With most of the parties' buses out of the gates, I think it's safe to say that the general election campaign has officially hit the road.
We're going to be pausing our coverage for today, but in case you missed any of today's coverage you can read our full story here.
You'll be able to find us here tomorrow morning, bright and early, with what appears to be another busy day of political ongoings. Thank you for joining us.
This page was written by Sean Seddon and Lora Jones. It was edited by Johanna Chisholm.
Council leader shocked to learn their patch is on Tories' towns fund list
Jack Fenwick
Political reporter
Before we go, a bit more about the Conservatives' pledge that would expand the existing towns fund – with 30 more places being handed up to
£20m each for local regeneration projects.
As a reminder, the towns fund is one part of the government’s Levelling Up
agenda, which promised to reduce regional inequalities and help so-called ‘left
behind’ areas of the country.
It was seen as being a major part of the message conveyed by
Boris Johnson in the 2019 election when the Conservatives won dozens of ‘red
wall’ seats in Labour’s traditional heartlands.
Today, Rishi Sunak made an attempt to hark back to that
pledge – and those voters.
But a council leader in one of those 30 areas suggested that
this offer may not be enough for struggling local authorities.
They told me that “what councils need is a return to
pre-austerity levels of funding” and said “projects including Towns Fund or
Levelling Up have focused on capital spending, been inflexible and often go
over budget due to cost price inflation”.
When that happens, they said, councils have to “fill the gap
when we are already cash strapped”.
And remember, although the towns fund already exists, for
now this expansion of it is Conservative Party policy, not current government
policy.
That means that the areas chosen – because of factors such
as median pay and healthy life expectancy – weren’t necessarily told before the
announcement earlier.
The council leader I spoke to hadn’t realised that their
patch was on the list until I got in touch.
What have we heard today?
It's been another busy day on the campaign trail in the run-up to the general election on 4 July.
We're going to be pausing our coverage shortly, but here's a recap of what we have heard from different political parties trying to get their message out:
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak went to north-east England as the Conservative party pledges to give 30 towns across the UK £20m if re-elected
Labour vowed to boost employment by combining job centres with careers services
Reform UK's founder Nigel Farage suggested that the party would ease bill pressures facing voters by prioritising oil and gas production in the UK
The Liberal Democrats promised they would mandate the Premier League to show 10 football matches per season on free-to-air television
First Minister John Swinney said that the SNP wants to "gain ground" from Conservatives in north-east Scotland
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of the Welsh national party Plaid Cymru, has said Labour does not appreciate the situation Vaughan Gething is in, as he faces a no-confidence vote in the Senedd next week
We'll also be back with you tomorrow, bringing you all the latest from the guests on the Laura Kuenssberg programme and the campaign trail.
IFS asks parties for 'honesty' on how they plan to afford pledges
Lora Jones
Business reporter, BBC News
After a full week of campaign pledges and promises being made across the political spectrum, Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, has some questions about how politicians plan to afford their plans.
Writing on X, he said that "tax increases will be needed", if self-imposed rules on managing the country's finances, such as getting debt falling as a share of national income, need to be met.
The Conservatives and the Labour Party have both, however, ruled out increasing VAT, income tax rates and National Insurance - the biggest and most reliable revenue-raisers from personal taxation - in the next Parliament.
From Aberdeen Harbour, Swinney keeps an eye on net zero
Ben Philip
Reporting from Aberdeen
BBCCopyright: BBC
Moving up and way from Eastbourne, let's return to north-east Scotland, where SNP leader John Swinney arrived earlier today.
While there, he visited a café in Aberdeen South, well-known for being one of the best locations in the country to see bottlenose dolphins.
It also overlooks the city’s harbour - a focal point of the oil and gas industry which is a major issue for voters here. It's an industry Swinney has said he’s keen to work with to reach "net zero".
Scotland’s first minister said he’s here to speak about the damage done by what he described as the “triple whammy” of austerity, Brexit and the cost of living by politicians in Westminster.
