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While the battle for Westminster votes and seats takes place, the ground is also being prepared for the next Scottish Parliament election in less than two years.

Parties are looking to shift ground – and the key issue is economic growth.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has taken his message about a state-owned energy company to Scotland, where the headquarters would be based. Aberdeen thinks it is the leading candidate to be the location.

There have been SNP plans for an energy supplier before, using the buying power of the state to challenge the dominant private sector providers of gas and power.

The Labour proposals are not going there. They seem to be more upstream, where the power is generated. GB Energy will take stakes in renewable energy projects.

• Read more here

Jenni Davidson
BBC Scotland senior politics reporter

SNP leader John Swinney will be campaigning in the north-east of Scotland today, which is a key battleground for the SNP and the Conservatives.

The message from John Swinney is that the SNP is best placed to remove what he calls the “remaining rump” of Conservative MPs in Scotland.

He says every Scottish Conservative MP who backed Boris Johnson and Brexit must face the consequences for the damage their political choices have caused and they deserve the “democratic drubbing that is coming their way”.

Jacqueline Howard
BBC News

The latest on the campaign trail features across front pages on Saturday morning.

The leading headline in the Times paraphrases Starmer who, it reports, "seeks to win from the centre ground", promising to "create wealth" in a "direct appeal to middle class voters".

The i leads its weekend coverage on public opinion polls, which suggest, it says, that a majority like the Conservatives' pension policies but still want them out of No 10.

It also reports on drama within the Labour Party, claiming deputy leader Angela Rayner has won "the public battle" with Starmer in the row about the treatment of Abbott.

The Daily Telegraph features an article from Defence Secretary Grant Schapps, who writes that Labour "can't be trusted" on the matter of nuclear deterrence. The front page includes comment from a Labour spokesman, who says the party's commitment is "total".

Read more from Saturday's front pages here.

Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

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This week’s row over the future of Diane Abbott must be understood in the context of the decades-long battle for supremacy between different wings of the Labour Party.

It’s a fight between the radical flank on the left and those who believe their tradition is closer to the public’s heartbeat. History suggests the outcome of that battle can have a direct impact on their election results. The party’s two worst defeats in modern times were under Michael Foot and Jeremy Corbyn, both from the left-wing tradition. Of course, there were particular circumstances in both cases.

Sir Keir Starmer may have been part of Mr Corbyn’s team but the Left’s power has waned under his leadership. He has sought to prise their fingers from the party machine and gain control, you might say, “piece by piece”.

But the latest piece of that process has resulted in a “massive own goal”, as one Labour source described it to me. It was widely thought that after a long career as the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Diane Abbott – the first black woman to be elected to Parliament and an icon on the Left - would want to stand down from her seat at this general election.

Just after the election date was announced, she was brought back into the fold as a Labour MP after a long suspension over comments she made in a letter to a newspaper that were seen as antisemitic and also offensive to Irish and Traveller people.

Now, it was thought, she could depart politics with dignity, rather than being handed her P45. But all that changed when a newspaper report appeared suggesting she would be banned from standing even if she wanted to.

“She was looking for a way to stand down with dignity then it was blown all up,” one shadow cabinet member told me.

• Read more here

Patrick Jackson
Live page editor

We are into the weekend but the election campaign rolls on, with Labour planning literally to begin a 5,000-mile battle bus tour today.

Friday evening’s election news was dominated by the political future of veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott. After days of speculation, party leader Sir Keir Starmer said she was "free to go forward as a Labour candidate".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to give 30 towns across the UK £20m each if his Conservative Party is re-elected. He says the money would go towards the long-term regeneration of the areas, under the government's levelling-up scheme. Labour described the plan as a "reckless unfunded spending commitment".

Starmer has said Labour's "number one mission" under his leadership is "wealth creation". In an interview with The Times, he said he was "doggedly determined" to allow people to make money. He will later set out an overhaul of employment support and benefits. The Conservatives have dismissed the plan as "waffle not welfare reform".

