks of an unchecked Labour majority, describing the party's policies as "crazed".

He mentions Labour's policy on North Sea energy - the party would not award new oil and gas licences, as part of the move to net zero.

Shapps says this would mean importing oil and gas from overseas rather than using our own, claiming that this would double the amount of CO2.

"Those are the sorts of crazed policies Labour is putting forward," he says.

Shapps is how asked, how likely is it that his party will win?

He says "we're fighting for every single last vote" - but accepts "we're the underdogs".

He adds that its “entirely possible for us to win” and that it's "dangerous" for this country to give a “blank cheque to Starmer".

With just over two weeks until the general election, you can see how the opinion polls look here.

Shapps now claims Labour plans to change council tax bands in England, meaning some householders could pay more.

"Look out for your council tax band to change," he says. "Labour will cost you a lot more money."

"They're not prepared to make any of the spending reductions we've outlined," he adds - claiming Labour will not only put up taxes but leave more people unemployed.

As a reminder, Jonathan Ashworth earlier denied that Labour was planning to increase council tax. The party has also ruled out increases in personal taxes, corporation tax, and capital gains tax.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is now speaking to BBC Breakfast - watch live by pressing play at the top of the page.

He's asked about his "supermajority" comments last week - where he discussed Labour winning a landslide - and whether he has given up hope of winning the election.

He says no, he stands by his comments, but that we should fight for every vote and that giving Keir Starmer a "blank cheque" will be "very bad for this country".

He adds an unchecked majority is "very bad news".

David Bull, the deputy leader of Reform UK, has just been speaking to 5 Live.

He’s asked about the story we just mentioned - the resignation of Reform UK’s parliamentary candidate Grant StClair-Armstrong, after it emerged he previously urged people to vote for the BNP.

Is Bull worried about who Reform UK attracts?

Bull says no, adding that “we had to expedite the process” to ensure candidates are vetted and that “we have a stringent vetting policy”.

He's also asked about the party's policy - to be officially set out in their "contract" later today - to "take six million out of paying tax" by raising income tax thresholds.

As a reminder - both Labour and the Conservatives plan to keep income tax bands frozen until 2028, meaning more people pay more tax as their pay rises.

Bull says Reform want to "make work pay".

Image source, Reuters

Harry Farley
Political correspondent

Image source, Reform Party

A Reform UK parliamentary candidate resigned last night over comments the party has called "unacceptable".

Grant StClair-Armstrong, the party’s candidate in North West Essex, told BBC News he had been forced to stand down by the party.

In remarks first reported by the Times,, external StClair-Armstrong wrote on a website that Enoch Powell would be weeping over the "state of the UK" if he was alive, adding: "My solution … vote BNP!"

StClair-Armstrong told BBC News he posted the comment sometime between 2004 and 2007 and he was an “angry man” at the time. Reform UK said “Mr StClair-Armstrong has tendered his resignation” after “the revelation of unacceptable historic social media comments”.

We’re now hearing from Delyth Jewell, the Plaid Cymru deputy leader in the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament.

She’s asked on the Today programme about her party’s differing view to Labour on re-joining the EU single-market and customs union. Labour's Rachel Reeves wrote in the FT today that the party wants closer trade ties to Europe, but not closer when it comes to freedom of movement or re-joining the customs union.

“I’m deeply dismayed with the Labour Party,” says Jewell, adding that they are forever worried about chasing “what they think public opinion might be”.

Jewell says we’re the only party in this instance to “recognise reality” and that Brexit has caused "unbelievable harm".

Image source, Getty Images

Asked how Labour will pay for its policy to create 650,000 new jobs over five years, Ashworth tells Breakfast they will get the money by imposing a windfall tax on big oil and gas giants.

They've sat there and made huge profits, Ashworth says, adding that Shell paid negative tax a few years ago.

We're going to tax them properly and we're going to re-industrialise this country, he says.

Unpicking Labour's stretched mortgage claimpublished at 07:13 British Summer Time 17 June

07:13 BST 17 June

This morning on BBC Breakfast, Jonathan Ashworth repeated a common Labour attack line - that Conservative plans will mean homeowners paying "£4,800 more on their mortgage".

That figure is based on Labour assumptions about what Tory policies would cost and raise.

For example, it assumes no savings at all from welfare cuts (the Tories say they would save £12bn a year, although experts think this could be hard to achieve).

Labour also assumes the policies would have to be paid for by £71bn of borrowing.

Labour reckons interest rates would rise as a result and someone with an 85% mortgage on an "average house" in the UK "could" see their mortgage payments increase by £4,800 over the course of the Parliament.

In other words, that’s £4,800 stretched over five years - it’s not an annual figure.

On council tax, Labour's Ashworth is asked whether Labour will carry out a revaluation of council tax bands - which would mean many households may have to pay more. Council taxes were not mentioned in Labour's manifesto.

"We’re not changing council tax banding," he says

Pressed on whether or not there will be any revaluation of council tax bands, he said: "No, that is not our policy."

Labour's Ashworth goes on to say he believes that for every pound of government investment, they can get £3 from the private sector.

This means better, well-paid jobs and living standards rising, he says.

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

But Ashworth says this is "more nonsense from an increasingly desperate Tory campaign".

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's shadow paymaster general, has just been speaking on BBC Breakfast where he talked up Labour's plan to create more than 650,000 jobs over the next five years.

"We are going to re-industrialise this country," he says, adding it means families will be better off.

Under a £7.3bn National Wealth Fund, Labour will invest in clean steel which, he says, will benefit areas like Cardiff, Port Talbot, Rotherham and Sheffield.

"Good jobs" will be created in electric vehicle manufacturing and in renewable energy sources, Ashworth adds.