Half of Scotland’s Tory seats are in this region and Swinney said it’s clear that the SNP is the only challenger in these constituencies that could remove Conservative MPs from power.
We understand Swinney will campaign in these seats this afternoon.
Towns fund offer a 'disgrace', say Lib Dems
While not travelling specifically on a battle bus, Sarah Olney, the Treasury spokesperson for the Lib Dems, has
been out and about on a campaign visit in Eastbourne.
To recap, the party has rolled out its pitch to
football fans today, with a new pledge for 10 Premier League games a season to
be available to watch on free-to-air TV.
But as she was visiting a small ice cream shop, she offered her views on the Conservatives' promise to boost towns across the country.
“What the Conservatives are offering is frankly a disgrace," she said.
Olney added that she thought the towns fund was a "complete insult" to small businesses and High Streets.
She said the Liberal Democrats would offer more tangible support with energy bills, as well as looking at reforming taxes like business rates, which are charged on non-domestic properties.
UK POOLCopyright: UK POOL
Sarah Olney visited an ice cream shop in Eastbourne while the Treasury spokesperson for the Lib Dems was out on the campaign trail on SaturdayImage caption: Sarah Olney visited an ice cream shop in Eastbourne while the Treasury spokesperson for the Lib Dems was out on the campaign trail on Saturday
The wheels start turning...
Towards the end of the second week of campaigning, we've really seen the wheels start turning - if you'll forgive us for the pun.
On the election trail today, we saw the Labour Party, the Conservatives and Reform UK all launch their "battle buses".
Expect to see much more of these slogan-clad wheels over the next five weeks, as the parties begin travelling the length of the country to get their message out to voters across the UK.
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves at the launch of Labour's campaign bus in west LondonImage caption: Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves at the launch of Labour's campaign bus in west London
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
In the sunshine in Redcar, Rishi Sunak launched the Conservatives' campaign busImage caption: In the sunshine in Redcar, Rishi Sunak launched the Conservatives' campaign bus
BBCCopyright: BBC
Nigel Farage addresses voters from atop the Reform UK bus, which included slogans on "slashing" the cost of livingImage caption: Nigel Farage addresses voters from atop the Reform UK bus, which included slogans on "slashing" the cost of living
Galloway says he will sue ITV and Ofcom over debates
BBCCopyright: BBC
After spending most of his speech attacking Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak - being, as he claims, "equally evil" - Galloway directs his attack against ITV and Ofcom.
The Workers Party leader says he's poised to take legal action against the two for not being invited to take part in next Tuesday's head-to-head debate between Starmer and Sunak.
He says: "I'm an elected member of Parliament, 326 candidates we're standing, and I'm their leader and therefore I'm a candidate for prime minister.
"How then, I say this directly to ITV, how can you have a leader's debate and I'm not in it?"
Galloway says it would get "far more viewers" if he took part.
He tells his supporters he will begin legal action on Monday to insist that he is included in the debate.
Galloway says party will field 'hundreds' of candidates
We've just been hearing from George Galloway at the launch event of the general election campaign of the Workers Party of Britain.
He begins by praising the "hundreds" of candidates that the Workers Party has been able to field, who have been on a "permanent election footing". But he then turns his attention to the Labour leader's performance so far.
"Our campaign has started exceptionally well while Keir
Starmer's campaign has blown up in his face," he says.
He accuses Starmer of "elbowing" others in the party who are "not on message" out of the way, referring to Diane Abbott and Faiza Shaheen, who "liked" social media posts that allegedly downplayed antisemitism.
What is the Workers Party of Britain?
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Moving away from north-east England, let's take you over to the Greater Manchester area, where we're going to be hearing from the Workers Party of Britain shortly.
The party, which was founded by former Labour and Respect Party MP George Galloway in 2019, is launching its general election campaign there this afternoon.
It struggled to make an impact at the polls until February this year, when Galloway stood and won in the Rochdale by-election. The victory was secured in part by gaining support from the area's relatively large Muslim community amid anger at the UK response to the war in Gaza.
