Nadia Ragozhina
Live page editor

Good morning for those of you just joining us.

So far, we've heard from both the DUP and Sinn Féin, with both parties calling for NHS reform in Northern Ireland.

The DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the health service needed "significant transformation", with Sinn Féin's John Finucane saying it was in "dire need of reform". He also called for more powers for the country.

On the campaign trail, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey is out in Surrey, with a focus on crime. Our correspondent Jenny Hill is with him and we'll be hearing more from her later.

Sir Keir Starmer is in Nottinghamshire, where he will be highlighting promises he made on the NHS - more staff, more appointments and more equipment. Our correspondent Gary O'Donoghue will be filing more from Labour's "bright red battle bus".

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is off the campaign trail for another day, to attend Trooping the Colour and, later this afternoon, the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland.

We are here to bring you all the latest lines and developments, so stay with us.

Gary O'Donoghue
Reporting from the Labour campaign

The NHS has always been firm territory for Labour leaders, and today Sir Keir Starmer is taking his bright red battle bus - the word "change" plastered down its side - to Nottinghamshire to highlight the promises he's made for more staff, more appointments and more equipment.

While a tragedy for those affected, the party was gifted an opportunity this week, with new figures showing the waiting list for treatment going up by 34,000 - to more than 7.5m.

But while some parts of its plans to transform the health service have been costed, the big ambitions are likely to cost a lot more, and so far Labour has relied on talk of economic growth and closing tax loopholes to fund it's wider plan for reform.

For voters, the NHS is always right up there among their top priorities at elections - and were Keir Starmer to become prime minister in less than three weeks time, delivering on the NHS will be one of the main things he'll be judged on.

Image source, PA Media

Now it's the turn of Sinn Féin member John Finucane to face BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Like the DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly, Finucane also says the NHS in Northern Ireland is in "dire need of reform".

He says the state of the health service is due to it being underfunded for a "significant amount of time", accusing the UK government of "essentially expecting devolution to do it's job with both hands tied behind its back".

Finucane accepts, though, that fixing these problems is "not just a matter of throwing money at public services", saying his party wants to send "a strong message to London that we need more powers here".

Jenny Hill
Reporting from the Lib Dem campaign

Sir Ed Davey’s stepped on to the Lib Dem campaign bus clutching a waterproof jacket.

We’re off for a day in the Surrey countryside – and the forecast does not look good.

Davey’s focus today is crime.

The Lib Dems want to scrap Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) – locally elected officials responsible for ensuring that police forces run smoothly. It’s a role the Lib Dems themselves helped to create when they governed in coalition with the Conservatives.

PCCs can hire and fire chief constables, set policing budgets and are often described as a link between police forces and the local community.

The Lib Dems reckon that getting rid of them would free up an estimated £170m which they want to divert into front line policing.

Expect to hear more about car crime too as Davey travels around the county. He’s warning of an ‘epidemic of car theft’ after Lib Dem analysts calculated that 74% of car thefts have gone unsolved since the last election.

Little-Pengelly is next asked about power-sharing

For context: the devolved government in Northern Ireland was restored in February, following a decision by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ending its boycott over post-Brexit trade rules.

The return of power-sharing saw Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill and Little-Pengelly appointed first and deputy first ministers.

Little-Pengelly says generally people are "positive" about the restoration of Stormont.

She says it's "been a challenging time" across Northern Ireland, but voters ultimately want "hope" and to "see political leaders working together".

Asked about the challenges facing the DUP from the Ulster Unionist Party, Traditional Unionist Voice and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Little-Pengelly says there is "a fracturing within unionism".

She adds that it's up to the DUP to make its "record of delivery clear".

Image source, PA Media

The health service in Northern Ireland is in need of "significant transformation", DUP candidate and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly admits.

This comes in response to figures put to her by BBC Radio 4's Today programme that 420,000 people in the country are currently waiting for their first consultant-led outpatient appointments - an increase of more than five fold since 2008.

Little-Pengelly concedes that this is one of several "big challenges we face here in Northern Ireland".

She also adds that while the government invests "more per head of the population in our health service than anywhere else across UK, those outcomes are not where they need to be".

"We need significant transformation," she says.

As part of our election coverage, the BBC wants to better understand what matters most to you, the voters.

We’re running a project called Your Voice, Your Vote - and it’s all about listening to you over the next few weeks and exploring the issues that you want us to focus on.

In this video, BBC's analysis editor Ros Atkins answers some of your questions about tactical voting.

Image source, Jessica Taylor

Labour candidate Rosie Duffield has announced she has withdrawn from hustings events as she does not feel safe.

Duffield, who hopes to be re-elected in the Canterbury constituency, has previously faced death threats and multiple instances of abuse over her stance on sex and gender.

