A former special adviser to the Liberal Democrats says there has been an "unfair persecution" of Tim Farron over his religious beliefs around being gay. 

Earlier today, the leader of the Lib Dems clarified he did not think gay sex was a "sin" after seeming to avoid the question in the House of Commons. 

But Polly Mackenzie, who advised Nick Clegg during his tenure as leader, said other politicians did not have to face this question.   

"Are we supposed to go through a list of everything the bible says, every sex act, asking politicians for their opinions on them?" she said on BBC News. "I think that would probably debase our politics.   

"I am glad that Tim has finally said something that will hopefully close this down and we can stop talking about it." 

After last night's poll showing the Tories in the lead in Wales, the country has been the key focus of today's campaign trail. 

BBC Wales' Vaughan Roderick analyses the role it will play over the coming weeks. 

The former leader of UKIP has made his thoughts known on Labour's Brexit stance following Keir Starmer's speech.

Speaking on his LBC radio show, Nigel Farage said the party wanted to leave the EU "in name only" and they would "sign us up to virtually everything", such as the customs union.

But he said that he didn't disagree with Keir Starmer's stance on calling for to Theresa May to guarantee the rights of EU citizens already living in the UK. 

"Whether too many came or not, they came at the time legally," he said.  

The prime minister may have been promoting the opportunities she believes Brexit will bring in her speech today, but exactly one year ago, the then home secretary had a very different message for the electorate... Vote Remain. 

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The leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood, launched her party's campaign for the general election today.

But in the lead up, speculation was rife that she may ditch her current job to run to become an MP in Westminster.

She eventually decided against but some senior figures within the party are unhappy with her behaviour. BBC Wales political correspondent Aled ap Dafydd blogs about the decision. 

Radio 4 PM

A reminder from Michael Crick that it is not just the general election that is on the horizon. 

On 4 May, voters will go to the polls in council elections across England and Scotland and to elect metro mayors in a number of English city-regions, including the West Midlands. 

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Keir Starmer has been talking to Channel 4 News about Labour's policy on immigration after Brexit.

Contrary to some reports, he says that Jeremy Corbyn accepts that freedom of movement, as it currently applies in the UK, will have to end after EU exit.

However, he says it is not a case of moving from "freedom of movement to no movement", but instead to a policy of "managed movement".

While businesses need to continue to have access to the widest pool of skilled workers, Mr Starmer says a future Labour government must take account of what communities are saying about migration levels and their impact.

Once students have been taken out of the immigration statistics, which he says is a priority for Labour, the challenge will be "the management of those who are coming here to work".

He suggests that the new rules could include a regional dimension. 

The long-serving Tory MP for Saffron Walden explains why he is stepping down after 40 years serving the constituency.

The Green Party of Northern Ireland will not form a general election pact with the SDLP, Sinn Féin or Ulster Unionists, its leader says.

Steven Agnew said he met parties that had "taken a pro-Remain stance" in last year's EU referendum to discuss a possible deal ahead of June's poll.

But his party members have concluded that they could not strike a deal with parties that do not share their "vision for a progressive society".

There is "too much distance" between those parties and his, Mr Agnew added. Read more

David Ward, the former Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, has been selected to fight the seat in June.

This is controversial because he was suspended by the party in 2013 after describing Israel as an "apartheid state" and claiming "Zionists were losing the battle".

He had also previously accused "the Jews" of inflicting atrocities on Palestinians.

Mr Ward lost his seat in 2015 and was subsequently re-admitted back into the party, serving as a councillor in the Bolton and Undercliffe ward.

However, he attracted controversy in the wake of March's Westminster terror attack when he tweeted that "all terrorist attacks in UK stem from our foreign policy".

Late last year, party leader Tim Farron said he disassociated himself from Mr Ward's remarks on Israel, some of which he believed were anti-Semitic, but that Mr Ward had served his suspension and retained all his rights as a party member to seek election. 

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn met the UK's most senior civil servant Sir Jeremy Heywood earlier to discuss his priorities for government if the party wins power on 8 June.

Before one gets too excited about this, it is standard practice before a general election for the leader of the main opposition party to appraise the civil service of what their early objectives would be. 

Ed Miliband would have done it in 2015 and David Cameron in 2010.

That said, it would have been interesting to have been a fly on the wall at Tuesday's meeting.

A statement from Jeremy Corbyn's spokesman said the meeting was "detailed and productive".

According to Conservative Home, external, Zac Goldsmith has made it onto the shortlist to be the Tory candidate in Richmond Park.

The website says the party's local association will choose between its former MP, barrister Laura Farris and IT executive Luke Parker.

Mr Goldsmith, of course, stood as an independent in a by-election last year in protest over the decision to approve a new Heathrow runway. He lost to the Lib Dem Sarah Olney.