Galloway will recontest the seat next month and the party says it is fielding dozens of candidates around the country.
The Workers Party says it is committed to socialist economic policies, such as implementing a wealth tax and ending private sector involvement in the NHS.
Unlike other left-wing parties, it is critical of Net Zero targets. It also accuses "radical Greens and many liberals" of an "anti-human negative stance towards" towards family-related policies.
The party is staunchly pro-Palestinian and opposed to membership of the Nato military alliance. You can read more about it here.
A full list of candidates in Rochdale will be available on the BBC News website after nominations close next Friday.
Is Sunak a Swiftie?
Jessica Parker
Reporting from Conservative Party battle bus
Before hopping on the battle bus, Rishi
Sunak has been quizzed in a media huddle in Redcar about his reported fandom of Taylor Swift.
The
prime minister says he’s not sure he passes the “threshold” to be able to
describe himself as a 'Swiftie'.
“I
like Taylor Swift's music,” says the prime minister, as he notes that he's attended one of the American superstar's concerts.
He concedes that his children would probably not rank him as having achieved Swiftie status in their eyes, saying "I think they
would be not OK with that description".
“Their
level of fandom is considerably more than mine. I’m not sure I pass the
threshold in their eyes.”
It's then put to him: Which song of Swift's would best describe his position in the
polls?
He
says his “encyclopaedic knowledge of Taylor Swift is probably not sufficient to
deal with that”.
“What
I can tell you is that the only poll I’m focussed is the one on July 4th.
Has she got a song about July 4th?”
Under the hood of the Tories' battle bus
Jessica Parker
Reporting from Conservative Party battle bus
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Rishi Sunak has boarded the Conservative battle bus, as
Saturday’s campaigning continues in the north-east of England.
Just to be
clear, broadcasters and reporters have been reporting from a Tory bus
in the opening days of the election campaign (you might have seen it on the
tele) but turns out it wasn’t the bus.
This new one, which will transport campaigners and journalists across the UK during the next five weeks, is covered in
Conservative branding and the PM has hopped on for its inaugural journey after
a ‘bus launch' event.
Although, for any transport nerds, I’m told that
technically this vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, is a coach.
It is also Ulez compliant, meaning it can travel in and out of London without incurring charges. Until recently, it was used as transport for Oxford United before the football team's promotion to the EFL Championship.
Farage sets out Reform UK energy plans
UK POOLCopyright: UK POOL
We've just been listening to Nigel Farage, the Reform UK founder and honorary president, who has been setting out the party's key pledges.
From one battle bus to another, Reform UK's bus features promises on "slashing" the cost of living.
When asked how the party would try to ease financial pressures for voters, Farage says: "By producing our own energy."
He adds that while he hopes the amount of oil and gas used in the UK slows as technology develops, producing more would be a key party focus.
He says Reform UK would boost energy security and bring in extra income for the country, while he also suggested scrapping subsidies added to consumer bills which are reinvested in green technologies.
Everything you need to know from today's campaigning
If you're just joining us, here is what has happened on a busy day of campaigning so far.
Sir Keir Starmer was joined by his shadow chancellor and deputy at the launch of the party's battle bus in west London. Labour has also announced reforms on jobs, skills and training
Rishi Sunak is campaigning in the north-east of England after the Conservatives announced 30 towns would receive £20m each under levelling up plans
The Liberal Democrats say they would change the law to ensure some Premier League football games are shown for free on television
SNP First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross are all out on the campaign trail
Reform UK leader Richard Tice is holding a rally alongside Nigel Farage and ex-Tory MP Lee Anderson - we'll have updates soon
We're expecting more throughout the afternoon - including the launch of the Workers Party of Britain campaign - and will be bringing you it all here.
Levelling up money about towns, not votes - Sunak
During his Redcar visit, the prime minister was asked about his pledge to give 30 towns across the UK £20m each by expanding an existing levelling up fund if the party is re-elected.
Rishi Sunak told reporters the towns had not been selected for political reasons and said decisions are based on an "objective set of criteria".