In a statement, external posted on X last night, she blamed "constant trolling, spite and misrepresentation", which she said was "being pursued with a new vigour during this election".

She added "sadly the actions of a few fixated people has made my attendance impossible" and she plans to hold "secure" local events instead, having told the Times earlier this week that she has spent £2,000 on bodyguards while campaigning.

Duffield has said there should be protected spaces where those born male are not allowed to go, such as domestic violence refuges and prisons, and she is against people being able to self-identify as trans to gain access to those spaces.

You can read more on this story here.

Chris Mason
Political editor

Image source, EPA

For the first time, a single opinion poll shaped a day on the campaign trail.

A poll from YouGov, external suggested Reform UK had overtaken the Conservatives for the first time.

It is worth reflecting on that for a moment: one of the most successful political parties in the Western world and the current party of UK government, being outpolled by a party barely a few years old.

But hang on a minute: polls that make news deserve scepticism, because the most eye-catching polls are usually the outliers - and it is the trend in opinion polls that is key.

It is that trend, in my judgement, that made this moment noteworthy, though, because Reform UK have seen their polling numbers improve throughout this campaign so far.

But, Nigel Farage has had false dawns before.

The First Past the Post voting system at Westminster means parties need geographically concentrated pockets of support to win seats.

Moderate support in lots of places can mean stacking up a lot of votes and getting next to no seats.

In 2015, UKIP stacked up nearly four million votes but managed just one seat.

You can read more from Chris here.

The majority of today's newspapers lead with the Princess of Wales' announcement that she is making "good progress" in her chemotherapy treatment and will make a return to public life for Trooping the Colour today.

Meanwhile, in an interview with The Times, Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron warns that Nigel Farage is "intent on destroying the Conservative Party" and said that his "inflammatory language" and "dog whistle" politics should be rejected.

Elsewhere, in an interview with The Telegraph, Suella Braverman has blamed the Conservative Party's "depressing" electoral position on its failure to tackle migration.

According to the Guardian, Conservative leadership hopefuls are "already lobbying for support to take over" from Rishi Sunak amid "widespread fears the party is heading for a disastrous defeat" on 4 July.

• Read the full paper review here

Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage as we prepare for another day on the campaign trail.

With less than three weeks until the general election, party leaders are hitting the road again today to continue their pitches to voters. Here's what to look out for today:

• Labour is expected to discuss its plan to clear the NHS backlog with its policy to create 40,000 extra appointments a week
• The Liberal Democrats are calling for a boost to frontline policing after it analysed Home Office statistics and said they show almost 74% of car thefts have gone unsolved since the last general election
• The SNP is turnings its attention to helping protect Scotland's food industries like Scottish Salmon from "botched Brexit trade deals"
• Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak will remain off the campaign trail as he travels to Switzerland for a Ukraine peace conference

Stay with us for the latest.

Aoife Walsh
Live reporter

We'll soon be pausing our general election coverage for today. But before we go, let's take a quick look back at what happened today.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth's turn began in the morning by answering questions from the public on BBC Radio 5 Live, where they were challenged on Brexit, NHS dentistry, climate change and migration.

Soon after, we heard from Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott, who accused Labour of launching a "tax trap manifesto" after failing "to rule out 18 potential tax rises".

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is at the G7 summit in Italy, was asked about a YouGov poll which put Reform at one point ahead of the Tories. He said a vote for Farage’s party would be a “blank cheque for Labour". If you'd like to read more about the latest opinion polls, you can find polling expert John Curtice's analysis here.

It was then Sir Keir Starmer's turn to face questions from the BBC's Nick Robinson.

In a sit-down interview, the Labour leader told Robinson he was prepared to make enemies in order to grow the economy and insisted there would be no increases in income tax, national insurance and VAT. We've written an upsum of the key lines in an earlier post.

Thank you for sticking with us through another hectic day – we'll be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning. We hope to see you then.

Ahead of the 2024 General Election, we're giving you the chance to suggest stories you'd like your local, regional and national BBC News teams to look into.

What really matters to you in this general election? What is the one issue that will influence your vote? What’s happening in your life that potential MPs need to know about?

Your Voice, Your Vote will put your stories and questions at the heart of our general election coverage.

Find out more about how you can get involved here.

