Returning to that Nick Robinson interview from earlier today with Plaid Cymru's leader, it was put to him at one point about his party's pro-independence position.

Ap Iorwerth said he would "have Wales become independent tomorrow" but accepts the country is "not at that point quite yet", and he hopes to get voters interested in the prospect.

Robinson pressed him on what that would look like in practice. Plaid also want to rejoin the EU single market - so would that mean a hard border between Wales and England?

Ap Iorwerth said "absolutely not" and the party would ensure the "border is absolutely free in terms of trade and people".

He said independence is about Wales achieving its "full potential" and "redesigning" the UK, rather than breaking it up.

Ap Iorwerth also criticised Labour for not advocating for rejoining the EU, which he said is because of the party's "lurch to the right".

Asked if the UK monarch would remain head of an independent Wales, he said he is personally a republican but that decision "would be up to the people of Wales".

Craig Hutchison
Live reporter

Back with the SNP leader, Nick Robinson swiftly moves on to Scottish independence - something the SNP has tried to achieve for years.

Robinson asks whether the independence (“line one, page one of your manifesto”) itself would lead to austerity.

“No I don’t accept that,” Swinney responds, though he acknowledges that an independent Scotland would need sustainable public finances.

It’s put to Swinney that the economic research group the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned before that it’s highly likely an independent Scotland would need to make bigger cuts to public spending, or bigger increases to taxes.

But the SNP leader disputes this, suggesting the IFS has also said Scotland would have “much more flexibility and manoeuvrability as a country to improve our economic performance”.

Image source, ITV News

As we mentioned, there's a lot going on this evening and we're also listening into Rishi Sunak's interview with ITV ahead of his TV appearance with Keir Starmer from 19:30.

In a snippet from the interview released earlier, the prime minister said he went without "lots of things" as a child, including Sky TV.

The prime minister's interview was recorded last week, after he attended D-Day commemorations in France, and is being broadcast on ITV now.

We'll be bringing you any other key lines the PM delivers, so stay with us on this page.

At a separate point earlier today inside the BBC Panorama studio, Nick Robinson sat down with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth.

In that sit down, Nick Robinson began by asking him about his decision to back the Conservatives attempt to remove Labour First Minister Vaughan Gething from power earlier this month.

Plaid has previously worked with Labour in Wales but has been critical of the party in recent months.

Ap Iorwerth described the row over a controversial donation to Gething as a "scandal" unlike anything Wales has had since the Welsh Assembly was set up.

He repeated that Gething "should have resigned".

For his part, Gething has insisted the controversial donation - which you can read more about here - was within the rules, but has committed to a review on the rules around future donations.

Image source, BBC Images

The SNP leader John Swinney is being grilled by the BBC’s Nick Robinson - watch along by pressing Play at the top of this page.

Robinson starts the 30-minute interview by pointing out that Swinney’s been part of the Scottish government for 17 years - and first came to office “before the iPhone was invented”.

Swinney, now Scotland's first minister, laughs and concedes: “I’ve been part and parcel of the SNP for over 40 years and it’s been my privilege to be in government.”

Meanwhile - as is the magic of television - we're watching Nick Robinson's interview with Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth and we'll bring you lines on that soon.

(Okay, it isn't really magic - he recorded them at different times today - but you can watch both at the top of this page.)

Sam Hancock
Live reporter

There’s quite a lot happening this evening - here’s how we’re going to cover it:

On the BBC at 19:00: Presenter Nick Robinson has been interviewing party leaders - today he’s spoken to Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwert.

You can watch both interviews at the top of this page - with updates from us right here.

At the same time, an ITV interview with Rishi Sunak’s due to air. It’s the one he sat down to do last week after leaving D-Day events in Normandy early, which he later apologised for. Will we cover that too? You bet.

And then from 19:30, Sky News is airing its first TV election leaders programme, which Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer are taking part in. They’ll have questions put to them by the broadcaster and members of the public - we’ll again bring you the highlights.

So, a busy couple of hours but don’t worry - everything you need to know will be right here. Let’s get going.