He continued: "The methodology that selects these towns is something that's been used multiple times before... It's based on an areas levelling up needs, looking at economic opportunities, skills, health and life expectancies."
Sunak said he would "not make any apology" for supporting towns, adding they were "neglected for decades under previous Labour governments".
Earlier today, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the announcement as "another unfunded commitment".
Labour all smiles and jokes after Abbott row
Damian Grammaticas
On the Labour campaign trail
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Smiles and jokes from Labour’s leadership accompanied the launch of their battle bus - but it has a serious purpose.
Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner are hoping that as the bus gets on the road, the focus can switch back to the issues they want to highlight away from questions about Diane Abbott and candidate selection.
Rayner made much of how delighted she was to be heading off on her 5,000 mile tour of the country to get their message out.
She also pointed out her bus is pretty well-appointed and comes equipped with a fridge. Starmer joked she should check it just in case Boris Johnson, whose former constituency they were speaking in, was hiding in there.
Later, Starmer wouldn't engage with questions about Abbott, saying it was his job to focus on how the party wants to change the country.
What you can guarantee is that the road to 4 July will have many twists and turns.
Labour and Conservatives say donations have 'slowed'
Ione Wells
Political correspondent
Both the Conservatives and Labour have claimed in emails to members that their online donations have "slowed".
A message to Conservative Party email subscribers says that unless the party gets "back on track" it will have to make some "tough decisions" on Monday.
The email says this would include deciding "which constituencies we can help" and "which ones we can't".
It warns that if the party does not receive more donations, it would impact which adverts and leaflets could be funded.
The email - which is titled "Disappointing" - does not give figures for how much donations have slowed by, but the claim appears to be a pitch to members to donate more generously.
Similarly, Labour claimed in an email to its subscribers that they "don't want to worry you", but the party has "no choice" but to share that donations have slowed down in the second week of campaigning.
It claims it is "worse than we expected" and "it's making us uneasy" at party headquarters.
Scottish Labour leader out in key target seat
Georgia Roberts
Reporting from East Kilbride
BBCCopyright: BBC
Let's take things back to Scotland, where Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is in East Kilbride today continuing to push Labour’s “first steps” for Scotland. It’s among the key target seats the party says are within grasp.
It’s also a constituency that’s been in the news in recent months because of SNP troubles here.
The former MP Lisa Cameron defected from the SNP to the Conservatives in autumn last year, citing a “toxic” culture of bullying in the SNP Westminster group. The SNP said this was nonsense.
However, Labour have had their own internal wobbles this week.
Asked about whether the row over Diane Abbott showed Sir Keir Starmer was an indecisive leader, as his critics are claiming, Sarwar insisted otherwise.
He tells me this election is about change for Scotland, adding: “This campaign isn’t about internal selections."
A sunny launch for a no-nonsense bus
Jessica Parker
Reporting from north-east England
In
the sunshine in Redcar, Rishi Sunak launched his campaign bus.
The words on the
side were no surprise: Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future.
The prime
minister is consistently seeking to send a message that - in part - boils down
to this adage: don’t change horses mid-stream.
For Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, you'll instead frequently see him stood near another word: change. It’s the contest of incumbent
versus challenger.
Sunak rips into Labour's handling of Abbott 'situation'
UK POOLCopyright: UK POOL
Before finishing his stump speech, Sunak takes the opportunity to attack the Labour Party for its handling of the Diane Abbott row.
It comes after the veteran MP was told by Starmer she is "free to go forward as a Labour candidate", ending days of speculation about the left-winger's future.
Abbott, the first female black MP, had claimed she had been banned from standing for Labour at the general election on 4 July.
Speaking on Saturday, Sunak says that the back and forth showed "it confirms what we know about [Sir Keir Starmer] - that he doesn't stick by anything he says."
He then goes on to suggest it was "clear" that Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, "is in charge" of the party.