The Liberal Democrats say that if they win the election they will ensure that ten Premier League games per season are available to watch on free-to-air television. The party's leader, Sir Ed Davey, said the plan was aimed at "tearing down the paywall" of high stadium ticket and TV subscription prices and "giving Premier League football back to the country". The Conservatives have dismissed the pledge as "sad and desperate".

Stay with us through the day as we bring you the issues, the pitches and the repartee from across the UK, as the 4 July general election edges closer.

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But before we go, let's take a look at some of today's main headlines.

• After days of speculation, Labour leader Keir Starmer said veteran MP Diane Abbott is "free to go forward as a Labour candidate". It comes after the left-wing politician said this week she'd been banned from standing as a Labour candidate in the general election
• Labour's National Executive Committee will have the the final say on Abbott's candidacy - but a senior party source told the BBC the group will not block her from standing
• Labour' unveiled its green energy plans, which Starmer said will ensure the UK’s transition away from oil and gas does not repeat mistakes from the phase-out of coal
• Scottish National Party (SNP) leader John Swinney criticised the plan, saying the move would be a "bodyblow" for jobs in Scotland's oil and gas sector. The Green Party argued the planned level of investment is not big enough
• In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Swinney admitted that the SNP faces a "tough challenge" in the upcoming general election
• Rishi Sunak took his party's campaign to the north-west of England, as the Conservatives unveiled plans for fly-tippers to get points on their driving licences and evict disruptive tenants from social housing
• Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey told reporters that, if he were to get into power, his party would extend free school meals to 900,000 more children

We'll be back tomorrow for more. In the meantime, you can find all of our general election content here.

It's been another busy day for political candidates across the UK, with the general election campaign well and truly under way after Parliament was dissolved earlier this week.

Whether it's to keep their own energy levels high, or to jump at the opportunity for a photo-op, sugary treats were spotted throughout several election campaigns today.

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Image source, UK Pool

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Peter Kyle, Labour's shadow science secretary, says it is "right" that Diane Abbott went through a process to assess whether she is a fit candidate for the Labour party and its standards.

He's speaking after Labour leader Keir Starmer said today that Abbott is "free to go forward as a Labour candidate". It comes after she accused the party of banning her from standing as a Labour candidate at the general election on 4 July.

"It's right that she went through that process and now we're coming to the end of it, it will be settled," Kyle tells BBC's Any Questions? programme.

Kyle says Abbott is a trailblazer and has had a "very long and proud political career" but adds, "Diane Abbott also fell short of the standards expected of the Labour party set by Keir Starmer and for that, a process had to unfold.

"These two things can happen at the same time."

He adds: "We've now raised the standards to be a candidate or MP."

Image source, Ed Miliband/ X

As the campaign trail gets under way, politicians are working tirelessly to make themselves more approachable - in a bid to connect with the electorate.

Former Labour leader, and now part of the shadow cabinet, Ed Miliband took the chance to grab a selfie with a hen party travelling by train today.

He dubbed it: "Great British HENergy". A direct reference to his party's plans for the energy sector if they were to win the next general election.

Eimear Flanagan
BBC News NI

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The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) will contest seats in all of Northern Ireland’s 18 constituencies.

This is despite other parties including Sinn Féin, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Traditional Unionist Voice/Reform UK partnership stepping aside in certain seats for tactical reasons.

Unlike the SDLP’s Irish republican rivals, Sinn Féin, who have always abstained from sitting in the House of Commons, the SDLP take their seats in Westminster.

“It’s better to be there holding it (the government to account, standing up, having our voice heard,” said SDLP leader Colum Eastwood.

However, Sinn Féin, which is now the largest party at Stormont, insist they are still heard by the London government.

Eastwood is defending his Foyle seat, one of two won by the SDLP in the 2019 election. He said he believed his party could win a third seat on 4 July.

