Emily Atkinson
Live reporter

It's been another busy day of updates - some more shocking than others - and all with just 31 days left before the general election.

For now, though, we'll be bringing an end to today's election coverage.

But come back tomorrow, when we'll bring you the latest announcements and election pledges, before rounding off the day with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak facing Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on ITV at 21:00 BST, in the first televised debate between the two leaders.

It's shaping up to be a real blockbuster - don't forget your popcorn.

• In the meantime, you can read our latest BBC InDepth article on Nigel Farage's return to the political fray here
• And stay up to date with our election coverage here

Thanks for joining us.

We'll soon be wrapping up our coverage for the day - but fear not, we'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning.

Before we go, let's take a look at some of today's headlines:

• Nigel Farage, founder of Reform UK, announced that he would stand as a candidate in Clacton, only days after he ruled himself out of the ballot*
• During a campaign event in London, Farage was also declared as Reform UK's new leader by now party chairman Richard Tice
• Also on Monday, Labour announced its defence plans as party leader Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would be "fit to fight" under his leadership
• Starmer said he was committed to a "nuclear deterrent triple lock" - as well as his ambition to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, a measure of the size of the economy
• Elsewhere, the Conservatives promised to rewrite the Equality Act so that protections it enshrines on the basis of a person’s sex apply only to their biological sex
• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the "safety of women and girls" meant the "current confusion around definitions of sex and gender" cannot be allowed to continue
• Later, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney told the BBC the plans, which include making gender reassignment a reserved issue for the UK government, are "an explicit, outright threat" to devolution

*A full list of candidates for Clacton, and other constituencies, will be available on the BBC News website when nominations close on Friday

Image source, STV/PA

And that's it from the STV Scottish leaders' debate, which saw them go head to head over their visions and plans for Scotland as the 4 July general election looms.

Here's a round-up of the key lines:

• The SNP's John Swinney was asked if he was for or against new licenses for oil and gas fields in north east Scotland, but he did commit either way - adding that he was in favour of a "climate compatibility test"
• Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar was quizzed on how Labour would foot the bill for some of the policies it has announced so far. Sarwar rejected the suggestion that spending cuts would be necessary
• Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton was asked about EU membership, to which he said "no one can promise" the UK will be returned to Europe in the next parliamentary term, but believed it will be on the ballot in the future
• Meanwhile, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross was asked about the Partygate scandal - which saw then-PM Boris Johnson and other senior politicians break isolation rules during the Covid pandemic. Ross said he "could not defend those parties", adding that there were failures in government which he "simply could not support"

Georgia Roberts
Political correspondent, BBC Scotland

Both the SNP and the Conservatives, when it was their turn to ask Labour’s Anas Sarwar a question, chose North Sea oil.

They clearly feel this is among Scottish Labour’s most vulnerable turf.

The party has been dogged by claims from the industry – heavily trumpeted by the SNP – recently that their plan to issue no new licences in the North Sea (but honour those already in place) and extend the windfall tax on oil and gas profits will cost 100,000 jobs.

Labour says it doesn't recognise the figure and that the SNP are in the pockets of the oil and gas giants whilst they’re trying to raise money for public services and the renewables transition.

But in a country still reeling from the cost of living, many voters will be focusing on the here and now – and the threat of job losses in a crucial area of Scotland’s economy may be enough to make many voters sufficiently nervous.

However, many would say the SNP have undergone a transition of their own on this issue, whose draft energy policy was a presumption against new drilling.

Given what we’ve heard from them recently, we’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.

Image source, STV

It's SNP leader John Swinney's turn to face his fellow leaders' questions. Straight out of the gate, Tory leader Douglas Ross asks him about independence.

Swinney says, for the SNP, independence “is the answer” to 14 years of austerity from Westminster and the “folly of decision-making” by the Conservative government.

He is then asked about the ferries scandal, education standards and the Michael Matheson iPad scandal.

Swinney says Matheson “made mistakes” but is “facing up” to his punishment.

Labour's Sarwar says Swinney leads a party “mired in sleaze and scandal” and asks whether he believes change for Scotland can only happen without a Tory government.

He says it is “not true” that a Labour government is the only one that can deliver that.

The Lib Dem's Cole-Hamilton says young people are still living under the “long shadow of the Covid lockdown” and says mental health support is “letting them down”.

Swinney says record expenditure on mental health is being implemented by Holyrood.

Image source, STV

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross is next to be grilled by the other party leaders.

Labour's Sarwar starts, asking whether Ross believes the achievements of the Conservative government include former prime minister Boris Johnson "partying while people were locked away from their families” during the Covid pandemic.