Live Reporting
Edited by Johanna Chisholm
All times stated are UK
Get involved
-
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak went to north-east England as the Conservative party pledges to give 30 towns across the UK £20m if re-elected
- Labour vowed to boost employment by combining job centres with careers services
- Reform UK's founder Nigel Farage suggested that the party would ease bill pressures facing voters by prioritising oil and gas production in the UK
- The Liberal Democrats promised they would mandate the Premier League to show 10 football matches per season on free-to-air television
-
First Minister John Swinney said that the SNP wants to "gain ground" from Conservatives in north-east Scotland
-
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of the Welsh national party Plaid Cymru, has said Labour does not appreciate the situation Vaughan Gething is in, as he faces a no-confidence vote in the Senedd next week
BBCCopyright: BBC 
UK POOLCopyright: UK POOL Sarah Olney visited an ice cream shop in Eastbourne while the Treasury spokesperson for the Lib Dems was out on the campaign trail on SaturdayImage caption: Sarah Olney visited an ice cream shop in Eastbourne while the Treasury spokesperson for the Lib Dems was out on the campaign trail on Saturday 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves at the launch of Labour's campaign bus in west LondonImage caption: Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves at the launch of Labour's campaign bus in west London 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media In the sunshine in Redcar, Rishi Sunak launched the Conservatives' campaign busImage caption: In the sunshine in Redcar, Rishi Sunak launched the Conservatives' campaign bus 
BBCCopyright: BBC Nigel Farage addresses voters from atop the Reform UK bus, which included slogans on "slashing" the cost of livingImage caption: Nigel Farage addresses voters from atop the Reform UK bus, which included slogans on "slashing" the cost of living 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media 
UK POOLCopyright: UK POOL -
Sir Keir Starmer was joined by his shadow chancellor and deputy at the launch of the party's battle bus in west London. Labour has also announced reforms on jobs, skills and training
-
Rishi Sunak is campaigning in the north-east of England after the Conservatives announced 30 towns would receive £20m each under levelling up plans
-
The Liberal Democrats say they would change the law to ensure some Premier League football games are shown for free on television
- SNP First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross are all out on the campaign trail
- Reform UK leader Richard Tice is holding a rally alongside Nigel Farage and ex-Tory MP Lee Anderson - we'll have updates soon
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
UK POOLCopyright: UK POOL
Latest PostThat's all for today
With most of the parties' buses out of the gates, I think it's safe to say that the general election campaign has officially hit the road.
We're going to be pausing our coverage for today, but in case you missed any of today's coverage you can read our full story here.
You'll be able to find us here tomorrow morning, bright and early, with what appears to be another busy day of political ongoings. Thank you for joining us.
This page was written by Sean Seddon and Lora Jones. It was edited by Johanna Chisholm.
Council leader shocked to learn their patch is on Tories' towns fund list
Jack Fenwick
Political reporter
Before we go, a bit more about the Conservatives' pledge that would expand the existing towns fund – with 30 more places being handed up to £20m each for local regeneration projects.
As a reminder, the towns fund is one part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda, which promised to reduce regional inequalities and help so-called ‘left behind’ areas of the country.
It was seen as being a major part of the message conveyed by Boris Johnson in the 2019 election when the Conservatives won dozens of ‘red wall’ seats in Labour’s traditional heartlands.
Today, Rishi Sunak made an attempt to hark back to that pledge – and those voters.
But a council leader in one of those 30 areas suggested that this offer may not be enough for struggling local authorities.
They told me that “what councils need is a return to pre-austerity levels of funding” and said “projects including Towns Fund or Levelling Up have focused on capital spending, been inflexible and often go over budget due to cost price inflation”.
When that happens, they said, councils have to “fill the gap when we are already cash strapped”.
And remember, although the towns fund already exists, for now this expansion of it is Conservative Party policy, not current government policy.
That means that the areas chosen – because of factors such as median pay and healthy life expectancy – weren’t necessarily told before the announcement earlier.
The council leader I spoke to hadn’t realised that their patch was on the list until I got in touch.
What have we heard today?