It's a bumper evening on the campaign trail, and in a little while we're going to hear from the Conservative and Labour leaders in a TV event on Sky News at 19:30 BST.

We want to hear what you think - about the debate and your reaction to what's said, but also what you think we should be covering during this election campaign and what matters to you.

• Share your thoughts with us here

The leader of Plaid Cymru calls on Welsh voters to back Plaid Cymru at the election to prevent Labour from having a "huge majority" that would allow them act with "impunity".

In a Panorama interview with Nick Robinson, Rhun ap Iorwerth predicts Labour will win the election regardless of how Wales votes.

"Yes, there will change, but what kind of change would you like it to be?" he asks.

It comes after Conservative Grant Shapps warned earlier in the day that Labour could win a "super majority".

While Labour are ahead in the polls (which you can track here) it's worth remembering not a single vote has been cast yet. And while we're on that topic, you can find out how to register to vote - and the deadline to do so here.

• You can watch The Panorama Interviews with Nick Robinson at the top of this page at 19:00 - Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth’s will also be shown on BBC One in Wales.

Image source, BBC Images

SNP leader John Swinney suggests the rest of the UK should replicate Scotland’s tax increases to avoid spending cuts after the election.

In an interview with the BBC’s Nick Robinson, Swinney says adopting Scotland’s approach would “avoid the £18bn worth of cuts” he claims will be made by either a future Conservative or Labour government in Westminster - which Robinson reminds him both parties have denied.

For context: Back in December, the Scottish government announced tax changes that meant Scotland would have six income tax bands, while the rest of the UK has three, with middle and higher earners in Scotland paying more than other parts of the country.

Nick Robinson also spoke to Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth - we'll bring you more on that shortly.

• Watch The Panorama Interviews with Nick Robinson tonight at 19:00 - John Swinney’s is on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer, while Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth’s will be shown on BBC One in Wales. Both will be shown at the top of this page

Which domestic flights could be banned under the Greens' proposals?published at 17:42 British Summer Time 12 June

17:42 BST 12 June

Katy Austin
Transport correspondent

Image source, PA Media

The number of domestic flights has fallen over time. But still, in April 2024, more than 18,500 flew between destinations within the UK - including between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This will include passengers connecting to international flights.

The Greens say they would ban domestic flights for journeys where a train journey would take under three hours.

Last year, France brought in a similar ban but with a 2.5 hour rule. The Lib Dems want to follow suit in the UK, with the exception of "alternative-fuelled" planes.

But campaign group Flight Free UK has said this would apply to so few routes, that it would be be "fairly pointless".

For example, London-Edinburgh and London-Glasgow are some of the busiest domestic air routes in the UK. The train alternative takes about four-and-a-half hours.

How many routes could be banned under a three-hour rule?

As with 2.5 hours, not many. In fact, London-Manchester is the only obvious candidate. The quickest train alternative takes not much over two hours.

This policy seems to be largely symbolic.

Earlier, our colleagues at BBC 5 Live spoke to young people about their thoughts on the general election at a special event in Warrington.

Asked what was the most important issue for them in the election, 18-year-old Brodie Mitchell, a Conservative Party member, stressed the importance of young people "being engaged" in the process.

"At 16, 17 you can’t vote. We feel like we need things like signing up to be a member of party, being involved in political think tanks, going out campaigning with your local MPs, it’s nice to have your voice heard," he says.

Maisie Payne, 18, who is planning to vote Labour, said she will "have a real good look" at the manifestos.

"I have a place to study medicine next tear. I really want the NHS to be prioritised," she says.

As for Labour's plans to lower the voting age to 16, Brodie says no – at that age "you're very immature". But Maisie says she's paying National Insurance since she was 16, and questions why someone in that position shouldn't be able to vote.

How credible is the Greens' wealth tax?published at 17:11 British Summer Time 12 June

17:11 BST 12 June

Image source, Getty Images

The Green Party manifesto proposes to raise up to £151bn per year in new taxes by 2029 - this would be a very large increase, equal to around 4.5% of GDP.

