Image source, Getty Images

It's 37 days until the general election (we know you can't wait), but only two until many voters in the UK go to the polls, because on Thursday there are a whole host of elections taking place. 

They'll be held in 34 councils in England, all 32 councils in Scotland and all 22 councils in Wales on 4 May 2017.

In addition, six areas in England are voting for newly-created "combined local authority mayors".

Doncaster and North Tyneside are also voting for local authority mayors, who are elected leaders of their respective councils.

For more, check out our essential guide.

The Guardian's diplomatic editor tweets:

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

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

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.

Victoria Derbyshire

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.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

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.

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

Image 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.

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

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.

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

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

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image 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. 

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.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

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...

BBC Breakfast

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.