Summary

  • MPs are gearing up for Britain's first pre-Christmas election campaign in nearly a century

  • Boris Johnson says it is time for the country to "come together to get Brexit done"

  • Labour's Jeremy Corbyn says the snap poll gives the country a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity

  • Leaders clash in the longest ever Prime Minister's Questions

  • MPs backed the PM's 12 December election bill on Tuesday - peers are considering it today

  • Amber Rudd, David Lidington and Patrick McLoughlin join the ranks of MPs standing down ahead of the election

Live Reporting

Hamish Mackay, Marie Jackson, Paul Seddon, Kate Whannel and Emma Harrison

  1. DUP 'made mistake' over Brexit regulatory differences

    DUP deputy leader Nigel DoddsPA Media

    DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds has previously said any divergence from the UK would be catastrophic for NI

    A former government Brexit adviser has suggested the DUP made a mistake by accepting there could be regulatory differences between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

    Raoul Ruparel, who advised Theresa May, was giving evidence to a Commons committee on Wednesday.

    He said one of the reasons Boris Johnson got a deal with the European Union was due to the DUP's move.

    Read more from our NI economics and business editor here.

  2. Government amends exit day in law

    The regulation which amends the definition of the UK's "exit day" from the EU has been published on the government's website.

    It states that the Treaties of the European Union will cease to apply to the UK at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020, instead of 31 October 2019.

    It can be found here.

  3. Labour MP Helen Jones to stand down

    Phil McCann
    Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News

    Helen JonesUK Parliament

    Veteran Labour MP Helen Jones is to stand down ahead of December's election after 22 years in Parliament.

    In a resignation letter, the 65-year-old member for Warrington North said it would not be "fair to my constituents, my party or my family" to stay on until she reaches 70.

    Ms Jones said she hoped she would be succeeded by a woman.

    Graham Friend, chairman of Warrington North Labour Party, said people would be "very sorry to see her go".

    Read more

  4. Will EU leaders have the TV on?

    It's worth noting that the 12 December date for the election approved by MPs yesterday means the results will be coming in half-way through the next EU leaders' summit in Brussels.

    The European Council meeting is also the last such summit currently scheduled before the new Brexit deadline of 31 January 2020.

  5. Corbyn challenges Johnson to head-to-head TV debate

    The BBC's 2017 election TV debate

    Amber Rudd stood in for Theresa May in the BBC's 2017 election TV debate

    Jeremy Corbyn has challenged Boris Johnson to a head-to-head TV debate during the election campaign.

    The Labour leader's spokesman said Mr Corbyn was "committed to holding head-to-head debates with the leader of the Conservative Party".

    "As we demanded of Theresa May and she refused to agree, we would challenge Boris Johnson to agree today to head-to-head TV debates in this campaign."

    The spokesman said they were "in discussion with the broadcasters".

    In 2017, the Conservatives put forward then Home Secretary Amber Rudd to stand in for Theresa May during the BBC election TV debate.

    Earlier, Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson asked the prime minister whether he would take part in a three-way debate during the campaign - a question Mr Johnson swerved during PMQs.

  6. Risk of no-deal Brexit 'still exists', says Barnier

    Michel BarnierReuters

    Away from Westminster, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said the risk of a no-deal Brexit "still exists".

    Speaking at the European Economic and Social Committee, he warned it could happen at the end of January, should Parliament fail to ratify the Brexit deal.

    It could also happen at the end of 2020, following the end of the transition period, if no new trade deal is agreed between the UK and EU, he added.

    "The risk of Brexit happening without an agreement still exists. We still need to prepare."

  7. Remain parties in electoral pact 'negotiations'

    Green party co-leaders Sian Berry and Jonathan BartleyPA Media

    Green party co-leaders Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley

    Three parties that support another Brexit referendum and voting to remain in the EU are in "negotiations" about electoral pacts in certain constituencies.

    The Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Plaid Cymru are talking to each other about ensuring pro-Remain candidates are selected.

    Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley told the BBC that "negotiations are ongoing" with other parties, as campaigning for 12 December's election gets under way.

    Mr Bartley said it was "no secret" that the Greens were "talking to the Lib Dems and Plaid" but "nothing has been finalised".

    Read more here.

  8. Which MPs are standing down at the election?

    By Laurence Sleator, BBC Political Research Unit

    Images of MPs standing down at the election

    The general election date is set and most MPs are entering campaign mode.

