Prime Minister Theresa May dismisses reports of how a dinner went between herself and EC President Jean-Claude Juncker as "Brussels gossip".

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A Labour Party statement says of the Rochdale MP, who is currently suspended by the party:

Theresa May said again that it is not the Conservative Party's plan to raise taxes but said "we will not make specific promises unless I'm sure we can keep them".

She also shrugged off the suggestion of a return to active politics for former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair:

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Prime Minister Theresa May has been asked by the BBC's Ben Wright about the reports from Germany that European Commission officials had described her dinner with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker last week as "very difficult".

Mrs May said: 

Prime Minister Theresa May has been speaking at a campaign event in Lancashire.

She says that on 8 June "every single vote will count", adding that "it won't matter who you voted for before" or "which party is strongest in your area". 

Mr May adds that we are "stronger when we stand together united, united as a nation, united as a people working together for a better future".

The catchphrases of the campaign make an appearance - comparing what she calls a "coalition of chaos" with "strong and stable" leadership.

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Jeremy Cliffe, Berlin bureau chief at The Economist, who was quick to highlight a German newspaper's damning account of a meeting between Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker, has been telling the BBC why he thinks it is so important.

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The Conservative candidate in the West Midlands metro mayor race has defended spending up to £1m on campaigning.

Andy Street said he "had not spent quite £1m" as reports suggest, but accepted he had "spent a substantial amount more than my opponents".

The ex-John Lewis boss said the cost was "absolutely appropriate" and the 4 May election was "a new start in democracy" for the region.

Other candidates said it was unfair and called for the rules to be tightened.

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Labour's Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has stepped into the row over Theresa May's dinner with European Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker. 

According to a German newspaper, leaked minutes of last week's dinner suggest it went badly with the former prime minister of Luxembourg telling Mrs May that Brexit "cannot be a success". 

This afternoon, at a May Day rally in Trafalgar Square, Mr McDonnell, was due to say it was "further proof for why we need a Labour government leading the negotiations with our European allies to ensure jobs and living standards are protected. 

"Not a Tory party prepared to take our country over a cliff edge."

Downing Street has said it does not recognise the account published in Germany. The dinner, it said, had been "a constructive meeting".

The Liberal Democrats have chosen their general election candidate for Bath - one of the party's top targets.

The selection was rushed through after the party's original candidate stood down last week.

Wera Hobhouse was selected by members during a lunchtime meeting at Bath City Football Club,

The seat is currently held by the Conservative MP Ben Howlett but was previously a Lib Dem stronghold, held by Don Foster for 23 years.

The original prospective parliamentary candidate, Jay Risbridger, picked last autumn, stood down last week due to family and work commitments.

Paul Strasburger, from the Lib Dems's campaign in Bath, said: "It's important to the party nationally because it's a very winnable seat, and therefore it's a central part of our desire to stop a Tory landslide."

Ms Hobhouse, stood for the Lib Dems in North East Somerset at the last general election in 2015, but the seat was won by Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Former Chancellor Alistair Darling says the best that Labour can hope for from the election is being a "sizeable opposition" to the Conservatives.  

Mr Darling, who was campaigning in Edinburgh South on Monday, said: "It's important we get the best possible result for the country - that means having a sensible sizeable opposition that can actually make a difference." 

Commenting on Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Darling said: "He is the leader, he is the leader right up to the general election. My view is we need to get on, we're fighting a general election campaign, you know leaders come and go."

Parties should not rule out raising income tax, National Insurance and VAT, a think tank says.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn declined to be drawn on the prospect of a political comeback by predecessor Tony Blair.

Mr Corbyn, campaigning in London, was asked about an interview given by Mr Blair to the Daily Mirror newspaper this morning to mark the 20th anniversary of Labour's landslide victory. 

Mr Blair is quoted as saying Brexit has given him "direct motivation" to get more involved in politics and that he's "going to be taking an active part in trying to shape the policy debate". He says he is fully prepared to "get a bucket of wotsit" poured all over him.

He also reveals that his youngest son Leo has joined the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party. 

Mr Corbyn appeared unimpressed: "Tony Blair has said many things over the last few days. What I look forward to is everybody getting together for a Labour victory on June the 8th." 

Later, however, Mr Corbyn tweeted his appreciation of work done by Mr Blair's government: 

You can find the full Daily Mirror interview here., external

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Former Chancellor Alistair Darling, joining Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray on the campaign trail, said: “People don’t have to choose between Brexit nationalism and Scottish nationalism."