Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Amber Rudd will return to the Conservative parliamentary party after speaking to Boris Johnson, the BBC's Nick Robinson understands.

Ms Rudd, a former home secretary, was one of 21 Tory rebels expelled from the parliamentary party after backing efforts to pass legislation to block a no-deal Brexit.

The prime minister restored the whip to 10 of the 21 on Tuesday.

If you've somehow miraculously managed to avoid the political drama of the last five years, or more likely just need a reminder, here's a super speedy recap:

BBC Breakfast

Matt Hancock is asked about the language used by politicians, after some MPs - including Boris Johnson - were criticised last month over the use of inflammatory language in the Brexit debate.

"I've always wanted a positive political discourse," the health secretary says.

"I'm a centrist politician. I believe in delivering in people's priorities and, where you can, having a politics which brings people together rather than divides them.

"I think you can do that even during an election campaign. I hope that we can."

He adds: "I hope also, frankly, that by breaking the Brexit deadlock... we can get things moving and that can take some of this poison out of this political debate."

An analysis of Boris Johnson's Brexit deal suggests it will leave the UK £70bn worse off than if the country remained in the EU.

A study by independent forecaster the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) found GDP would be 3.5% lower in 10 years' time under the deal.

The Treasury said it plans on a "more ambitious" agreement with the EU than "NIESR is basing its findings on".

Read more here.

BBC Breakfast

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is asked whether he's excited for an election.

He doesn't use the word excited - but tells BBC Breakfast he is "ready".

"I haven't been yearning for an election but it's clear and obvious that it's the only way to break the deadlock.

"If we want to get Brexit done and then move on to a positive domestic agenda... the only way to do that is to vote Conservative."

Is he afraid the party will be squeezed, losing votes to both the Brexit Party and the Lib Dems?

He replies that a vote for either Nigel Farage or Jo Swinson's party is "a vote to put Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street".

Of the Lib Dems, he says: "There's no chance of them getting a majority."

Image source, Getty Images

Everything you need to know about voting in a general election.

Another big day in the Commons, another episode.

Listen to the BBC's latest episode of Brexitcast here.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson echoes Ed Davey as she denies the Lib Dems would explore a pact with Jeremy Corbyn.

She adds that the Brexit deal "which has been put forward by Boris Johnson... will hurt the economy".

She says that, while the Lib Dems are appealing to Remainers, Leave voters also “know where we stand”.

"It is not up to anybody what they can or can't choose or what it is or isn't possible... if they want a positive liberal vision for our country it is only the Liberal Democrats that can deliver that."

BBC Breakfast

Lib Dem MP Ed Davey is asked whether his party will form any pacts with other parties in the upcoming election.

"We want to win by ourselves, we believe that is possible," he says.

"There's never been a moment in British politics when the electorate has been so volatile. We've seen lifelong Conservative voters coming to us, lifelong Labour voters coming to us."

He adds that the Lib Dems "will not do a coalition or any sort of arrangement" with Jeremy Corbyn or Boris Johnson.

But challenged about comments previously made by party leader Jo Swinson, suggesting the Lib Dems are in talks with other parties about pacts, Mr Davey clarifies "before the election, we will have some discussions" and "they are already ongoing".

"I completely agree with Jo, we have been discussing with Plaid and Greens," he says.

"We're not tribal, we want to work with others. We will look to see if we can work with them."

Sky News

Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells Sky News' Kay Burley that a general election "is the only way to get Brexit done".

He says: "We didn’t particularly want this election but it’s the only way to make it happen. Parliament has blocked repeated attempts to pass the deal.

"A general election is the only way through and the general election is going to be a clear choice: A vote for any other party is a vote to put Corbyn in Downing Street and a vote for more blockage and delay.

"A vote for Boris Johnson gets Brexit done immediately and then we can move onto our domestic agenda."

If the House of Lords agrees with MPs and votes to hold an election later (they're likely to approve it), it could become law by the end of the week.

