The chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing has criticised Theresa May for not saying whether or not it is wrong that some nurses have turned to food banks for meals.

The BBC's Andrew Marr asked the question of the PM on Sunday morning, and she said there were "complex reasons" why people go to food banks. 

Janet Davies said the 1% cap on public sector basic pay increases was "fuelling a recruitment and retention crisis" that is risking patient safety. 

She added: "Theresa May was explicitly asked to admit that it is wrong for nurses to be forced to use food banks in 2017. Not only did she fail to acknowledge it is wrong, she failed to even mention nurses or their work in her reply.

"Nurses should not have to fund the NHS deficit from their own pay packets. Too many are struggling to make ends meet, turning to food banks and hardship grants in desperation. 

 "Every year that the government holds NHS pay below inflation, hundreds of thousands of nurses get another real-terms cut to their salary." 

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has reacted to Jeremy Corbyn's comments about funding public services. 

He says: "If Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was serious about investing in public services they wouldn't have given Theresa May a blank cheque to pursue a damaging hard Brexit that will wreck the economy. 

"You can't have good schools with a hard Brexit."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been speaking about his party's plans on taxes. 

In an interview, he said: “We are the party that wants low taxes for low and medium earners. 

"The Conservative party are a party that want low taxes for high earners. 

"We look at things the other way round. 

"So yes, there will be changes, but they will be very very much at the top end.”

Mr Corbyn also said the triple-lock on pensions was an "important step" in giving pensioners security. 

He reiterated that his party's main Brexit priorities were to get tariff-free access to the single market and guarantee the rights of EU citizens.

Speaking about the 20th anniversary of Tony Blair's landslide election victory, Mr Corbyn said he didn't "rubbish anybody" but had no plans to meet the former Labour leader. 

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has described himself as a "bit of a Eurosceptic", despite his party's pro-EU stance.

Mr Farron cited his 2008 resignation from the Lib Dem front bench because he wanted a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

But he said only the Lib Dems could prevent the "calamity of hard Brexit".

The party is aiming to attract the votes of people who backed Remain in June's EU referendum.

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Image source, EPA

Scotland's former first minister has said the general election is about "backing our Scottish parliament". 

But Alex Salmond said it is also about backing the right of the Scottish parliament to exercise the mandate for a referendum on independence. 

On Wednesday, Mr Salmond said Scots casting their ballots on 8 June "will know that they are voting to support the right of the parliament to decide on the holding of the Scottish referendum". 

Mr Salmond told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme: "This election is about backing the right of the Scottish parliament to exercise that mandate and also providing real opposition to the Tory government and of course allowing the Scottish parliament to resist austerity and some of the public expenditure that you've been talking about. 

"That's what this election is about, backing our Scottish parliament." 

However, current First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon told the broadcaster STV in recent days: "This election is not deciding whether or not Scotland is independent."  

Image source, PA

Labour can return to government "at any point" if it decides to get back to "winning ways", Tony Blair has said. 

In an apparent attack on the stance of Jeremy Corbyn's party, the former prime minister said the vision being offered by Labour was losing it middle-ground voters. 

His remarks were made in an interview with the Observer, external to mark 20 years since his 1997 landslide election victory. 

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has told Sky's Sophie Ridge that Labour's policy on North Korea is one of "engagement". 

After calling on US President Donald Trump to "back off" with "rhetoric" about the region, she said her party's approach would be to restart stalled talks, led by China, and to deal with the country "in a practical way".

Ms Thornberry added: "[Our policy] is not allowing ourselves to get involved in more and more rhetoric that could mean we could stumble into war, which no-one will win.

"It is very serious... We have to be serious and be prepared to sit around a table and work out how to do it."

Image source, Sky

Mr Corbyn says free meals in all primary schools - a party pledge - would be paid for by introducing VAT on private schools. 

He says the policy would boost the attainment and concentration levels of children. 

The Labour leader says this will also help teachers and parents. 

Jeremy Corbyn has been speaking at a conference of head teachers in Telford. 

He says funding is being cut for education when corporations have been given "multi-billion pound tax give-aways". 

Mr Corbyn reaffirms Labour plans to introduce a national education service, which he says would ensure "excellent learning opportunities" for those from early years to adult age. 

Ms Wood is asked whether she would step down as leader if Plaid Cymru does badly in the general election. 

"Probably not," she says. 

"I've got a job of work to do. I've got a vision of Wales, which is about building up our nation and getting us to the point where we can stand on our own two feet." 

Andrew Neil says Wales remaining in the single market is effectively like being a member of the EU - and he points out Wales voted for Brexit. 

She says "we have to accept the principle of free movement", arguing it will be needed to avoid a hard border between the north and south of Ireland. 

Wood reject suggestions she is trying to thwart Brexit.

"We've accepted the result. Plaid Cymru is all about now defending Wales," she adds.  

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood was earlier interviewed by Andrew Neil on the Sunday Politics show. 

She said she was concerned the way the UK leaves the EU - such as if tariffs are introduced - could be "very damaging to Wales". 

Asked about wanting Wales to be a member of the EU's single market, Andrew Neil puts it to her that this would mean Wales having to accept free movement of people and being under the jurisdiction of the European Court.  

Ms Wood said she wanted Wales to be like Norway - outside the EU but remaining inside the single market.

The UKIP leader has stood by his policy to carry out physical checks on schoolgirls deemed to be "at risk" of female genital mutilation. 

"If social services think that a young person has been abused, they have the right to enforce medical checks," he said. 

"I would suggest to you that female genital mutilation not only is abuse, but is actually grievous bodily harm."

Mr Nuttall claimed there were 8,500 new cases of FGM last year alone, and called it a "disgrace" there had not been a successful prosecution against it.

"We are turning a blind eye," he added.