Summary

  • Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urges young people to register to vote and "step up for Britain"

  • Theresa May makes her first election campaign visit to Scotland

  • European Union leaders agree a joint strategy for Brexit negotiations

  • UKIP leader Paul Nuttall confirms he will stand in Boston and Skegness

  • General election due on 8 June

  1. Which MPs are quitting - and who might stand?published at 15:52 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Who is joining George Osborne in stepping down as an MP, and who plans to return?

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  2. General election 2017: Deals, pacts and alliancespublished at 13:47 British Summer Time 1 May 2017

    UKIP and the Greens are making electoral pacts with rival parties - what's going on?

    Read More
  3. Saturday recappublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    It's been a day of campaign speeches for many of the political leaders in the UK, while in Brussels EU members have been preparing for Brexit negotiations. 

    Here's a recap of Saturday's stories:

    • EU leaders agreed to the bloc's Brexit negotiating guidelines
    • Theresa May asked Scots to vote for her to "strengthen the union", the economy and her hand in Brexit talks
    • Jeremy Corbyn defended his style of leadership, saying other party leaders had manipulated the public
    • UKIP leader Paul Nuttall confirmed he would stand in Boston and Skegness 

  4. May and Farron to appear on Andew Marr Showpublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    The prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron are the main guests on Sunday's Andrew Marr Show. 

    Theresa May will be giving her first television interview of the election campaign and Boris Johnson's sister, Rachel, will talk about why she defected from the Conservatives to join the Lib Dems. 

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  5. 'Mountain to climb on Brexit' - senior EU officialpublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    BBC Brussels correspondent tweets...

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  6. UK must ensure EU citizens' rights - Tuskpublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    European Council President Donald Tusk at the EU summit on approving guidelines for negotiations with the EU on Brexit, 29 April 2017Image source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Donald Tusk wants a serious response from the UK

    European Council President Donald Tusk has called on the UK to come up with a "serious response" on what will happen to EU citizens in Britain after Brexit.

    "We need guarantees," he said in Brussels, as 27 EU leaders backed the bloc's Brexit negotiating guidelines.

    The rights of EU citizens to live, work and study in the UK is one of three topics they want dealt with in the first phase of Brexit talks.

    Negotiations will start after the UK election on 8 June.

    UK must ensure EU citizens' rights - Tusk

    The top EU figure puts rights centre stage as the EU-27 formally approve negotiating guidelines.

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  7. Davis: EU negotiations 'most complex in our lifetime'published at 17:01 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    David DavisImage source, Reuters

    Brexit Secretary David Davis has responded to news that EU leaders have unanimously agreed the negotiating guidelines for Brexit talks.

    Mr Davis said: "Both sides are clear - we want these negotiations to be conducted in the spirit of goodwill, sincere cooperation and with the aim of establishing a close partnership between the UK and the EU going forward. 

    "But there is no doubt that these negotiations are the most complex the UK has faced in our lifetimes. 

    "They will be tough and at times even confrontational. 

    "There are already people in Europe who oppose these aims and people at home trying to undermine them."   

  8. May: Election about 'leadership and stability'published at 16:38 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    Theresa May campaigning

    Theresa May has now concluded her talk in Scotland. 

    She reaffirmed statements she has made  previously that voting for the Conservatives would "strengthen her hand" in Brexit negotiations, which she said in turn would strengthen the economy, Scotland and the union. 

    Mrs May says predictions of an immediate financial crash following Brexit did not materialise because of the "strength the government has shown". 

    She says when she took over as leader, the country was divided and but now there is a "unity of purpose" around people wanting the government to get on with Brexit and make a success of it.   

    Mrs May also said the election was about "leadership and stability". 

    She repeated her party's recurring message that the election represents a choice between a "strong and stable" Conservative government and a "coalition of chaos" led by Jeremy Corbyn.

  9. May: 'Tories the only party committed to union'published at 16:12 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    Theresa May says there is only one party committed to the union and only one candidate that will defend the UK. 

    She says if voters "strengthen her hand" she will work to ensure that "Scotland and the UK flourish together".

  10. May: 'Every SNP seat gets Corbyn closer to No 10'published at 16:11 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    Theresa May is now talking in Scotland. 

    She says every SNP MP elected gets Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn "closer to Downing Street". 