Then on 6 November, Parliament will be dissolved and there will be a five-week campaign until polling day.

The UK is set to go to the polls on 12 December - the first December election since 1923.

Here's more on whether a winter election - rather than the normal time of May or June - could make a difference.

Politicians are wasting no time gearing up for the election, including Conservative MP Greg Hands who is out in south-west London with some campaign leaflets:

Meanwhile, the Tory MP for Cheadle asks her constituents to elect her again:

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Laura Parker, national organiser of Labour-affiliated grassroots group Momentum, says the organisation "is absolutely ready" for the election.

She says: "We’re raring to go. We’ve launched a crowd-funder yesterday. I believe all Labour MPs will be fighting tooth and nail to win this election."

She adds: "Madness would be sticking with things as they are. The vast majority of Labour MPs, Labour voters and the rest of the public will understand that there is an opportunity now for fundamental and transformational change."

BBC Breakfast

Joe Owen, from the Institute for Government, says there were "crossed wires" among some Labour MPs last night.

104 Labour MPs abstained in the vote for a general election.

"Some of the MPs were saying they got a text saying 'don't vote on the next vote, we're going to abstain'.

"And the next vote was supposed to be something else but that vote never happened because it wasn't called.

"So they thought the next vote meant abstain on the general election final motion.

"It was just crossed wires basically in the kind of furious whipping arrangements in the House of Commons with MPs texting each other, it all got a bit mixed up."

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Former culture secretary Ben Bradshaw says that the Labour frontbench did not have any choice but to back an election after the Lib Dems and SNP moved to support one.

He says: "Now we're in an election we have to make sure we get a Labour government elected to deal with all of the dreadful problems of 10 years of Tory austerity and cuts."

He adds: "We are where we are, we’re in a general election, we have to get a Labour government."

As Boris Johnson's got his pre-Christmas wish for a general election, people on Twitter began cracking festive-themed jokes.

"Fairytale of Newark" and "Hove yourself a merry little Christmas" were some of the suggestions alongside the hashtag #XmasConstituencySongs., external

Among the others were: "Happy Xmas (War is Bolsover)" and "God Rest You Maidstone Gentlemen".

BBC Breakfast

Asked about pacts with other parties, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley replies: "The first rule of fight club is you never talk about fight club".

But he adds: "We've been talking to the Lib Dems and Plaid, that's no secret. Negotiations are ongoing, nothing has been finalised.

"The idea would be a pact where you stand aside for one another, a reciprocal arrangement if it goes ahead. A temporary electoral arrangement for a one-off general election."

Is he concerned about voter turn-out in the UK's first December election in nearly 100 years?

"We will be knocking on doors like every other party, making it very, very clear that this is so important and the stakes are so high," he says.

"I think people do at the end of the day come out when they know that their future is at stake. And frankly, there isn't a bigger election than this.

"If this is an existential crisis - the climate emergency - we will see people coming out in large numbers."

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

When the House of Lords approves the election bill today then we will be on course for a 12 December winter election.

It is set to be one of the most unpredictable and epic elections of modern times.

Unpredictable, because Brexit totally overshadows it, but also because Brexit has totally reshaped our politics, too.

The main parties can no longer rely on the traditional class party residual loyalty. Instead, we have an emerging sort of identity culture politics which has changed the game entirely.

And epic in the sense that the sort of promises the two main parties are making are gargantuan huge spending promises.

It is going to be a titanic contest.

BBC Breakfast

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, tells BBC Breakfast that there are issues which are "bigger than Brexit" in the upcoming election - specifically, climate change.

"This should be the climate election," he says. "The stakes frankly couldn't be higher."

He says the Green Party wants to remain in the UK because it believes "working with our neighbours is the best way of tackling the climate emergency".

Asked why the party's only MP, Caroline Lucas, did not vote for the election in the Commons last night, he says: "Clearly we thought the best way of solving this is taking this back to the people, having that People's Vote."

The BBC's Helen Catt explains what Tuesday's developments mean.