He adds that Ross should be “begging for forgiveness” from the people of Scotland.

Ross says he “could not defend those parties” and admits “difficult decisions have had to be made”.

The Lib Dem's Cole-Hamilton then presses Ross on his support for Johnson and the policies of another ex-PM, Liz Truss.

Ross says he resigned from Johnson’s government over Partygate and that there were failures in government he “simply could not support”.

Swinney asks if Ross regrets supporting Truss’ mini-budget, which crashed the UK economy.

Ross says he “holds his hands up” for assuming preparatory work had been done in the lead up when it had not.

Tonight's STV Scottish leaders' debate has now come to an end.

We've got a few more lines to catch you up on from the show before we end our coverage for the day, so stay with us.

Georgia Roberts
Political correspondent, BBC Scotland

As the leaders move into cross-examination, we’re seeing a familiar SNP attack line play out from John Swinney.

The SNP have been hammering home a message in this campaign that Labour are basically the same as the Conservatives – or "Tory-lite".

They’ve attacked the party in particular for sticking closely to Conservative spending plans.

The SNP say - given analysis from those such as the IFS pointing to an £18bn black hole in the public finances to fill for the next government - that Labour aren’t being honest about deep cuts to public services on the horizon.

Particularly, they say, given shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves’ commitment not to raise taxes on working people.

The Conservatives haven’t exactly been forthcoming about the answer to this question either and are talking a similar game on taxes.

But there will certainly be pressure on Labour to spell out in their manifesto more detail on their plan for economic growth to counteract the SNP’s claim of a “conspiracy of silence” they and the Conservatives are deploying on the issue.

Image source, STV

After a short break in tonight's STV debate, we're back.

The Lib Dem's Alex Cole-Hamilton is next under the spotlight. The first question, on EU membership, is put to him by SNP leader John Swinney.

He says “no one can promise” the UK will be returned to Europe in the next parliamentary term, but believes it will be on the ballot in the future.

Scottish Tory leader Ross then asks why the party’s policy on highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) is similar to the SNP and Green legislation that was shelved after criticism from fishing communities.

Cole-Hamilton says the Lib Dems have learned from this "hated" HPMA policy, adding that the Lib Dem policy will not be “ideologically driven”.

Away from the debate, Scarlett McGuire, director at JL Partners Polls, has been speaking to the BBC's World Tonight programme.

Asked about Nigel Farage's decision to stand in the upcoming general election, McGuire said the Tories are potentially facing "an extinction-level event" and “staring into the polling abyss”.

The leading pollster said she believes "things could get a whole lot worse", adding that the impact of Reform UK - now being led by Farage - "will be quite dramatic".

Image source, STV

We're now into the cross-examination section of the debate. First to face his fellow leaders' questions is Anas Sarwar - Scottish Labour leader.

The SNP's Swinney starts by asking Sarwar where his party's £18bn worth of spending cuts will come from.

Sarwar says he “does not accept” there will be spending cuts, adding extra revenues will be invested in public services.

Scottish Tory Ross then asks Sarwar why he does not want new oil and gas licenses for the North Sea and whether Labour's GB Energy policy will cost 42,000 jobs, citing an Offshore UK report.

The Scottish Labour leader says their plan will create 69,000 jobs.

He is then asked by Liberal Democrat Cole-Hamilton for Scottish Labour’s plan to improve rural healthcare.

He says there are “far too may people” on NHS waiting lists and says the party will lay out a “proper workforce plan”.

Back to the Scottish election debate on STV now.

SNP leader John Swinney is repeatedly asked about new licenses for oil and gas fields in the north east of Scotland, but does not say whether he is in favour either way.

He says he is in favour of a “climate compatibility test” on every decision made.

That answer does not impress Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who asks why the first minister cannot give a straight answer.

Swinney then accuses Scottish Labour of repeating the mistakes of Margaret Thatcher’s government over the party’s policy on higher windfall taxes for oil and gas companies, stating it will turn the north east of the country into an “industrial wasteland”.

Meanwhile, Alex Cole-Hamilton says the exchange shows two parties arguing instead of pursuing a just transition for workers.

While we're on topic, here's a closer look at devolution - the transfer of certain powers to a more localised body.

Since the late 1990s, some powers that used to be held by the UK government in Westminster are now held by separate bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - each with their own government.

Devolution works slightly differently for each country, but the Scottish government is responsible for things such as education, health and housing in Scotland.

Many policies, however, remain the responsibility of the government in Westminster - including defence, foreign policy and immigration, as well as the governance of England.

This upcoming general election is for the UK Parliament at Westminster, and not any of the devolved governments.

You can read more about devolution, and what powers each country has here.

