Summary

  • Labour: No tax rises below £80,000

  • Tories' mental health treatment pledge

  • Lib Dems to keep pensions 'triple lock'...

  • ...but means-test winter fuel payment

  • General election on 8 June

  1. Follow uspublished at 06:23 British Summer Time 8 May 2017

    We're closing this page now and moving to a fresh one, so please click through to keep following all our general election coverage.

  2. Monday's front pagespublished at 23:49 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

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  3. Theresa May congratulates Emmanuel Macron on his election victorypublished at 23:38 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    A Downing Street spokesperson said: "This evening the prime minister spoke to President-elect Macron to warmly congratulate him on his election victory. 

    "The prime minister said that she looked forward to working with the new president on a range of shared issues, with the UK and France's unique partnership providing a strong foundation for future co-operation.

    "The leaders briefly discussed Brexit and the prime minister reiterated that the UK wants a strong partnership with a secure and prosperous EU once we leave.

    "The prime minister and President-elect Macron looked forward to meeting and holding discussions at the upcoming NATO and G7 Summits."

  4. Conservative ex-minister backs 'slim manifesto'published at 23:05 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Westminster Hour
    Radio 4's Westminster Hour

    Conservative Stephen Crabb says it's right in the context of Brexit to put out "a much broader, much simpler manifesto - keep it slimmer".

    On the party's longstanding pledge to cut net annual immigration to the "tens of thousands" - the subject of much debate today - he says "reaching that target is extremely difficult" but the party should be clear with voters about what it is aiming for.

    He suggests the triple-lock on pensions should be kept until 2020 and it would be an act of "bad faith" to do otherwise.

    Labour's Baroness Smith says "there's a lot of working going on" on the Labour manifesto and it's important to set out "an honest assessment of what is achievable".

  5. Labour Lords leader: Priority is to win seatspublished at 22:50 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Westminster Hour
    Radio 4's Westminster Hour

    Asked about reports that the Labour leadership wants to "build a movement" rather than win an election, Baroness Smith says the job of any leader is to "maximise their representatives in Parliament, and the priority has to be to win seats".

    Labour's leader in the Lords acknowledges the local election results were "disappointing" for her party, but she say she 8 June might be different because turnout will be higher.

    Conservative Stephen Crabb agrees with her that "people are getting carried away" with the lessons of the local elections and "we need to be out there every day campaigning hard". 

    UKIP's Patrick Flynn jokes that "we can't lose seats as we don't have any" but he wants to see his party to make a "sensible attempt" in certain parts of the country. 

  6. 'Juncker has made himself look ridiculous'published at 22:38 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Westminster Hour
    Radio 4's Westminster Hour

    UKIP MEP Patrick O'Flynn warns voters will be put off "if the Labour Party sticks to a doom-and-gloom message" on Brexit.

    Labour Lords leader Baroness Smith protests that "people are worried - it's the uncertainty that worries people". 

    Commenting on reports of a stormy meeting between Theresa May and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, Conservative Stephen Crabb says: "Juncker has made himself look ridiculous by leaking this." 

    Former Foreign Office chief Sir Simon Fraser describes it as a "bumpy" bit of diplomacy and "a bad leak", which Theresa May "exploited for political gains".

  7. 'A good result for Britain'published at 22:22 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Westminster Hour
    Radio 4's Westminster Hour

    Former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office Sir Simon Fraser calls Emmanuel Macron's victory "a good result for France, a good result for Europe and a good result for Britain".

    Sir Simon, who's met Mr Macron, describes him as a "charismatic, bright guy, very able".

    He says while there are challenges waiting for the new president, this is "a new beginning and an opportunity for France". 

  8. Labour proposes junk food ad banpublished at 22:21 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Boys watching TVImage source, Science Photo Library

    Adverts for junk food and sweets would be banned from all TV shows broadcast before the 21:00 watershed under Labour plans to tackle childhood obesity.

    The party says the proposal forms part of a future child health bill that will be outlined in its election manifesto.

    Products high in fat, salt or sugar are currently banned from being advertised during children's TV only.

    The Tories said they had the world's "most ambitious" child obesity plan that would be put at risk by Labour.

