Good morning and welcome to today's coverage of all things election. It's another busy day on the campaign trail.

Expect to see Labour's tax and spending plans come under attack from the Conservatives, and Labour to get back to the matter of the NHS.

Out on the streets, politicians will have one last shot to woo voters going to the polls on Thursday in local elections.

And Theresa May - who's making today's headlines as "a bloody difficult woman" - is off to see the Queen after Parliament was dissolved on Tuesday.

A look at the political news making some of Wednesday's front pages:

A round-up of the day's top stories:

• Theresa May says she'll be a 'bloody difficult woman' towards European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker during Brexit talks
• Diane Abbott says she 'misspoke' when she got confused over the cost of Labour's police pledge 
• Ex-Lib Dem deputy prime minister Nick Clegg sets out his party's EU Remain bid
• The first Evening Standard under George Osborne's editorship focuses on reported strained relations between the PM and the EU
• Green party co-leader Caroline Lucas says voters should be offered a second Brexit poll
• A son of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane is set to stand as a Sinn Féin candidate in June's general election.  

The Labour Party says it will focus on Wednesday on a pledge to stop the proposed closure of some A&E hospital departments in England and review those plans: 

John Pienaar

Labour can count on the votes of people who would like better services paid for by higher taxation, but: 

As for Theresa May, we will know more of Conservative policy plans when the party publishes its manifesto in a week or two's time. Right now: 

And on Brexit, and the leaks on that dinner with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker: 

After the PM's day of campaigning in the South-West, the former Labour leader tweets:

New Statesman

Writing in the New Statesman, special correspondent Stephen Bush looks, external at the leaks around Theresa May's talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker. 

While, he says, Britain has long "ignored its neighbours", he returns to a particular moment when former prime minister David Cameron promised to take his party out of a key EU group - and says that was a step on the road to Brexit.

Channel 4

Image source, PA

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has defended Diane Abbott for stumbling over the cost of Labour's pledge for 10,000 extra police officers for England and Wales.

Ms Thornberry told Channel 4 News:

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

Image source, AFP/Getty

After the row about the row, Theresa May slapped back the Brussels briefings with a challenge of her own, proudly reminding voters she had been described as a "bloody difficult woman" - a badge she clearly wears with pride.

In the South West, home to plenty of the many voters who chose Brexit and voted for UKIP last time round (3.8 million UKIP voters at the last election), a message that says unashamedly she is ready to do battle over the After Eights is hardly likely to be a problem.

Around the country too, there are 71 currently Labour constituencies where the number of UKIP voters in 2015 was bigger than the size of the Labour majority.

We have, of course, to be wise to what is going on. In the Brexit negotiations there will be dozens and dozens of episodes of spin wars. And our election will be full of it too.

But Theresa May's comment is revealing about her strength, and also her weakness. No political leader wants to be seen to be pushed around. When the UK talked tough as a member of the EU the others had no choice but to listen.

Read more

Theresa May was also asked about George Osborne's first edition of the Evening Standard which carried the front-page headline "Brussels twists knife on Brexit".

In an editorial, the paper warned against expecting a "blank cheque" in EU negotiations, adding: "There's nothing wrong with repeating election campaign slogans; the problem comes when the election campaign amounts to no more than a slogan."

To laughter, the PM said: "First of all, can I wish George all the very best in his new job," adding that he did a "great job" as chancellor.

But she said she was "giving a very clear message about this campaign and this election".

Theresa May has been speaking at a campaign rally in Bristol, where she urged shadow home secretary Diane Abbott to "have another look at her figures" after she got confused over the cost of Labour's pledge for 10,000 extra police officers for England and Wales.

Ms Abbott said it would cost £300,000 over four years before correcting herself to "about £80m", in an interview with LBC, external.

The PM said that although people were laughing it was "very serious" and showed the choice between "strong and stable leadership" under the Tories and a "coalition of chaos" under Jeremy Corbyn.

"I think she was suggesting you could employ a police officer for £8,000 a head," Mrs May told supporters. "I think she needs to go and have another look at her figures."

The PM also stressed that the Brexit negotiations "will not be easy", with 27 member states "united to get the deal that works for them". She said it was important to ensure "we get a deal that works in our national interests".

Radio 4 PM

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has edited his first edition of London paper the Evening Standard.

For many years Paul Johnson, from think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies, analysed George Osborne's work as Chancellor. PM asked Mr Johnson to turn his attention to Mr Osborne's first effort as the paper's editor.

He said it was a "good deal more interesting than your average Budget document".

Kathryn Langley
BBC Live reporter

Lewes is one of the seats Tim Farron's party hopes to win back in the general election.

Kelly Marie-Blundell will contest the seat currently held by Conservative Maria Caulfield.