A full list of candidates will be available on the BBC News website after nominations close next Friday.

• Read more here

Phil Sim
reporting from Edinburgh

Some more reaction to Labour’s energy plans from Scotland, where the Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton spent this morning playing ukulele to pensioners in a church hall in Edinburgh.

He was speaking in the wake of Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Glasgow, where he detailed plans for a publicly-owned company to invest in renewable energy.

Cole-Hamilton said the idea behind Great British Energy was “really interesting”, and he supported the principle of state intervention to ensure energy security.

The Lib Dems are also calling for upgrades to the UK’s national grid infrastructure.

Image source, Tom Spender/BBC

We've been hearing more comments from former Labour candidate Faiza Shaheen who was banned from standing for the Labour after complaints she "liked" social media posts that allegedly downplayed antisemitism.

At a rally this evening in Highams Park, north-east London, held in support of her general election bid, Shaheen said she didn't think "there's any way back" for her into the party.

Speaking at the rally, Shaheen added: "Look at what they've done to me, what they've done to Diane (Abbott), to make us grovel and beg - no.

"I'm going to make some decisions with the team over the next few days and I may ask you to do something really big for all of us."

Shaheen, who fought the seat in 2019, has said she is considering legal action over the move and released a statement accusing some within Labour of a “systematic campaign of racism, Islamophobia and bullying”.

A full list of candidates will be published by the BBC after nominations close on 7 June.

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As both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are asked questions about the conviction of Donald Trump, Adam Fleming is joined by the BBC’s Diplomatic Editor James Landale.

Plus, Adam speaks to Chris Mason about the next twist in the Diane Abbott selection story.

Listen to Newscast now and throughout the general election campaign.

An insight into Starmer and Rayner's working relationship?published at 20:15 British Summer Time 31 May 2024

20:15 BST 31 May 2024

Joe Pike
Political investigations correspondent

Image source, REUTERS/Toby Melville

A very significant moment across the four days of confusion around Diane Abbott’s future was Angela Rayner saying the veteran MP should be allowed to stand.

Now the police investigation into her housing arrangements is over, Rayner is reasserting her position at the top of her party.

As Labour’s directly-elected deputy leader she has her own mandate from members.

Yesterday’s intervention wasn’t just a chance to remind her colleagues of that, but arguably to force Sir Keir Starmer’s hand.

Although the Labour leader has heaped praise on Abbott, the party’s 13 month investigation into her conduct and the lack of a resolution over her candidacy did not point to them wanting her to remain in parliament.

The discipline and control that has been a striking aspect of the Starmer project is now showing slight signs of fractures.

What started as a story about one veteran politician has shifted into a wider narrative of a party splits.

And although allies of both politicians deny it, this perhaps gives us a taste of the dynamics of the Starmer-Rayner relationship if they were to reach government.

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Home Secretary James Cleverly says that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was "bullied" into allowing the veteran left-wing MP Diane Abbott stand for the party by his deputy, Angela Rayner.

He has accuses Starmer of "flip-flopping" and "U-turning" over whether Abbott should be allowed as a Labour candidate.

"It's taken three days and if the leader of the Labour Party cannot make what is fundamentally a really simple decision about the candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. How on earth is he going to make the serious decisions that prime ministers have to make?" he says.

Challenged over the numbers of candidates the Conservatives have yet to choose, which is said to be more than 100, Cleverly says the party is "working through" its candidate selection process but adds "this level of indecision" by Labour is about "who runs the Labour Party".

Asked whether he himself thinks Diane Abbott should be a candidate, Cleverly says: "She was a real trailblazer. I don't agree with her politics at all but I think even her harshest critics would say that the way the Labour leadership has treated her has been appalling."

Eimear Flanagan
BBC News NI

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In Northern Ireland, the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), which could take votes away from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has announced it will field 13 election candidates in partnership with Reform UK.

