Summary

  • Theresa May launches stinging attack on EU

  • She says they are trying to affect UK election

  • Followed dispute over Brexit 'divorce bill'

  • Corbyn says May trying to distract attention from economic failure at home

  • Parliament has now been dissolved

  • The general election is on 8 June

  1. Twitter reacts to Diane Abbott's police funding interviewpublished at 09:49 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Times political columnist and Tory peer tweets:

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    The Guardian's diplomatic editor tweets:

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    The deputy political editor for the Sun appears to agree - and by the way, we're taking MSM here to mean mainstream media:

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    Was she back on script later? 5 News political editor tweets:

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  2. Mind the funding gappublished at 09:47 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    It's set to be one of the biggest issues in next month's general election, and this week the Sunday Politics asked two of the South East's leading Conservative and Labour politicians how they see the future of adult social care.

  3. Corbyn 'throws campaign curveball' with policing pledgepublished at 09:34 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    BBC assistant political editor says:

    Victoria Derbyshire

    Norman Smith

    Our assistant political editor suggests Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has thrown " a curveball" with today's law and order theme.

    It's traditional Tory territory, says Norman Smith, but Mr Corbyn appears to have "almost taken a leaf out of the Tony Blair handbook".

    The current Labour leader can't keep banging the same drum, he knows he has to reach out if he's to have any chance at this election. Similarly, he'll be shifting his campaigning away from traditional Labour areas to those less so, like the south of England where he will spend today campaigning.  

    However, in 1997, back when the Blairite message was "tough on crime, tough on causes of crime", crime was top of the agenda for voters.

    Now, however, it's Brexit, says Norman, with crime towards the bottom, at eighth or ninth in a list of voters' concerns.

  4. Listen: The single-market baby and the EU bath waterpublished at 09:23 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Media caption,

    Nick Clegg stretches his metaphors on Brexit

  5. Designs on Downing Street: Tony and Cherie's victory walkpublished at 09:14 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Retired Labour regional director and elections officer tweets:

    From today's electioneering to an election victory 20 years ago - when Tony Blair became prime minister. Here's a glimpse of how the day was choreographed.

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  6. Diane Abbott grilled over cost of police promisepublished at 09:08 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    LBC

    LBC radio presenter Nick Ferrari puts shadow home secretary Diane Abbott through her paces on his show by drilling down on the cost of funding 10,000 more police officers.

    Straightforward question from Mr Ferrari: "How much would 10,000 police officers cost?"

    Her response: "About £300,000."

    "About £300,000? What are you paying them?" replies Ferrari. 

    Ms Abbott then reconsiders: "It will cost... they will cost... it will cost... about £80m."

    Pressing further on that second figure, Ferrari says that would mean paying the police officers an annual salary of £8,000.

    Ms Abbott says in answer: "We get to that figure because we anticipate recruiting 25,000 extra police officers a year at least over a period of four years and we're looking at what average police wages are generally, but also specifically police wages in London."

    Despite the apparent confusion, she insists the plan is fully-costed and fully thought-through.

    You can listen to a clip from the show here., external

  7. Coming and going: Is your MP on the move?published at 09:06 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Ed Davey and Vince CableImage source, Getty Images

    As George Osborne steps into the editor's chair at the London Evening Standard - and leaves his Tatton consituency behind - which other MPs are standing down at this election? And who's hoping for a comeback? Hint, there's a clue in our picture.

    Read more here.

  8. 'Equality in our country'published at 09:02 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    May Day paraders in Liverpool told us what they would say to Labour supporters who are thinking of voting for another party.

    Read More
  9. Rubik's Cube negotiation requires agility and charm - Cleggpublished at 08:52 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Asked if his friends in Brussels should shut up and treat the UK with respect - remember, he used to be an MEP way back when - Nick Clegg says: "I wouldn't feel too much sympathy for Theresa May. I remember when her 'hitmen' used to leak furiously when I was in coalition."

    He says what is worrying about the reports - if they are true - is o 10 is "treating the EU as if it running the Home Office, barking instructions and expecting them to fall into line".

    This is a "complex, Rubik's Cube" negotiation that requires "agility and charm", which seems to be lacking, he adds.

