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. MPs question Brexit secretarypublished at 10:58 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    On the last day of Parliament before prorogation, MPs are asking Brexit secretary David Davis questions in the Commons.

    Follow what is happening on the BBC Parliament live page

  2. Johnson an 'unguided' missile on Syria, says Ashdownpublished at 10:58 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown has responded to Boris Johnson's comments on taking military action in Syria.

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  3. Boris Johnson is standing by that £350m claimpublished at 10:42 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Reality Check

    Vote Leave busImage source, Getty Images

    It's all very well doing fresh analysis, but the Reality Check team realises that some people still want to hear the greatest hits.

    Boris Johnson was asked again on Today about the claim that the UK sends £350m a week to the EU.

    "Our remaining listeners will have heard me explain that figure many, many times and it's correct," he said.

    The trouble is that once again his explanation was based on losing control over that money, which wasn't what it said on the bus.

    We do not send £350m a week to the EU because of the rebate, which is deducted before any money is sent.

    Anyone still interested can read the full Reality Check here. 

  4. Memorable PMQ clashespublished at 10:37 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May

    Let's cast our minds back to yesterday's PMQs which could be the last ever clash between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn.

    The pair have exchanged some intense head-to-heads as they've come up against each other in the Commons over the past few months. 

    Take a walk down memory lane and remind yourself of their most memorable ones.

  5. Blair: Theresa May will be next PM if 'polls are right'published at 10:27 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Tony BlairImage source, PA

    Tony Blair has said Theresa May will be the next prime minister after the 2017 general election if "the polls are right".

    He said he would be voting Labour but refused to say that "hand on heart" Jeremy Corbyn was the best person to lead the country.

    The former prime minister said because of "the opinion polls and the leadership issue" the best election tactic for Labour was to argue that a "strong opposition" was important for democracy.

    When asked by Sky News if he could put his hand on his heart and say that Mr Corbyn was the best person to run the country, he replied: "If the polls are right, we know who's going to be Prime Minister on 9 June. That's not the issue. "

  6. Labour promises 'big steps' to tackle housing crisispublished at 10:27 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Homes under constructionImage source, PA

    Labour's big pledge of today is to take "big steps" to tackle the UK's housing crisis if it gets into power.

    Shadow housing secretary John Healey said it would 100,000 affordable council and housing association homes a year to rent and buy.

    However, he said voters would have to wait for the manifesto to see the plan.

    In a White Paper, the Tories had vowed to build more affordable houses.

    Read the full story

  7. What exactly is a mugwump?published at 10:06 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

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    It's the question on everyone's lips this morning. Well everyone, who's paying attention to the election and Boris Johnson's latest outpourings anyway.

    According to the online Oxford English Dictionary, external a mugwump describes someone who remains aloof or independent, especially politically.

    The word is a native American term for a war leader, which was taken up in the 1880s to describe members of the US Republican party who switched parties to support Democrat presidential candidate Grover Cleveland. 

    For some time afterwards, the word was used in the US to describe a political turncoat.

    Mugwumps have since featured graphic and surrealistic novel Naked Lunch by William Burroughs as a bizarre and reptilian alien species.

    The term also appeared in the Harry Potter series - to describe members of the International Confederation of Wizards - of which Albus Dumbledore was appointed the Supreme Mugwump.  

  8. 'No change' in government position on Syria action, say sourcespublished at 10:04 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

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  9. Johnson's Syria remarks also made on day election was calledpublished at 09:54 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Political editor Laura Kuenssburg notes on Twitter...

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  10. Watch: Corbyn 'risk' over Trident, says Johnsonpublished at 09:31 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has warned that a nuclear deterrent is "vital" for the UK. 

    He said that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's views on the matter represented a "threat" to the country.

    Mr Johnson speaks to BBC Breakfast.

    Media caption,

    Johnson critical of Corbyn over issue of UK's nuclear deterrent

  11. General election: What you need to knowpublished at 09:27 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    A ballot box

    The countdown is on - just 42 days until the next general election on 8 June.

    Read our guide on all you need to know.

