Gove won't stand in election as mass exodus of MPs continues

1. Cabinet minister Michael Gove is to stand down at the election he has announced
2. Gove says he supports Rishi Sunak to return as PM, but it's time for a new generation to lead
3. Around one in five MPs say they are stepping down ahead of the general election on 4 July
4. More than 70 Conservative MPs will not be seeking re-election, along with more than 20 from Labour and nine from the SNP
5. On day two of the election campaign, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Northern Ireland while Labour leader Keir Starmer launched his party's Scottish campaign
6. Sunak says a fall in the energy price cap is another sign the economy has "turned a corner"
7. But Starmer tells an event in Glasgow that only Labour can "stop the chaos"
8. Speaking to the BBC earlier, Starmer said his party is only making commitments they "know they can fulfil"
9. And on abolishing tuition fees - which he backed when running for Labour leader - he said he can't, because cutting NHS waiting lists is the priority

Rishi Sunak’s whirlwind tour continues

Nick Eardley

Political correspondent, reporting from the Highlands

We’ve just arrived in the Highlands of Scotland where he’s due to meet workers at a port just outside Inverness.

These events are pretty stage managed. Most of what the PM is up to is tightly controlled. But at least one person he’s met today has made it clear they’re not backing him at the election...

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Will I celebrate my 4 July birthday by voting? No

Jordan Kenny

BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat

BBC

As we reported earlier, BBC Newsbeat is in Hull today - the city with the lowest turnout in the 2019 election.

Charlotte and Leeanne say they want to see more done to help single working parents, and more attention on easing homelessness.

Leanne says: "I think we need to start working with our people before they start bringing other people over and homing them, putting them in hotels. Start with your own first."

And Charlotte, whose birthday is on 4 July, has a quick answer when we ask if she's going to celebrate by voting on the big day:

"No."

Corbyn expected to stand as independent candidate

PA Media

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is expected to stand as an independent candidate in Islington North in 4 July's general election.

Labour is currently selecting its own candidate to run in what has traditionally been a safe seat for the party.

But with Corbyn having represented the constituency since 1983, his candidacy would likely pose a challenge for Labour, and others may see the two going head-to-head as an opportunity.

Corbyn, who led Labour in the 2017 and 2019 general elections, had the party whip suspended in 2020 over his reaction to a highly critical report on antisemitism, having said he thought its scale within Labour had been "dramatically overstated".

Since then, he has been sitting in the Commons as an independent MP. He has also been blocked from standing for Labour at the general election by the party's governing body, the National Executive Committee.

In the 2019 election, Corbyn won Islington North comfortably for Labour with 34,603 votes, the Liberal Democrats came in second with 8,415, and the Conservatives in third on 5,483.

You can read more here.

Electioncast! The campaign begins

Adam Fleming and Chris Mason recorded an episode of Newscast this morning discussing how the campaigns have got underway and what we’ve heard from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today.

Listen now - and every day of the general election campaign.

BBC

How much has the government paid Rwanda so far?

Dominic Casciani

Home and legal correspondent

With the first flight to Rwanda seemingly not leaving before a general election, it's worth looking at what the National Audit Office (NAO) - the watchdog that scrutinises government spending - revealed earlier this year about the scheme's costs.

So far, the government has spent around £310m on the plan - and £290m of that been handed to Rwanda.

There was a payment of £140m when the scheme was announced in 2022, then another £100m last year.

The NAO said that the government had scheduled another £50m to be paid this April.

The remaining £20m is internal Home Office spending: More than £15m on training and plans to escort people onto planes - and £4m on staff and legal fees (I've rounded up the figures).

If the scheme went ahead, the full costs over five years would be around £541m because of extra payments that Rwanda negotiated with the UK, including what amounts to a bonus of £120m after 300 people are sent.

If that many people were sent, the costs would average out at about £1.8m per person sent. We simply cannot say whether that amounts to value for money because nobody knows if its will stop the boats, resulting in costs tumbling elsewhere in the complicated asylum system.

Deadline for registering to vote on 18 June

4 July is looming.

The Electoral Commission has announced the deadline for registering to vote is on Tuesday 18 June at 23:59.

Voters need to be registered to take part in the election.

You can apply to vote here.

