Image source, AFP

There has been a social media frenzy in Northern Ireland over DUP leader Arlene Foster's reference to her opponent Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill as "blonde".

Speaking to the Sunday Independent,, external Mrs Foster used the word to describe Sinn Féin's leader in Northern Ireland during a word-association game.

Mrs O'Neill has responded that there can be no place for sexism or any form of discrimination in public life.

"As political leaders we have a duty and a responsibility to lead by example," she said.

"There is a clear need for more women in public life and there is an onus on women in political leadership to empower women to encourage greater participation in public life."

The row was labelled "#blondegate' on Twitter, as social media filled with memes. Read more

If you have been too busy to follow the election news, here is a flavour of what has been going on today:

• Theresa May has pledged to help workers by boosting their rights - including the right to take unpaid leave to care for sick relatives
• Labour says it would put an extra £37bn into the NHS in England over five years if elected
• Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been under fire over the cyber-attack
• The party leaders have been on the road and on the airwaves. 

Film-maker Ken Loach has made a party political broadcast for Labour which is due to be shown on Monday evening.

In it, Jeremy Corbyn praises "the history, the beauty, the diversity" of the UK, but says there is public anger over injustice and inequality. 

Loach made Kes, Cathy Come Home and the award-winning I, Daniel Blake.

In the broadcast, the Labour leader says: 

Image source, reuters /pa

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are to face separate interviews in front of a live studio audience in a joint programme broadcast by Sky News and Channel 4. The 90-minute programme on May 29 will be followed by a BBC Question Time special with the two leaders on June 2. 

Sky News political editor Faisal Islam will host the audience question-and-answer sessions, while Jeremy Paxman will interview the leaders separately. 

Looking after family - the experiences of relatives and business

Former MP and Lib Dem election candidate for Cambridge Julian Huppert is gathering some applause on social media for admitting that it was not all sunshine on the doorsteps today. 

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has written in The Times about her clash with defence secretary and Tory "attack dog" Sir Michael Fallon on Sunday's Andrew Marr Show.  

She talks about sticking it out in tough situations in school and why she has carried that resolve into Westminster life - and why that instinct made an appearance yesterday.

Read the full article here, external.   

LBC

A first time voter asks Sir Ed Davey: "Why should I trust you with my vote?"

The Lib Dem replies: "Because we are the party of education.

"We remain the party of education, investing in our schools, investing in our colleges."

He is reminded of the Lib Dems' failure to stop a rise in university tuition fees and says:

LBC

Image source, Getty Images

Tuition fees will forever haunt the Lib Dems. A young caller who is about to go to university brings up the issue and asks how the party can be trusted.

Sir Ed Davey admits it was a mistake to go back on their promise not to raise tuition fees, but reminds listeners that at the time the Lib Dems were part of a coalition. He says the Lib Dems would like to reintroduce maintenance grants. 

LBC

Liberal Democrat Sir Ed Davey is talking to voters on LBC radio and is, of course, asked about Brexit.

He says that the idea that Europe is going to treat us nicely is "a nonsense I'm afraid". 

"Whether Mrs May has a majority of one or 100, it makes no difference whatsoever," he says. 

The competing political parties have not said a huge amount yet on policing.

Labour has promised to increase the number of police officers by 10,000 over four years, which it said will cost £300m.

Presumably, more details will emerge once May, Corbyn et al publish their manifestos. But it looks like this will be a difficult issue, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies finds that the number of police officers has fallen 14% between 2009 and 2016.

Read the full report here, external.

Image source, IFS

The BMA seeks legal advice over an email telling staff not to express political opinions on social media.

BBC Monitoring
News from around the globe

Image source, Getty Images

European newspapers are following the UK's general election. 

France's centre-left Le Monde, external says the cyber-attack has "set the campaign alight" and that a government which "likes to boast about the strength of its cyber safeguards… now finds itself on the defensive".

Tim de Wit in the Dutch daily Trouw, external says the Labour leader "knows public service cuts are the governing Conservatives' weakness", which is why Theresa May has "tried to talk as little as possible about the NHS and much more about the global scale of the cyber-attack".

Meanwhile, the German daily Die Welt, external says Russia would "rejoice" if Labour won the election. It also reports claims that Theresa May's campaign is "difficult", showing her knocking on the doors of houses which appear to be empty.

However, Spain's El Mundo, external thinks Mrs May has little to fear from Jeremy Corbyn, predicting an "historic sweep" on the scale of Margaret Thatcher's 1983 election victory over Labour.

Unlike the Liberal Democrats, The Conservative Party will not be legalising cannabis any time soon. 

ITV News

A final question now from the getting on for 40,000 that have apparently been submitted to ITV News for the PM. A voter wants to know if Theresa May will see Brexit through "until the bitter end".

She says that if she wins the election she intends to see her five-year term out until the end.

The Brexit process is supposed to take two years and Mrs May says she is "pretty certain" that she can do it in that time-frame.

Although, she concedes that there may be a transitional period.

ITV News

As the epic Facebook Live Q&A comes to an end, Theresa May is asked if she is going to "stop Sharia law from taking root" in the UK.

"There is only one law and that is UK law," she replies.

But she says when she was home secretary she commissioned a review of Sharia law, looking at how it affects women.

However, the PM gives no detail on when we can expect to see the results of that review.

The TUC boss says living standards have been falling too fast for too long.

ITV News

Over 60% of PIP (Personal Independence Payment) assessments are overturned on appeal, doesn't that suggest the process is especially brutal, asks one Facebook user?

Theresa May says it is right for the Department of Work and Pensions to continually look at how assessments are done to make sure it is a fair system. 

You may remember that Personal Independence Payments have replaced Disability Living Allowance and not without some controversy.

Image source, PA

We brought you a clip earlier of Theresa May being confronted by voter Cathy Mohan, in Abingdon. The charity Mencap has criticised what the prime minister said:

ITV News

Why won't Theresa May ban the full-face veil - the burka?

"Because I think it is up to a woman to decide how she dresses," Mrs May says. 

There may be a requirement for women to remove it at a border when entering or leaving, she adds, but repeats that it is up to a woman to decides what she wears.