It's been another busy day on the campaign trail in the run-up to the general election on 4 July.
We're going to be pausing our coverage shortly, but here's a recap of what we have heard from different political parties trying to get their message out:
If you're looking for more information, we have handy guides on how each of the parties compare in the polls, as well as a really simple guide to what's going on.
We'll also be back with you tomorrow, bringing you all the latest from the guests on the Laura Kuenssberg programme and the campaign trail.
IFS asks parties for 'honesty' on how they plan to afford pledges
Lora Jones
Business reporter, BBC News
After a full week of campaign pledges and promises being made across the political spectrum, Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, has some questions about how politicians plan to afford their plans.
Writing on X, he said that "tax increases will be needed", if self-imposed rules on managing the country's finances, such as getting debt falling as a share of national income, need to be met.
The Conservatives and the Labour Party have both, however, ruled out increasing VAT, income tax rates and National Insurance - the biggest and most reliable revenue-raisers from personal taxation - in the next Parliament.
The independent think tank has previously warned that the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign "like a dark cloud" and the winning party may have to raise taxes or cut spending.
"We deserve some honesty," he wrote.
From Aberdeen Harbour, Swinney keeps an eye on net zero
Ben Philip
Reporting from Aberdeen
Moving up and way from Eastbourne, let's return to north-east Scotland, where SNP leader John Swinney arrived earlier today.
While there, he visited a café in Aberdeen South, well-known for being one of the best locations in the country to see bottlenose dolphins.
It also overlooks the city’s harbour - a focal point of the oil and gas industry which is a major issue for voters here. It's an industry Swinney has said he’s keen to work with to reach "net zero".
Scotland’s first minister said he’s here to speak about the damage done by what he described as the “triple whammy” of austerity, Brexit and the cost of living by politicians in Westminster.
Half of Scotland’s Tory seats are in this region and Swinney said it’s clear that the SNP is the only challenger in these constituencies that could remove Conservative MPs from power.
We understand Swinney will campaign in these seats this afternoon.
Towns fund offer a 'disgrace', say Lib Dems
While not travelling specifically on a battle bus, Sarah Olney, the Treasury spokesperson for the Lib Dems, has been out and about on a campaign visit in Eastbourne.
To recap, the party has rolled out its pitch to football fans today, with a new pledge for 10 Premier League games a season to be available to watch on free-to-air TV.
But as she was visiting a small ice cream shop, she offered her views on the Conservatives' promise to boost towns across the country.
“What the Conservatives are offering is frankly a disgrace," she said.
Olney added that she thought the towns fund was a "complete insult" to small businesses and High Streets.
She said the Liberal Democrats would offer more tangible support with energy bills, as well as looking at reforming taxes like business rates, which are charged on non-domestic properties.
The wheels start turning...
Towards the end of the second week of campaigning, we've really seen the wheels start turning - if you'll forgive us for the pun.
On the election trail today, we saw the Labour Party, the Conservatives and Reform UK all launch their "battle buses".
Expect to see much more of these slogan-clad wheels over the next five weeks, as the parties begin travelling the length of the country to get their message out to voters across the UK.
Galloway says he will sue ITV and Ofcom over debates
After spending most of his speech attacking Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak - being, as he claims, "equally evil" - Galloway directs his attack against ITV and Ofcom.
The Workers Party leader says he's poised to take legal action against the two for not being invited to take part in next Tuesday's head-to-head debate between Starmer and Sunak.
He says: "I'm an elected member of Parliament, 326 candidates we're standing, and I'm their leader and therefore I'm a candidate for prime minister.
"How then, I say this directly to ITV, how can you have a leader's debate and I'm not in it?"
Galloway says it would get "far more viewers" if he took part.
He tells his supporters he will begin legal action on Monday to insist that he is included in the debate.
Galloway says party will field 'hundreds' of candidates
We've just been hearing from George Galloway at the launch event of the general election campaign of the Workers Party of Britain.
He begins by praising the "hundreds" of candidates that the Workers Party has been able to field, who have been on a "permanent election footing". But he then turns his attention to the Labour leader's performance so far.