    Read more here

  9. Where have the party leaders been this weekend?published at 21:51 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Theresa May tours the UTC Aerospace Systems factory in Wolverhampton with West Midlands Mayor Andy StreetImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Theresa May tours the UTC Aerospace Systems factory in Wolverhampton with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn arrives at an election campaign event in DerbyImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn arrives at an election campaign event in Derby

    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow's George Square to mark the party's victory in the local electionsImage source, PA
    Image caption,

    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow's George Square to mark the party's victory in the local elections

    Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron takes part in an annual fun run in Kendal, CumbriaImage source, PA
    Image caption,

    Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron takes part in an annual fun run in Kendal, Cumbria

  10. Jeremy Corbyn 'delighted' at French election resultpublished at 21:32 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Labour leader tweets:

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  11. This week on the election trailpublished at 21:28 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Media caption,

    This week on the election trail

    The big moments from the election campaign this week.  

  12. Alex Salmond accuses Scottish Conservatives of 'foolish boasting'published at 21:11 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    SalmondImage source, AFP

    After a record result in the Scottish local government elections, where they returned 276 councillors, the Conservatives now have several SNP-held seats in their sights on 8 June. 

    Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, has already declared her party has a "pretty good" chance of winning the Moray constituency. 

    The party's foreign affairs spokesman, and former leader, Alex Salmond has hit back.

    "There's no question the Tory vote is on the increase and therefore we have to galvanise the SNP support," said Mr Salmond. 

    "Boasting before an election is an extremely foolish thing to do. The people have their say at the ballot box and I think the north-east of Scotland has a way of bringing people who make vainglorious boasts down to earth with a sharp bump." 

    Ian Murray, until recently Labour's single MP in Scotland, insisted the "Sturgeon surge" was now over, pointing out: "The SNP failed to win a single majority on any council."

  13. 'Two-party race helps Tories' in Walespublished at 20:53 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Jonathan Evans

    Welsh Conservatives will benefit from a general election seen as a two party contest, a senior Tory has said.

    Despite returning 80 more councillors, 184 in total, at Thursday's local elections in Wales, the party only took control of Monmouthshire.

    Welsh Tory chairman Jonathan Evans said June's poll will be regarded as a Theresa May-Jeremy Corbyn battle.

    Welsh Labour's Chris Evans said the local election results gave the party a "firm foundation" to build on.

    Read more.

  14. Farage: Le Pen can win in 2022published at 20:18 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    British politicians have been eager to tweet their approval of Emmanuel Macron's victory:

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    But not everyone is pleased. The former UKIP leader tweets:

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  15. Video: The moment Macron's victory was announcedpublished at 20:10 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

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  16. Improved performance by defeated Front Nationalpublished at 19:55 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    BBC correspondent tweets...

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  17. What is Marx's Das Kapital?published at 19:47 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Karl MarxImage source, Getty Images

    Labour's John McDonnell says there is much to learn from reading Karl Marx's Das Kapital. 

    What is it?

    Well, it's over 200,000 words long but we've had a go at summarising its main points. 

    Das Kapital is essentially an explanation of how the capitalist system will destroy itself.

    Marx had already set out his ideas on class struggle - how the workers of the world would seize power from the ruling elites - in the Communist Manifesto and other writings.

    Das Kapital is an attempt to give these ideas a grounding in verifiable fact and scientific analysis.

    In simple terms, Marx argues that an economic system based on private profit is inherently unstable because it relies on the exploitation of workers.

    Read more.

    What is Marx's Das Kapital?

    Labour's John McDonnell says there is much to learn from reading Karl Marx's Das Kapital. What is it?

    Read More
  18. Theresa May congratulates Macron on his victorypublished at 19:15 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    A Downing Street spokesperson says: "The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success. 

    "France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new President on a wide range of shared priorities."

  19. Macron wins French presidential election, projections saypublished at 19:12 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    French election

    Some important breaking news from France - Emmanuel Macron, head of centrist party En Marche, has defeated Marine Le Pen, of the far-right National Front, in the presidential election.

    You can follow the full story on our French elections live page

  20. Battle on for safe Labour seat in Liverpoolpublished at 18:51 British Summer Time 7 May 2017

    Steve Rotheram, who was elected the first mayor of the Liverpool City region on Thursday, has announced he will not be seeking re-election  as MP for Liverpool Walton, the Liverpool Post reports., external

    The race is now to be selected for one of the safest Labour seats in the country.

    Candidates have just five days to make their pitches to a representative of Labour's National Executive Committee, who will make the final decision.

    Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson is said to be interested, along with MEP Theresa Griffin and former Labour advisor Daniel Hughes. Daniel Carden, an aide to Unite union boss Len McLuskey is also in the running, according to the Post.

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