  10. How Brexit row could impact electionpublished at 08:50 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Reports of divisions with EU leaders over Brexit will give ammunition to Theresa May's opponents.

    Read More
  11. Danczuk fails to secure Labour nominationpublished at 08:44 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Labour officials said Simon Danczuk would not be endorsed as a candidate in the general election.

    Read More
  12. Clegg: Tories think Opposition is a dirty wordpublished at 08:44 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Nick CleggImage source, PA

    Nick Clegg is asked what difference "doubling or trebling" the number of Lib Dem MPs at the election on 8 June would make.

    He says while the Tories were treating the election as a coronation, Lib Dems would be prepared to work across party lines to challenge and put pressure on the government. 

    The Conservatives, he says, have "got it into their heads that Opposition is a dirty word".

    But, he says, there are pro-EU Conservatives who are being left out of the debate. 

  13. Clegg: There's a real Brexit squeeze alreadypublished at 08:35 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg doing the rounds this morning ahead of his first election campaign speech later. He'll warn of the economic harm of Brexit, putting a figure of £500 per person this year alone.

    He tells the Today programme growth is down, consumer spending is down, and crucially the amount of money people have in their pockets is down.

    There's a real Brexit "squeeze" already - and this is a choice that Theresa May has made, he says.

    Asked to explain what he means by "hard Brexit", Mr Clegg says Mrs May has "chosen to throw out the single market baby with the EU bath water". She has chosen to quit EU institutions but also to "sever our links with Margaret Thatcher's single market" and quit the customs union.

    Quote Message

    That will put us - economically speaking - at a greater distance from the EU than countries like Turkey, Norway, Iceland, even little Liechtenstein."

  14. Listen: We will be 'more discreet' in negotiationspublished at 08:29 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Media caption,

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd on rumours coming out of Brussels

  15. Parallels with another EU 'row'?published at 08:26 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    RTE News managing editor tweets...

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  16. Conservatives: Labour's sums don't add uppublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

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  17. Rudd: Immigration targets to be in manifestopublished at 08:16 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Asked about immigration targets post-Brexit, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said they would be set out in the party's manifesto.

    Pressed on whether it would detail some means of achieving those targets, she said: "I can't divulge all the details. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss it in due course."

    But our political editor spots some potential wiggle room in the home secretary's choice of words...

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  18. Tory landslide not good for Brexit talks - Cleggpublished at 08:15 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    BBC Breakfast

    Nick Clegg

    Nick Clegg rejects Theresa May's argument that every vote for the Conservatives strengthens her hand in Brexit negotiations.

    There's "no evidence at all that racking up a great big landlslide majority for the Conservatives is going to make this negotiation any easier", the former Lib Dem leader tells BBC Breakfast.

    In fact, it makes it much more likely that the atmosphere in the talks will become “belligerent”, he adds.

  19. Rudd: We will conduct our negotiations more discreetlypublished at 08:11 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Asked about the May-Juncker dinner "gossip", Home Secretary Amber Rudd says: "None of this is really surprising. We always said the negotiations are going to be difficult.

    "We will always make sure we conduct our negotiations more discreetly so we can have a freer negotiating hand."

    She adds that she would urge the EU to think carefully about what is in the interests of other countries, and in particular EU nationals living in the UK.

    "We have been very clear with our EU counterparts - we want to get an early resolution. I think it should be a priority for them," she concludes.

  20. Rudd: Conservatives can control the budget and reduce crimepublished at 08:04 British Summer Time 2 May 2017

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Amber RuddImage source, AFP

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd is asked about cutting 20,000 police officer jobs since the Conservatives came into power. She says what really matters is that crime has fallen by a third since 2010, and only the Conservatives can control the budget and reduce crime.

    Labour's proposals, she says, are "totally without credibilit" and the party has "no reputation" on looking after security.

    The BBC's Nick Robinson says HM Inspectorate of Constabulary believes there is a "dangerous and disturbing" national shortage of detectives 

    In response, Ms Rudd says there is "a need to make sure they are supported", but it crucial to focus on where crime was evolving, which included spending £144m on the armed police.

    Mr Robinson asked if there would be promises on police numbers and the police budget in this Tory manifesto, as there were none in the 2015 version.

    "We will have to see what comes out with the manifesto," she adds.