"Our campaign has started exceptionally well while Keir Starmer's campaign has blown up in his face," he says.
He accuses Starmer of "elbowing" others in the party who are "not on message" out of the way, referring to Diane Abbott and Faiza Shaheen, who "liked" social media posts that allegedly downplayed antisemitism.
What is the Workers Party of Britain?
Moving away from north-east England, let's take you over to the Greater Manchester area, where we're going to be hearing from the Workers Party of Britain shortly.
The party, which was founded by former Labour and Respect Party MP George Galloway in 2019, is launching its general election campaign there this afternoon.
It struggled to make an impact at the polls until February this year, when Galloway stood and won in the Rochdale by-election. The victory was secured in part by gaining support from the area's relatively large Muslim community amid anger at the UK response to the war in Gaza.
Galloway will recontest the seat next month and the party says it is fielding dozens of candidates around the country.
The Workers Party says it is committed to socialist economic policies, such as implementing a wealth tax and ending private sector involvement in the NHS.
Unlike other left-wing parties, it is critical of Net Zero targets. It also accuses "radical Greens and many liberals" of an "anti-human negative stance towards" towards family-related policies.
The party is staunchly pro-Palestinian and opposed to membership of the Nato military alliance. You can read more about it here.
A full list of candidates in Rochdale will be available on the BBC News website after nominations close next Friday.
Is Sunak a Swiftie?
Jessica Parker
Reporting from Conservative Party battle bus
Before hopping on the battle bus, Rishi Sunak has been quizzed in a media huddle in Redcar about his reported fandom of Taylor Swift.
The prime minister says he’s not sure he passes the “threshold” to be able to describe himself as a 'Swiftie'.
“I like Taylor Swift's music,” says the prime minister, as he notes that he's attended one of the American superstar's concerts.
He concedes that his children would probably not rank him as having achieved Swiftie status in their eyes, saying "I think they would be not OK with that description".
“Their level of fandom is considerably more than mine. I’m not sure I pass the threshold in their eyes.”
It's then put to him: Which song of Swift's would best describe his position in the polls?
He says his “encyclopaedic knowledge of Taylor Swift is probably not sufficient to deal with that”.
“What I can tell you is that the only poll I’m focussed is the one on July 4th. Has she got a song about July 4th?”
Under the hood of the Tories' battle bus
Jessica Parker
Reporting from Conservative Party battle bus
Rishi Sunak has boarded the Conservative battle bus, as Saturday’s campaigning continues in the north-east of England.
Just to be clear, broadcasters and reporters have been reporting from a Tory bus in the opening days of the election campaign (you might have seen it on the tele) but turns out it wasn’t the bus.
This new one, which will transport campaigners and journalists across the UK during the next five weeks, is covered in Conservative branding and the PM has hopped on for its inaugural journey after a ‘bus launch' event.
Although, for any transport nerds, I’m told that technically this vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, is a coach.
It is also Ulez compliant, meaning it can travel in and out of London without incurring charges. Until recently, it was used as transport for Oxford United before the football team's promotion to the EFL Championship.
Farage sets out Reform UK energy plans
We've just been listening to Nigel Farage, the Reform UK founder and honorary president, who has been setting out the party's key pledges.
From one battle bus to another, Reform UK's bus features promises on "slashing" the cost of living.
When asked how the party would try to ease financial pressures for voters, Farage says: "By producing our own energy."
He adds that while he hopes the amount of oil and gas used in the UK slows as technology develops, producing more would be a key party focus.
He says Reform UK would boost energy security and bring in extra income for the country, while he also suggested scrapping subsidies added to consumer bills which are reinvested in green technologies.
Everything you need to know from today's campaigning
If you're just joining us, here is what has happened on a busy day of campaigning so far.
We're expecting more throughout the afternoon - including the launch of the Workers Party of Britain campaign - and will be bringing you it all here.