One of the big components of this is a new wealth tax, which the party says would raise around £15bn a year. This would be levied at 1% a year on the assets of people with more than £10m and 2% on those with more than £1bn.

Some tax experts are doubtful this would raise as much as the Greens’ costings suggest, saying many wealthier people who are residents in the UK have only tenuous ties with the country and could in fact leave to avoid paying the levy.

However, Arun Advani of Warwick University, who was part of the Wealth Tax Commission, external, judges the idea of raising a sum from a wealth tax similar to that claimed by the Greens to be “economically credible”.

Could the Greens' tax hikes cover their spending plans?published at 16:45 British Summer Time 12 June

16:45 BST 12 June

The Green Party manifesto proposes to increase spending on health and social care by £53bn per year by 2030. But their total day-to-day spending pledges add up to £161bn in that year, which would represent around 5% of UK's GDP.

That total includes pledges for sizeable increases in spending on transport, education and in welfare payments.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent think tank, says this would all represent an “unprecedented” increase in the size of the state. It would certainly dwarf the £27bn increase in spending per year that the Liberal Democrats proposed in their manifesto on Monday (more on their manifesto here).

On top of this, the Greens propose a further £90bn per year on state capital spending to go towards new hospitals, social housing and decarbonisation infrastructure.

The challenge to the credibility of the Green Party's plan is the question of whether their proposed tax rises would raise sufficient revenue to cover this spending and keep state borrowing from ballooning.

A programme of big spending - but policies unlikely to be enacted in practicepublished at 16:35 British Summer Time 12 June

16:35 BST 12 June

Helen Catt
Political correspondent

Let's turn our attention back to the Greens’ manifesto launch earlier today.

At Sussex County Cricket Club, optimism – and ambition – was running high.

This manifesto is, undeniably, different from many other parties'.

It is a programme of big spending, running into the hundreds of billions, funded in part by going where the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems have not: pledging to raise one of the personal taxes.

The Greens argue it is fully-costed, although a wealth tax isn’t something the UK system currently includes so it’s not certain exactly how effective it would be.

There are other issues where the Greens are consciously in a different place.

They want to get to net zero faster (a decade before 2050). They would also dismantle the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

The Greens themselves are upfront about the fact that do not expect to form a government: their self-proclaimed ambition is to get four MPs.

This manifesto then is less about policies that are likely to be enacted in practice and more about setting out the Greens' perspective.

Image source, EPA

With opinion polls showing Labour ahead, Conservative candidate Sir Geoffrey Cox has said he believes UK could be "sleepwalking into a one-party socialist state".

The former cabinet minister made the remark after being asked about Defence Secretary Grant Shapps's comments this morning that Labour could be heading for a "supermajority".

Speaking to BBC Two's Politics Live, Cox said: "The reality is the consequences of that would be horrific - not just for the Conservative party, [and] for the country, but also for Labour… an opposition is important."

Pressed on whether he was effectively conceding defeat, Cox – who is standing for re-election in Devon – said: “It’s an admission of where we are at the moment in the polls.

"What I’m saying is, on the polls at the moment, if you believe them, then you would be looking at a one-party socialist state. There’s no doubt about that."

You can find a full list of candidates also standing in Torridge and Tavistock here.

Jenni Davidson
Senior politics reporter, BBC Scotland

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says he completely understands why trust in politics is at an all-time low.

He says for far too long politicians have put themselves before the interests of democracy. These comments come as research published today found a record number of people would “almost never” trust any government to put country before party (catch up on the findings from that report here).

On a visit to a medical research centre at the University of Edinburgh, where he gave a speech on the NHS, the Scottish Labour leader set out four ways that Labour would rebuild trust in the public.

He says the party would not make promises it can’t keep, it would always put the country before the party and it would put the integrity of the country’s democracy above protecting individual reputations.

He also said Labour would take politics back to what it’s meant to be: a public service - to serve the people - rather than the people serving politicians.