    Others, however, are clearing out their desk for the last time.

    The House of Commons will lose more than 750 years of parliamentary experience with more than 50 incumbents preparing to stand down - and there may be more to come.

    Read more.

  9. Tory MP standing down 'for personal reasons'

    North Devon MP tweets:

    Peter Heaton-Jones has been the MP for North Devon since 2015.

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  10. House of Lords to debate early election bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    House of LordsHoL

    The House of Lords is due to debate the early election bill in about 30 minutes

  11. Election date deadlines

    Here are the deadline dates you might want to know about in the run-up to the election:

    • Registering to vote - 26 November
    • Registering for a postal vote - 26 November
    • Applying for a proxy vote - 4 December
    • Applying for an emergency proxy vote - 12 December

  12. Sir Alan Duncan to step down

    Sir Alan DuncanBBC/ Oxford Film

    Another MP has announced they will be standing down before the next election.

    The Conservative Sir Alan Duncan has represented the Rutland and Melton seat since 1992.

    He served as a minister under both David Cameron and Theresa May but resigned before Boris Johnson became prime minister, saying he was worried by Mr Johnson's "fly by the seats of his pants, haphazard" style.

  13. May: Grenfell tragedy 'never should have happened'

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Theresa MayHoC

    Former prime minister Theresa May, who was in office at the time of the fire in June 2017, says it was a "tragedy that never should have happened".

    She also pays tribute to survivors of the fire, whom she says have been "struggling for the justice they want to see".

    She says there are "many questions" that will need to be addressed during the second phase of the inquiry.

    She says it is "significant", however, that inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick was able to say in this first stage of the inquiry that the cladding on the building was non-compliant.

  14. Corbyn: 'Feet have been dragged' over Grenfell response

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Drawing his speech to a close, Mr Corbyn says there is a need for the fire service's "stay put" policy to be reviewed.

    The policy was initially followed on the night of the fire, then abandoned.

    He says government cuts have led to 11,000 fewer firefighters between 2010 and 2016.

    He adds that the inadequacy or non-observance of building regulations and the building's inspection regime were to blame for the fire and "feet have been dragged" over a response.

  15. ICYMI: MPs observe one minute silence for Grenfell victims

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  16. Grenfell 'would not have happened to wealthy Londoners'

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jeremy Corbyn says the government failed to learn the lessons from previous fires in high-rise buildings.

    He says there has been a "gap" in the government's response on the retrofitting of sprinklers on existing tower blocks, which he says "won't stop every fire" but "will save lives".

    The Labour leader also urges more action over tower blocks coated in dangerous cladding.

    The Grenfell fire, he says, "would not have happened to wealthy Londoners".

  17. 'Questions remain unanswered' - Corbyn

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Continuing, Jeremy Corbyn says he expects the government to "respond in full" to the conclusions of the report on the Grenfell fire.

    He says the scope for the first phase of the inquiry was "limited" and "many questions inevitably remain unanswered".

    "The prime minister talks about the whole truth, and that clearly isn't with us yet."

  18. Lords to debate an early election

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    The House of Lords are due to sit at 15:00 GMT - and after their usual 30 minutes of general questions to ministers, peers will debate the bill which would implement an early election.

    They are expected to approve the bill, however, if any amendments are added, the bill will go back to the House of Commons allowing MPs to approve or reject any changes.

  19. Corbyn: Grenfell fire 'was avoidable tragedy'

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jeremy CorbynHoC

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says the Grenfell fire was an "avoidable tragedy" and "every necessary measure" must be put in place to ensure a similar fire does not occur again.

    He says firefighters who responded to the fire should not be "blamed" for the disaster.

    "They did everything they could," he says.

  20. PM: Grenfell victims 'overlooked and failed'

    PM: Grenfell victims 'overlooked and failed'

    Boris Johnson says those affected by the fire, which killed 72 people, suffered "unimaginable trauma".

    He paid tribute to survivors who have pursued a fight for the truth.

    He says: "Their exceptional tenacity in seeking justice has not always been matched in their faith in the system's ability to deliver."

    PM: Grenfell victims 'overlooked and failed'

    Boris Johnson says those affected by the fire, which killed 72 people, suffered "unimaginable trauma".

    Read More