The partnership was announced in March when Reform UK leader Richard Tice attended the TUV's annual conference in County Antrim.

The two parties had hoped to field “agreed candidates” in the poll, but because Reform UK felt it would not be able to register its Northern Ireland candidates before the 7 June deadline, it is now backing the TUV’s selection.

The TUV has no MPs and only one member in the Northern Ireland Assembly - its leader Jim Allister.

However, its presence on the ballot in many unionist-majority constituencies could divert votes away from the DUP, which could then struggle to hold on to its seats.

Earlier today, Allister confirmed that TUV/Reform UK will only step aside in one unionist-held seat in Northern Ireland – the constituency of Upper Bann.

A full list of candidates will be available on the BBC website after nominations close.

• Read more here

Tice continues by saying "this is the issue - there's no growth anywhere", before adding "our economy needs reform".

"For too many people, work doesn't pay..." he says, and adds that more than five million people in the country are on out-of-work benefits.

Tice says Reform's key economic policy is to lift the starting point at which you pay any income tax to £20,000 from £12,500.

He also says healthcare needs fundamental reform and says Reform UK are the first party that believes it could get to zero waiting lists.

On law and order, he says only 5% of all crimes result in a charge and says his party wants to build tens of thousands of extra detention places.

Reform UK leader Richard Tice is speaking at an event in Skegness now.

He begins by saying Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the election when he did because he was "scared" by Reform UK's progress in the polls, adding that the Conservative Party's performance has been slipping in the polls.

Addressing a group of supporters, Tice likens "shy" reformers to "shy" Brexiteers, and says Reform UK will surprise people after the 4 July general election.

Tice, who is running as a Reform UK MP for the Boston and Skegness constituency, rhetorically asks the audience if it is easier to see a doctor, or if streets feel safer, to which the crowd shouts "no" to each question.

A complete list of candidates standing in the Boston and Skegness constituency will be available on the BBC website after nominations close.

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It's been another busy day on the election campaign trail.

If you're just joining us, or in need of a recap, here's a quick summary of what's been going on:

• After mounting speculation over whether veteran left-wing MP Diane Abbott will be banned from standing for Labour in the general election, Sir Keir Starmer says she is "free to go forward" as a candidate for the party
• Earlier this week, Abbott accused Labour of blocking her from standing for the party in the election on 4 July
• Sunak gave his take on Labour's row over Abbott, saying "it is clear Angela Rayner is in charge of his party, and not him [Keir Starmer]"

• Elsewhere, the SNP's leader John Swinney has warned Labour's plans for GB Energy would be a "bodyblow" to the Scottish economy", while the Green Party said the funding behind the plans were "tiny" and "nowhere near enough"
• Labour said its plans to create GB Energy would help the transition to net zero and ensure jobs for this generation and the next
• Meanwhile, the Conservatives have announced a crackdown on fly-tippers and disruptive social housing tenants as a policy
• And the Liberal Democrats have unveiled a policy to extend free school meals for primary children in England, expanding provision to 900,000 more children by raising the eligibility criteria

We'll also be hearing from Reform UK leader Richard Tice shortly. Stick with us for the latest updates and analysis.

Image source, Reuters

We're just heard from Nigel Farage, who founded Reform UK and is joining the party on its campaign trail despite not running as a candidate in the general election.

Asked about the Labour row with veteran politician Diane Abbott, Farage says Keir Starmer was "very strong on [Jeremy] Corbyn" but not so much with Abbott.

"I think it’s probably a good thing that she can stand," he says.

"Whatever you think of Diane Abbott’s politics, she’s been a big political figure on the scene for 35 years," Farage says before adding "I think it’s a good thing that she can stand".

He also talked about former US President Donald Trump's guilty verdict - Farage (who has been an ally of Trump's for years) says he is now backing the former president "more than ever" as he seeks to be elected for a second time in November's US elections.