  12. Johnson: Corbyn a threat hidden behind 'Islingtonian herbivorous'published at 09:26 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Boris Johnson and Jeremy CorbynImage source, PA/AFP

    Boris Johnson once again defended his comments on Jeremy Corbyn - who he has described as a "mutton-headed, old mugwump".

    He told the Today programme: "I do think there is a slight risk that people won't detect the threat that is hidden behind this sort of Islingtonian herbivorous".

    He said there is a "real risk" that the next UK government could be led by someone who has "been hostile to NATO" and would disarm Britain's nuclear weapons. 

  13. Johnson fails to commit to Commons vote on Syria actionpublished at 09:21 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Boris JohnsonImage source, PA

    Boris Johnson left open the option that the UK could take military action in Syria without parliamentary approval.

    Speaking on the Today programme, he did not rule out the possibility, saying: "I think that needs to be tested".

    Pressed further by presenter John Humphrys on whether going to the Commons wasn't an "absolutely necessary precondition", Mr Johnson said: "As I say I think it would be very difficult for us to say no."

    He went on: "How exactly we were able to implement that would be for the government, for the prime minister, to decide."

  14. What Johnson said on UK action in Syriapublished at 09:02 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Here is what Boris Johnson said when asked if the UK could get involved in military action in Syria. 

    Quote Message

    I think it would be very difficult if the US has a proposal to have some sort of action in response to a chemical weapons attack. And if they come to us and ask for our support - whether it's with submarine-based cruise missiles in the Mediterranean or whatever it happens to be - in my view and I know this is also the view of the prime minister, it would be very difficult to say no.

  15. Johnson: Difficult to say 'no' to Syria strike actionpublished at 08:45 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    If the US asked the UK for support in airstrike action in Syria, it would be "difficult to say no", the foreign secretary has said.

    Mr Johnson said President Assad had unleashed "murder" against his own citizens with a chemical weapon attack in April and if the US chose to act again, the UK could be involved. 

    The US envoy to the UN has warned America may take further action after bombarding a Syrian air base suspected of using chemical weapons.

  16. Johnson: Theresa May 'clear choice' for PMpublished at 08:44 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Boris Johnson

    Boris Johnson has said Theresa May is a "clear choice" for a stable government to negotiate Brexit.

    Speaking on the Today programme, he said a new Conservative government would give the prime minister a mandate to take back control of the UK's borders and "significant sums of money".

    He said he could not see Jeremy Corbyn in a "mental arm-wrestle" with the other EU members to get a good deal for Britain if he was the next prime minister. 

  17. PM meets EU's chief Brexit negotiatorpublished at 08:18 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Michel Barnier arriving in Downing StreetImage source, Getty Images

    Staying with Brexit, Theresa May met the EU's chief Brexit negotiator for talks in Downing Street on Wednesday night.

    The prime minister had a working dinner with Michel Barnier and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in No 10.

    Downing Street said Mrs May reiterated the UK's aim of building a "deep and special partnership" after Brexit.

    The meeting came in the run-up to a crucial summit of the remaining 27 EU members.    

    Read the full story

  18. Where do the parties stand on Brexit?published at 08:04 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Brexit is expected to be a key issue in the 2017 general election.

    Here's a handy video explainer on where the main political parties stand on the UK's departure from the EU.

  19. Military action against North Korea 'not a good idea'published at 08:02 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Boris Johnson

    In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Mr Johnson evaded the question on what the UK's role would be if the US decided to take military action against North Korea.

    When pressed by presenter Charlie Stayt, he said military action would "not be a good idea" and he did not think it was likely the UK would be asked to do that.

    He said the UK was urging co-operation between the US and China to try to get North Korea to "see sense".

  20. North Korea nuclear threat 'very real'published at 07:48 British Summer Time 27 April 2017

    Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the nuclear threat from North Korea has gone from being a "comical question" to being "very real and very dangerous".

    He said the US is right to escalate the seriousness of the issue and North Korea's neighbours feel the threat "intensely".

    However, he said he is "sceptical" there is a military solution and the best way forward is to work with China to put pressure on leader Kim Jong-un.

    The US is to tighten sanctions on North Korea and step up diplomatic moves aimed at pressuring the country to end its nuclear and missile programmes.