Here are other key dates announced by the body:

• Deadline for applying for a postal vote, 17:00 on 19 June
• Deadline for applying for a proxy vote, 17:00 on 26 June
• Deadline for applying for a Voter Authority Certificate, 17:00 on 26 June

Polling day is on Thursday 4 July, between 07:00 – 22:00.

'So you're looking forward to all the football?' 'Errr...'

Sunak asks Welsh voters if they are looking forward to Euros

As our correspondent Nick Eardley reported earlier, Rishi Sunak was met with a moment of silence when he asked workers in Barry, South Wales whether they were "looking forward to all the football" (the European Championships start next month).

As a reminder - Wales didn't qualify for the tournament, although England and Scotland did.

Press play above to watch the (slightly awkward) clip.

SNP's Swinney putting independence at heart of his campaign

James Cook

Scotland Editor, reporting from the SNP launch in Edinburgh

To say the SNP campaign launch was a hastily-arranged event would be an understatement.

Journalists were scrambling into the venue, a hotel in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket, while SNP press officers buzzed around like frantic bees, rushing past us with yellow signs and a yellow lectern bearing the words “Put Scotland First,” just minutes before the event was due to start.

When it did, the party leader John Swinney talked about the difficulties of adequately funding the NHS and tackling the cost of living crisis, when the UK economic system, particularly after Brexit, was, in his words, “broken.”

It was clear Swinney was putting independence at the heart of his campaign. Perhaps that was because polls suggest support for the idea is relatively stable, and relatively high, while support for the SNP has slumped sharply in recent months.

That may have been his intention but many of the questions were about the first minister’s support for his former health secretary Michael Matheson, who resigned in February over an expenses scandal.

It neatly highlighted one of the central challenges for the SNP at this election — in a general election it can be tricky being in government and in opposition at the same time.

Yvette Cooper: Tory plan on illegal channel crossings 'isn't working'

PA Media

Let's hear again from Labour, and another voice within the party.

The Shadow Home Secretary has told BBC Radio 5 Live that it just feels “like everything is broken”

Yvette Cooper believes there needs to be change “right across the country”.

She says areas to address include anti-social behaviour in town centres, the energy sector, border security as well as economic stability and growth.

And the last point she emphasised.

“The starting point has to be economic stability. We haven't had that for a long time,” Cooper adds, referencing mortgages and the cost of living crisis.

She says the Conservative party’s plan to tackle dangerous, illegal channel crossings “isn't working” - saying Labour would have up to 1,000 new additional cross-border police security and intelligence officers.

Cooper adds that the criminals who are "making hundreds of millions of pounds from putting lives at risk" need to be targeted.

'Ridiculous' to call election in the rain, says Tory MP

Susana Mendonca

BBC Radio London political reporter

BBC

In London, the rain may have stopped, but the reaction to Rishi Sunak's rain-sodden announcement yesterday hasn't.

The outgoing Conservative MP for the Cities of London & Westminster Nickie Aiken says it is “ridiculous” that Sunak gave his election announcement speech in the rain yesterday.

Speaking to BBC Radio London’s Eddie Nestor, Aiken - who is standing down at the election - says: “I absolutely have no problem with him calling the election. I think it’s the right thing to do, we’ve got to get the speculation over.

"We’ve got to give the British people a clear choice, and there is a clear choice - but don’t do it in the pouring rain.”

Asked what she thought about the Conservative’s chances of winning the general election, Aiken says: "I think it’s tough. It would be the biggest political upset ever if we win."

As a reminder, Sunak defended his damp decision earlier, saying: "When prime ministers make important statements like that, they do it on the steps of Downing Street - come rain or shine."

Swinney says 4 July is 'independence day'

With a nod to the US, Swinney calls 4 July "independence day".

"We will win our country's independence and win the powers to bring about a better Scotland through democratic pressure," he tells supporters in Edinburgh.

"The SNP will always fight to further Scotland's interests under any constitutional circumstances: Put simply - we put Scotland first."

Brexit a terrible mistake - Swinney

More from Scottish First Minister John Swinney now.

"I am listening to you," he says, addressing voters.

"Never has a government deserved to lose more than Rishi Sunak's," he adds.

He says that Scots deserve "higher living standards" where people can "lead secure, happy, healthy lives", as well as a NHS "you can rely on".

