This Week

Andrew Neil will be reviewing the political week with Lisa Nandy, Michael Portillo and Miranda Green.

Adrian Chiles will have a round-up to the end of the current Parliament, as the general election campaign gets under way.

Financial Times editor Lionel Barber will be talking Brexit, before comedian Simon Evans joins the panel to talk about confrontation.

They are live from 23:45 BST on BBC One, straight after Question Time.

According to the eggheads in BBC Research, the first council to declare a result is likely to be Merthyr Tydfil in Wales at 02:30 BST on Friday morning.

This is likely to be followed 30 minutes later by a gaggle of councils, including Blaenau Gwent, Flintshire, and Wrexham (Wales are quick off the mark), Isle of Wight, and Warwickshire.

The first result from Scotland - from Orkney - isn't due until 11:30 BST on Friday morning.

Among the stragglers are expected to be Cornwall, Northamptonshire and Wiltshire, which are not expected to declare until 18:00 BST.

Last of all is likely to be Doncaster, not due to announce its result until 20:00 BST on Friday evening.

Image source, AFP

If you think the BBC's coverage has been a bit light on UK politics that's because, like other broadcasters, we're not allowed to report details of campaigning while the polls are open.

The BBC is required by electoral law to adopt a code of practice, ensuring fairness between candidates.

The basic principle behind due impartiality in political coverage is set out in the agreement accompanying the BBC Charter.

On polling day specifically, the broadcasters don't report on any of the election campaigns from 00:30 BST until polls close at 22:00 BST on TV, radio or bbc.co.uk or on social media and other channels.

We can only cover uncontroversial factual accounts, such as the appearance of politicians at polling stations or the weather.

Expect usual, busy coverage to resume at 22:00 BST.

When do the polls close? You've got until 22:00 BST tonight to get to your local polling station.

What are people voting for? Elections will be held in 34 councils in England, all 32 councils in Scotland and all 22 councils in Wales.

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.

When are we expecting the results? Some English and Welsh councils will begin counting ballots as soon as polls close at 22:00 BST. 

Others will start counting on Friday morning, with results continuing all day Friday.

Scotland's 32 councils will start their counts on Friday morning, with first results expected from midday. 

Most mayoral results will be declared on Friday.

Image source, AFP

While the BBC is not able to report campaign news in the UK while large parts of the country go to the polls, we can bring you news from overseas. 

And the French election - taking place on Sunday - is certainly making headlines. 

In the latest twist, frontrunner Emmanuel Macron has filed a lawsuit over claims that he has a secret bank account in the Caribbean.

His far-right adversary, Marine Le Pen, referred to the claim in Wednesday's televised debate.

"I hope that we will not find out that you have an offshore account in the Bahamas," she said to Mr Macron, the centrist, pro-EU candidate.

"That is slander," he replied. 

And an aide to Mr Macron told AFP news agency: "We will not hesitate to prosecute for defamation anyone who repeats this false information."

Read more here

Barack Obama, former US president, has come out on the side of centrist Emmanuel Macron, who, he says, is "committed to a better future for French people".

In the video, he says he's not planning to get involved in many elections, but the "success of France matters to the entire world".

Image source, Milo Noblet

Confused by all the dog photos? 

The hashtag #dogsatpollingstations has reappeared on social media today as people across England, Scotland and Wales vote in local and mayoral elections. Why?

Find out more.   

A Scottish council election polling station was set up in a car after the presiding officer could not get into the right building.

The officer set up the improvised Moray Council polling station in her car, outside a branch of the Royal British Legion in Buckie.

Two of the early arrivals voted in the car before the building opened.

Read more.

Image source, The Moray Council

Image source, Getty Images

As people continue to vote in Britain, across the Atlantic, in the US, the House of Representatives are voting on a revised healthcare bill that Republicans hope will replace Obamacare.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says the party's leadership believes it has enough votes for the bill to pass, despite opposition from Democrats.

It would then go to the Senate where it could run into more difficulties.

President Donald Trump made the repeal of Obamacare a central campaign promise.

This week, he's played a personal role in persuading wavering Republicans to come on board the legislation, known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

See what's in the revised bill.

Image source, AFP

National renewal is what both the rival French presidential candidates are promising, but they offer very different paths to get there.

Liberal centrist Emmanuel Macron - winner of the first round - and nationalist Marine Le Pen are already revolutionising French politics.

They have delivered a big blow to the long-dominant Socialists and conservative Republicans.

Mr Macron leads a new movement called En Marche (On the Move), while Ms Le Pen is backed by the National Front (FN). They disagree on many issues, especially Europe and immigration.

The decisive second round is on Sunday - and polls show Mr Macron with a firm lead. So what are the main differences between the Macron and Le Pen visions?

Read how their visions for France differ

We may have tight restrictions on what we can write about UK politics today, but there's no restriction on reporting on politics in other parts of the world... 

An Australian MP has found to his cost that an outburst of laughter does not sit well with a mouthful of food.

Graham Perrett laughed so hard while watching an episode of the US political satire Veep that he choked on his sushi, knocked himself out and fell against a kitchen top.

The federal Labor MP, who represents Moreton in Queensland, was left with a black eye and three stitches. He was later consoled on Twitter by the stars of the TV show.

Mr Perrett's mishap last Sunday was first reported in the Strewth column of The Australian newspaper, external.