Woman's Hour is interviewing leaders of the main political parties in the run-up to the election and first up is Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru, the Party of Wales.

Asked why women should vote for him, he says fairness and ambition are at the heart of his party's campaign. He adds that having a Plaid Cymru voice "at the heart of Westminster" would "make sure Wales isn't ignored".

When pressed about the fact that 29% of Plaid candidates are women, he says the Welsh Parliament is pushing for gender equality and he believes the party will be represented by a majority of women in Westminster "next time around".

Ap Iorwerth says the party is changing following a 2023 review saying it needed to "detoxify a culture of harassment, bullying and misogyny" and has been putting into place a series of recommendations. He says he's leading an ongoing process to show "we're serious about the way we're seen".

He also talks about the need for fair taxation and fair funding for Wales. This would be used to pay for more GPs and women's health, he says. Women's safety and "making sure the justice system supports women" in cases of domestic abuse, he adds, are also chief priorities.

As a reminder, Plaid Cymru reveals its manifesto tomorrow. You can find out the full list of candidates standing in your area here.

Labour eyes removing Avanti West Coast's contract soonerpublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 12 June

15:55 BST 12 June

Katy Austin
Transport correspondent

Image source, Avanti West Coast / PA

Let's check-in on the Labour Party, whose shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh has said it would look into removing train operator Avanti West Coast's (AWC) contract sooner than its contract expires.

The party has already announced it would bring passenger rail contracts into public control as they expire.

Last October, AWC, which runs services between London and Scotland through the West Midlands and north west of England, was awarded a contract of up to nine years. It can be terminated at any point after October 2026.

While speaking to Sky News earlier though, Haigh indicated that if her party gained power, she would inquire "about whether they have already breached their contract and whether it can be brought in any earlier”, describing the service Avanti has provided as "woeful".

The equivalent of 6.9% of Avanti services were cancelled in the year to the end of March this year, figures from the Office of Rail and Road show.

This was third worst in the country. CrossCountry had the highest cancellations score at 8.4%.

Greens would increase tax on higher earners - not neccesarily 'the rich'published at 15:44 British Summer Time 12 June

15:44 BST 12 June

Andy Verity
Economics correspondent

The Green Party’s proposal on National Insurance is to charge the basic 8% rate on income above what’s called the Upper Earnings Limit. Is that taxing a wealthy elite?

If you pay higher-rate tax at 40% on some of your pay, you’re in a small minority of the population who earns more than the higher-rate threshold of £50,270 a year.

It's currently about 5.8 million people out of the total population of 67 million – less than a tenth.

But it’s a minority that’s expanding rapidly because of the 2021 decision to freeze income tax and National Insurance thresholds so they don’t rise in line with earnings or inflation.

Had those thresholds risen as before, there would now be only 3.9 million people exposed to the Green Party’s proposal – a little over a tenth of the workforce (rather than the total population).

But instead there are now 5.8 million – about 15%. And that’s set to grow to 6.7 million (says the Office for Budget Responsibility).

The Greens say that if you earn just above the threshold on £55,000, the additional amount you pay under their proposals would be less than £6 per week and if you earn £65,000, about £17 a week.

Those figures look about right. But bear in mind this isn’t so much "tax the rich" as "tax higher earners".

Nick Robinson
Presenter, Radio 4 Today

I’m interviewing the leaders of the seven biggest political parties in Great Britain over this election period - and I’ve just finished interviewing SNP leader John Swinney.

My interview with him will be broadcast tonight at 19:00 on BBC One in Scotland and England - and you can also follow along live by pressing Play at the top of this page at that time, too.

I’m now preparing to interview Plaid Cymru’s leader Rhun ap Iorwerth later this afternoon – which will also be broadcast tonight on BBC One in Wales, and on this page.

The BBC is giving you the chance to suggest stories and themes you'd like us to ask the leaders.

So, what really matters to you in this general election? What would you like to ask?

Get in touch using this form or emailing bbcyourvoice@bbc.co.uk

Watch The Panorama Interviews with Nick Robinson tonight on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.