He adds that Brexit was a "terrible mistake".

Swinney launches SNP election campaign

BBC

Swinney says he will be going "hammer and tongs" to make the case for Scotland

Scottish First Minister John Swinney has just started speaking at an event launching the SNP's election campaign in Edinburgh.

He says that when decisions are "taken in Scotland, for Scotland, we can make a better country".

This "all starts by seeing the back of Rishi Sunak", he says.

'We feel forgotten in Hull, but we'll still vote'

Jordan Kenny

BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat

BBC

BBC Newsbeat's been in Hull today, the city with the lowest turnout at the 2019 general election.

Friends Tal, Paige and Dee tell us they think people in smaller cities feel "forgotten about" by the government.

"They focus on the bigger cities and they focus on what's around them rather than what's up the country," says Tal, 25.

Dee, 27, agrees and says voting can feel like "a bit of a losing game" to some people who don't see much difference between the two main parties.

The friends are most concerned about the cost-of-living crisis and the state of the NHS - and agree they'll all vote on 4 July.

"If I don't use the vote, then the same stuff's gonna continue to happen," says Dee. "You have to say something, don't you, at some point?"

Paige, 27, adds: "At least maybe my vote will count for something that will actually make a change.

"It's not like you have to put your whole day on hold. Go in, take your vote, then you're done."

In pictures: Day one of general election campaign gets under way

Reuters

Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak holds a Q&A with staff of a West William distribution centre in Ilkeston

Reuters

Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer attends a general election campaign event at Priestfield Stadium, the home of Gillingham Football Club

PA Media

Sunak and MP for Vale of Glamorgan Alun Cairns watching beer production at the Vale of Glamorgan Brewery in Barry

PA Media

Starmer meets a baby during the visit to Gillingham

BreakingEleanor Laing the latest Tory MP to step down

Deputy Commons Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing has just announced she will not seek re-election.

The Conservative MP for Epping Forest, who has served for 27 years, says she told Prime Minister Rishi Sunak "several days ago".

Earlier, Conservative MP for Bury St Edmunds and work and pensions minister, Jo Churchill, also said she's not standing this time round.

The below graphic gives an idea of just how many MPs from each of the main parties intend to stand down.

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A slightly awkward pause...

Nick Eardley

Political correspondent, reporting from Barry

As we told you earlier, the PM has been meeting workers at a brewery in South Wales - and we might just have one of the first awkward gaffes of the campaign.

He asked if they were looking forward to all the football.

Cue stony silence… (Wales didn’t qualify for Euro 2024).

PA Media

Wales' Dan James after missing a crucial penalty in a shoot-out in March against Poland. The defeat meant Wales will not play in Euro 2024 - England and Scotland have qualified

Smoking and leasehold bills look likely to fall by the wayside

Susan Hulme

Parliamentary correspondent in Westminster

The sudden announcement of the election means a scramble to get some important bills into law before MPs and peers before tomorrow’s deadline, in a process known as the “wash-up”.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill and the Post Office Bill are priorities to get redress for the people affected by the Horizon and Infected Blood scandals.

Everyone wants to see those become law, so they should go ahead.

But other bills – such as on leaseholds and on smoking and vaping - look likely to fall by the wayside for now.

The Commons leader, Penny Mordaunt, has hinted she may be back with updates, as intensive negotiations about what can be salvaged - and what cannot - continue behind the scenes.

A noticeable absence for Reform UK

Lucy Manning

BBC News Special Correspondent, reporting from London

Earlier today, at the Reform UK press conference, an elephant in the room was the man not in the room: Nigel Farage.

The decision of the party’s honorary president not to stand for the party is undoubtedly a blow.

Although not to the Tories, who will be hoping the lack of a star name will help stop Conservative-leaning voters from giving their vote to Reform and potentially letting Labour win in key seats.

The Reform UK leader Richard Tice has insisted he was happy Farage was campaigning for them and pledged to take votes from both Labour and the Conservatives as they look to stand candidates in every seat in England, Scotland and Wales.

Sunak hits the beer in Barry

As we reported earlier, it's a busy day for Rishi Sunak - he's already been in Derbyshire, and now he's visiting a brewery in Barry, South Wales.

Sunak - who doesn't drink alcohol - told staff they were "part of a proper industry that we're keen to support".

PA Media