    She also says polls have been wrong before and points out Mr Corbyn was a "200-1" underdog to win the Labour leadership contest in 2015. 

    Currently, polls have Conservatives in a commanding lead  - with some placing them on 50%. 

  11. Corbyn defends his leadership stylepublished at 15:53 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    Jeremy Corbyn in London on 29 AprilImage source, Reuters

    The Labour leader also used his speech to urge young people to register to vote and back him. 

    Read more here

  12. Do strong leaders make good prime ministers?published at 15:52 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    The soundbites are constantly repeated. "Strong leader". "Strong and stable leadership". "Strong and stable government". But what do they mean?  

    Do strong leaders make good prime ministers?

    There is a stark difference between a strong leader and a strong leadership, says Archie Brown.

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  13. UKIP won't stand against Tories in Peterboroughpublished at 14:45 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    Stewart JacksonImage source, Conservative Party
    Image caption,

    UKIP has said it will not field a candidate against Conservative Stewart Jackson

    UKIP has said it will not field a candidate against the Conservative MP for Peterborough, Stewart Jackson. 

    It is the second so called "non-aggression pact" to be announced by UKIP and is aimed at helping what the party sees as "real Brexiteer" Conservatives hold on to seats where they have small majorities. 

    In 2015 Mr Jackson defeated Labour's Lisa Forbes into second place with a majority of 1,925.

    Yesterday UKIP said it would not stand against Kettering MP Phillip Hollobone, another Brexit campaigner.

  14. EU leaders agree Brexit guidelines in 'less than a minute'published at 14:17 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    EU flagsImage source, Getty Images

    EU leaders have unanimously agreed the negotiating guidelines for Brexit talks with the UK.

    The 27 leaders - UK PM Theresa May was not present - approved within a minute the the guidelines, external first issued on 31 March by Mr Tusk.

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  15. Two women arrested at UKIP eventpublished at 14:10 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    Two women have been arrested on suspicion of assault at a UKIP event in Hartlepool, police have said.

    The women, aged 62 and 28, were arrested at the Headland while the area was being attended by UKIP members, officers said.  

    UKIP leader Paul Nuttall had been due to give a talk there this morning, but his speech was cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances", the party said.

  16. Council election campaign 'crowded out'published at 13:34 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    Council elections

    A local government expert says there is a danger that council elections could become a "large opinion poll".

    Council election campaign 'crowded out'

    A local government expert says there is a danger that council elections could become a 'large opinion poll'.

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  17. Labour will not increase VAT or NI, McDonnell hintspublished at 13:16 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    John McDonnellImage source, PA

    Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has signalled Labour will pledge not to increase VAT or national insurance in an interview with The Guardian, external.

    Prime Minister Theresa May has refused to say on the campaign trail whether she will keep her party's 2015 manifesto pledge of no rises in VAT, national insurance or income tax.  

    Mr McDonnell said he could not pre-empt the party’s manifesto, which is agreed through its national executive committee and policy forum, but suggested he would make the case to rule out national insurance rises and any hike to VAT.  

  18. Nuttall cancels Hartlepool talkpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    There's been drama this morning in Hartlepool, where UKIP leader Paul Nuttall was due to give a speech. 

    Mr Nuttall has cancelled his talk due to "unforeseen circumstances", according to the party.

    The BBC's Sunday politics presenter in Newcastle tweeted a video of an altercation that broke out while UKIP supporters waited for him to turn up.

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  19. What drew UKIP to Boston and Skegness?published at 12:57 British Summer Time 29 April 2017

    Boston

    So Paul Nuttall has now confirmed he will be standing in Boston and Skegness - and it is not hard to see why. 

    The Lincolnshire constituency had the highest percentage of Leave voters in the UK's EU referendum - 75.6%. 

    Its incumbent MP is Conservative Matt Warman, but UKIP came second there in 2015, slashing the Tories' majority by some 8,000 votes from 2010. 

    The trend in the constituency is also an upwards one for UKIP - in 2005 it came fourth with just 4,081 votes. 

  20. Donald Tusk: EU Brexit guidelines 'adopted unanimously'published at 12:42 British Summer Time 29 April 2017
    Breaking

    The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, says the 27 EU member nations - all but the UK - have "unanimously" agreed their guidelines for Brexit negotiations. 

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