If you've been distracted by other things (Euros, anyone?) this evening, fear not – we've summarised some of the latest developments here:

• In an interview with the BBC's Nick Robinson, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said there would be no increases in income tax, national insurance and VAT "across the board" and that he was prepared to make enemies in order to grow the economy

• Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in Italy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Labour were "just going to put up your taxes"
• Sunak also pledged to stay on as an MP for a full five-year parliamentary term even if the Conservatives lost on 4 July
• Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper claimed her party could defeat the Conservatives in around 80 seats, and said the Tories were in a "complete mess"
• Reform's Nigel Farage earlier called for a one-on-one debate with Starmer, saying his party could become the "voice of opposition" to Labour
• Meanwhile, the Green's co-leader Carla Denyer told BBC's Woman's Hour that her party had "a lot to offer women voters"
• New figures from the Electoral Commission showed that Labour raised £351,990 more in donations than the Conservatives in the first week of the general election campaign

On 4 July, you will be able to vote for the person who goes to represent your area in the House of Commons.

If you are over 18 and are not registered you have until 23:59 on Tuesday 18 June to register to vote, external. You will also need ID to vote.

You can use our lookup to find out which constituency you are in, who is standing as a candidate in your area and to which polling station you can go to vote, by entering your postcode here.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would stay on as an MP for a full five-year parliamentary term if he loses the general election.

Speaking to journalists earlier at the G7 summit in Italy, Sunak also said he would commit to serving a full five-year term if he was re-elected as prime minister.

Reform UK ambitious despite being short on money and timepublished at 20:54 British Summer Time 14 June

20:54 BST 14 June

Chris Mason
Political editor

The lectern Nigel Farage was standing behind at his news conference earlier was past its first flush of youth.

And Reform’s logo was clinging to it with sticky tape. It’s a reminder that Nigel Farage’s latest party is an upstart outfit, short of money and short of time.

But there’s no shortage of ambition, chutzpah or appetite to provoke dizzying discombobulation among Conservatives.

Westminster’s voting system, first past the post, makes it hard for smaller parties to breakthrough – you need geographically concentrated pockets of support, not just lots of folk in lots of places backing you.

But what they can do is colossal damage to the big parties if they nick their voters.

Nigel Farage believes the Conservative Party is world weary, divided, clapped out. So he can frighten the life out of them and let questions swirl about whether he wants to overtake them, take them over or finish them off.

That’s a soap opera to come, maybe, if he manages to make it to the Commons.

For now, though, all this means many Tories zoom from gloom to doom; their grinning tormentor showing them no mercy this time.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Moving briefly away from Keir Starmer, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has been cleared of any wrongdoing regarding claims he misused his travel expenses.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) previously said it was reviewing information, published in the Sunday Mail newspaper, that alleged Ross had combined the expenses with his work as a football linesman.

But the standards watchdog said in a statement it was "satisfied" no rules had been broken.

Ross announced on Monday that he would be standing down as party leader following the general election campaign, where he is contesting the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat.

Read the full story here.

Instincts and values matter more than an election sales brochurepublished at 20:15 British Summer Time 14 June

20:15 BST 14 June

Nick Robinson
Presenter, Radio 4 Today

As you saw for yourself, Sir Keir Starmer is frustrated by the constant reminders of what he said five years ago.

He says that over that time he’s listened to what voters were telling his party after its worst defeat in decades. He has decided to put country before party. He has, in other words, changed his mind, not just what he’s saying.

The toughest questions he now faces are those posed by independent and respected economists who praise his desire for growth and willingness, as he tells me, to “make enemies” along the way. But they warn progress could be slow.

It is the boss of the Institute of Fiscal Studies which has warned of the need to cut £18bn from public spending, describing Labour’s promises on schools and hospitals as “tiny”, if not trivial.

Labour's pledge to hire 6,500 new teachers is the equivalent to one new teacher for every three schools. The promise of two million extra NHS appointments a year represents an increase in NHS spending of less than 1%. This is small fiscal change. Starmer insists it's just a first step.

Sir Keir wishes more time was spent explaining and analysing what he is now saying and less on what he once said.

My experience reporting politics for the last few decades is that prime ministers are shaped by what they don’t know lies ahead – a war, a pandemic, a banking crisis or strikes – so what matters as much as what is in an election sales brochure is what the instincts and values are of the person at the top.

We’ve just heard from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer as he was challenged by BBC Radio 4 presenter Nick Robinson on everything from the number of teachers he wants to recruit to whether he would use military force as PM.

Here’s a recap of some of the key moments of the interview:

• Starmer said that if Labour got into power there would be a “cash injection straight away” into police, hospitals and schools and that the UK was “not going back to austerity”
• Growth is at the centre of the Labour manifesto, with Starmer telling Robinson he is ready to make enemies in order to grow the economy
• Asked whether he would also make enemies on Brexit, Starmer said that the UK could do better than “the botched deal we got under Boris Johnson”
• On military power, Starmer said he was ready to take “whatever action we need to defend our country”
• And when asked about immigration, Starmer stated that “freedom of movement” was over but that the UK needed “managed migration”