Levelling up money about towns, not votes - Sunak
During his Redcar visit, the prime minister was asked about his pledge to give 30 towns across the UK £20m each by expanding an existing levelling up fund if the party is re-elected.
Rishi Sunak told reporters the towns had not been selected for political reasons and said decisions are based on an "objective set of criteria".
He continued: "The methodology that selects these towns is something that's been used multiple times before... It's based on an areas levelling up needs, looking at economic opportunities, skills, health and life expectancies."
Sunak said he would "not make any apology" for supporting towns, adding they were "neglected for decades under previous Labour governments".
Earlier today, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the announcement as "another unfunded commitment".
Labour all smiles and jokes after Abbott row
Damian Grammaticas
On the Labour campaign trail
Smiles and jokes from Labour’s leadership accompanied the launch of their battle bus - but it has a serious purpose.
Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner are hoping that as the bus gets on the road, the focus can switch back to the issues they want to highlight away from questions about Diane Abbott and candidate selection.
Rayner made much of how delighted she was to be heading off on her 5,000 mile tour of the country to get their message out.
She also pointed out her bus is pretty well-appointed and comes equipped with a fridge. Starmer joked she should check it just in case Boris Johnson, whose former constituency they were speaking in, was hiding in there.
Later, Starmer wouldn't engage with questions about Abbott, saying it was his job to focus on how the party wants to change the country.
What you can guarantee is that the road to 4 July will have many twists and turns.
Labour and Conservatives say donations have 'slowed'
Ione Wells
Political correspondent
Both the Conservatives and Labour have claimed in emails to members that their online donations have "slowed".
A message to Conservative Party email subscribers says that unless the party gets "back on track" it will have to make some "tough decisions" on Monday.
The email says this would include deciding "which constituencies we can help" and "which ones we can't".
It warns that if the party does not receive more donations, it would impact which adverts and leaflets could be funded.
The email - which is titled "Disappointing" - does not give figures for how much donations have slowed by, but the claim appears to be a pitch to members to donate more generously.
Similarly, Labour claimed in an email to its subscribers that they "don't want to worry you", but the party has "no choice" but to share that donations have slowed down in the second week of campaigning.
It claims it is "worse than we expected" and "it's making us uneasy" at party headquarters.
Scottish Labour leader out in key target seat
Georgia Roberts
Reporting from East Kilbride
Let's take things back to Scotland, where Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is in East Kilbride today continuing to push Labour’s “first steps” for Scotland. It’s among the key target seats the party says are within grasp.
It’s also a constituency that’s been in the news in recent months because of SNP troubles here.
The former MP Lisa Cameron defected from the SNP to the Conservatives in autumn last year, citing a “toxic” culture of bullying in the SNP Westminster group. The SNP said this was nonsense.
However, Labour have had their own internal wobbles this week.
Asked about whether the row over Diane Abbott showed Sir Keir Starmer was an indecisive leader, as his critics are claiming, Sarwar insisted otherwise.
He tells me this election is about change for Scotland, adding: “This campaign isn’t about internal selections."
A sunny launch for a no-nonsense bus
Jessica Parker
Reporting from north-east England
In the sunshine in Redcar, Rishi Sunak launched his campaign bus.
The words on the side were no surprise: Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future.
The prime minister is consistently seeking to send a message that - in part - boils down to this adage: don’t change horses mid-stream.
For Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, you'll instead frequently see him stood near another word: change. It’s the contest of incumbent versus challenger.
Sunak rips into Labour's handling of Abbott 'situation'
Before finishing his stump speech, Sunak takes the opportunity to attack the Labour Party for its handling of the Diane Abbott row.
It comes after the veteran MP was told by Starmer she is "free to go forward as a Labour candidate", ending days of speculation about the left-winger's future.
Abbott, the first female black MP, had claimed she had been banned from standing for Labour at the general election on 4 July.
Speaking on Saturday, Sunak says that the back and forth showed "it confirms what we know about [Sir Keir Starmer] - that he doesn't stick by anything he says."
He then goes on to suggest it was "clear" that Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, "is in charge" of the party.