Georgia Roberts
Political correspondent, BBC Scotland

This is a Westminster election, not a Scottish Parliament one.

Some would argue it should be fought on the basis of what’s under Westminster’s control.

That’ll be areas like welfare, foreign policy, and of course the constitutional question of independence.

Other big issues in this campaign like the NHS, education, transport and gender policy are devolved to the Scottish government, where the SNP are currently in power.

So aside from the funding for these areas - much of which is sourced in Whitehall and heavily impacts the Scottish government’s budget - arguments about who’ll be best to take on, for example, Scotland’s education system technically have no bearing in this campaign.

Nonetheless, the parties know that voters mostly won’t be making that distinction.

In this debate the Holyrood opposition leaders will therefore be emphasising what they see as failures in devolved areas like the NHS in order to put the SNP under pressure; who after years of dominance, come into this election feeling far more vulnerable.

Image source, STV

The STV Scottish leaders’ debate in Glasgow is live. First, they're given 60 seconds each to set out their stalls.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross uses his minute to say that his party will focus on the “top priorities” and end the SNP’s “obsession with independence for good”.

Labour's Anas Sarwar says Scotland “cannot afford to miss” the opportunity to vote out the Conservative government in Westminster, adding Scottish Labour will “maximise Scotland’s influence”.

First Minister John Swinney says the SNP is doing everything it can to “protect Scotland in tough times” and describes the Westminster system as “broken”.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton says governments in London and Edinburgh have “lost sight of what matters” and only his party can secure a fair deal for “people, families and Scotland”.

Image source, PA Media/ Getty Images

Going head-to-head tonight are the leaders of four parties in Scotland. Here’s more about them:

John Swinney took over as leader of the Scottish National Party in May, 25 years after he was first elected to the Scottish Parliament. He’s stressed his belief in independence as a way to ensure decisions about Scotland are made in Scotland.

Douglas Ross has served as leader of the Scottish Conservatives since August 2020. The focus of his campaign includes putting investment in education, bringing down NHS waiting lists and creating more jobs.

Scottish Labour is led by Anas Sarwar, who took up the role in February 2021. He says his party is committed to treat public finances with respect and deliver change for the NHS. Sarwar's also said Labour's that GB Energy plans will deliver more green jobs in Scotland and cut bills.

Alex Cole-Hamilton leads the Scottish Liberal Democrats. He has reaffirmed his party's ambition to "tear down the acid yellow wall of the SNP". He's said every vote for his party will mean Scottish people "get a local champion who will work tirelessly for you all year round".

We’re just moments away from the first televised debate between Scottish party leaders on STV tonight.

We will be providing updates from the debate and analysis from our correspondents on this page, so stay with us.

Kevin Keane
Environment correspondent, BBC Scotland

The Scottish Greens were at the heart of government until a spectacular fall out just weeks ago caused a power sharing agreement to crumble.

The split boiled down to two issues: gender politics and climate politics.

While the Greens take a hard line on climate, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has indicated a more "pragmatic" approach.

Even the SNP's presumption against new North Sea exploration is under review.

Labour find themselves in the sights of the oil and gas industry by promising a "proper" windfall tax on the profits of energy giants and adding that they won't back new exploration licences.

The second largest party in Scotland - the Conservatives - have issued more than 100 such licences in the past year and say halting exploration would cost thousands of jobs.

The Liberal Democrats focus on boosting renewable energy by increasing funding for wind, solar and marine power projects.

Image source, PA Media

As we just mentioned, the first televised debate of the general election will feature leaders from the SNP, the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Not taking part in tonight's STV broadcast are the Scottish Greens - who have labelled the decision to exclude them as "outrageous".

The Greens will not be represented as they currently do not hold any Scottish seats at Westminster, despite having several MSPs at Holyrood.

The broadcaster said it was "comfortable" that the decision met guidelines set by TV regulator Ofcom.

Ross Greer, co-chair of the Scottish Greens executive committee, has written to STV chief executive Simon Pitts regarding the programme.

But our colleagues at BBC Scotland understand the party have been informed STV stands by its decision.

From 21:00 BST, we'll be bringing you key lines from the first televised debate with Scottish party leaders on STV.

Joining the 90-minute debate will be:

• John Swinney - SNP leader
• Douglas Ross - Scottish Conservatives leader
• Anas Sarwar - Scottish Labour leader
• Alex Cole-Hamilton - Scottish Liberal Democrats

The Scottish Greens – who until recently were in a power-sharing government with the SNP in the Scottish parliament – have not been invited, a decision the party has called "outrageous".

A separate election debate – featuring the leaders of all five parties – will be held on BBC Scotland on 11 June.