Labour leader Keir Starmer says he is prepared to make enemies in order to grow the economy, speaking in an interview with the BBC's Nick Robinson.

He was asked if he would tell people who are objecting to electricity pylons or housing developments being built near their homes that they would have to see these plans go ahead.

“We’re going to have to be tough, we’re going to have to change the way things are done,” he says.

He gives an anecdote of a chief executive of an energy company who he asked how long it would take to build a wind turbine farm.

Starmer recalls this a chief executive told him “two years”, adding that they wouldn’t get any power out of it for 13 years because of the time taken for planning and to get the grid connected.

“We cannot go on like that,” Starmer says.

• You can watch The Panorama Interviews with Nick Robinson tonight at 7.30pm on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer

Nick Robinson
Presenter, Radio 4 Today

I’ve just finished interviewing the man who will be spending his first night in Downing Street three weeks from now - if, that is, nothing changes (and it might) and the polls are correct (and they might not be).

Over half an hour on the latest of my Panorama leaders interviews, I speak to Sir Keir Starmer about his belief that by stimulating economic growth he can avoid the tough choices independent experts are warning that the next government will have to take to cut some public spending or raise taxes and borrowing.

We discuss who and what he means - and just as importantly what he doesn’t mean - by his promise that “working people” will not pay more in tax.

I ask him to address those who are suspicious of the big gap between the manifesto he is now presenting to the British public and the one he ran on to be Labour leader five years ago.

Viewers have told the BBC they don’t know who the real Keir Starmer is.

Tonight he tries to answer those doubts and to insist that he is ready to take the toughest decisions - including those to send young men and women to war - in just three weeks time.

Image source, Reuters

Paws can't mark the ballot paper on election day for their preferred candidate, but animal charities have a long list of ideas on how to improve the lives of animals in the UK.

The election's results will have an impact on all creatures great and small in the UK, from pets and farm livestock, to tiny bugs and wild animals, and charities are asking prospective MPs and the next government to look at certain issues.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is calling on the next government to crack down on the illegal imports of puppies and kittens and to reform housing laws so more people can live with pets in properties.

The NatureWatch Foundation is asking prospective MPs to end animal testing, make wildlife crime recordable, and give law enforcement the tools to stop animal abuse in the home.

While the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) wants the law strengthened to improve welfare standards on farms and making sure consumers have clear information about the welfare standards of animal products they buy.

Earlier today we heard from Paula Surridge, professor of political sociology at the University of Bristol, who outlined how the Conservative vote might be squeezed out by Reform.

Talking to Radio 4's World At One, she gives the example of Tamworth, where the Tories and Labour are polling neck and neck, but where Reform is also quite popular.

The Conservatives were hoping to eat into the Reform vote to edge out Labour, but that is proving quite difficult.

Surridge says the Reform vote is still increasing and that the Conservatives aren't "able to squeeze it down and add a few extra votes into their column".

She adds that many Reform supporters are disillusioned Conservative voters who backed the Tories in 2019. When asked how likely they are to vote for them this time around, many say "definitely not".

"They're disillusioned with the Conservatives, and so they don't want to vote for the Conservatives again," Surridge says.

Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter

The Labour Party has raked in the biggest slice of donations for the first week of general election campaigning.

They've raised in £926,908 from donors, followed by the Conservatives at £574,918, and Liberal Democrats with £454,999. The Scottish National Party raised £36,305 and Reform UK £140,000.

This is a huge turnaround on the 2019 election, when Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Back then, the Conservatives attracted £5.7m in the first week of the campaign - which was 87% of all donations - compared to Labour's £218,500.

This time round, the biggest donation of £500,000 is to Labour, from Toledo Productions, a company set up by Duncan Kenworthy, who was a producer on Four Weddings, Notting Hill and Love Actually.

Official figures from the Electoral Commission show a total of £3.247m was donated to political parties in the first week of the general election.

Louise Edwards, of the Electoral Commission, said this was the first of six reports on donations to parties, which are "an important part of delivering transparency for voters".

Read more here.

Alicia McCarthy
Parliamentary correspondent

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper has accused the Conservatives of being in a "complete mess", and losing support in "every single direction".

She claimed her party was best placed to defeat them in around 80 seats.

Her comments follow polling results which suggest Nigel Farage's Reform UK is one percentage point ahead of the Conservatives.

Asked what the difference was between her party and Labour, Cooper said the Liberal Democrats had a manifesto to save the NHS and social care, to have mental health hubs in every community and to offer free personal care to every older person or disabled adult who is currently going without.

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.

We've officially moved into the second half of the general election campaign and we're all still catching our breath after a hectic couple of weeks.

Let's take a quick look at some of today's developments so far:

• Reform's Nigel Farage has demanded a one-on-one debate with Labour leader Keir Starmer, telling journalists his party could trounce the Tory party to become the "voice of the opposition" to Labour
• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was upbeat when speaking to journalists, saying the Conservatives were still fighting for every vote
• Farage earlier took questions from the public on BBC Radio 5 Live and rejected one caller's suggestion that the cost-of-living crisis was caused by his "baby, Brexit"

• Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth, who was up next on Radio 5 Live, said dentistry was the part of the NHS that was struggling most, adding "realistically, dental treatment isn't an NHS service"

• And shadow health secretary Wes Streeting downplayed Labour's lead in the polls, saying there were still millions of undecided voters
• Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper has been promoting her party's plans for a national food strategy in the east of England
• Meanwhile, the Green Party "has a lot to offer women voters", its co-leader Carla Denyer told Radio 4's Woman's Hour earlier today

From 19:30 BST tonight, Labour leader Keir Starmer will be grilled by Nick Robinson on BBC Panorama – we'll be bringing you the key lines throughout here, so stay with us.

Jordan Kenny
BBC Newsbeat politics reporter, in Bristol

Let's return now to Bristol, where BBC Newsbeat have been speaking to young voters about the issues that matter most to them.

Plenty of green trees around us as 17-year-olds Owen and Darlene stop to speak to us on their first visit to Bristol.

They might not be old enough to vote, but are keeping an eye on what politicians are saying about things like the cost of living and climate crisis.

“We’re thinking about going off to university,” Owen tells Newsbeat.

“And with things like rent, we’re going to struggle to survive being full-time students and full-time employees.”

They both say the climate is important because of the long-term impact.

“It makes me quite hesitant in the future to have my own children,” Darlene says.

“Because you don't know what the state of the world is going to be like in 40, 50 years.”

Does Farage have the 'The Big Mo'?published at 15:42 British Summer Time 14 June

15:42 BST 14 June

Gary O'Donoghue
Senior correspondent, reporting from Westminster

One swallow does not make a summer. Nor does one poll prove there's been an electoral earthquake.

But momentum is certainly a thing in politics, and Nigel Farage believes he's got "The Big Mo" – a phrase often used in the US for a party or candidate that has unstoppable momentum.

So, it's no surprise that there was plenty of hyperbole in a hastily arranged news conference today and what sounded like a specific, direct invitation to those elected as Tory MPs after 4 July to come and join him in the Reform UK party.

The Conservative brand, he said, was broken, gone, done - telling those Tories who do not share his views (naming two of them) to go off and join the Lib Dems.

Of course we've been here before with Farage's former party, UKIP – four million votes in the 2015 election and just one MP; so the aspiration is not necessarily going to be matched by reality.

But Reform UK senses an opening here and in a campaign in which very little has shifted between the two big parties, Farage knows there's an opportunity to shape something of a narrative.

Remember, you need to register to vote by Tuesday 18 June and it only takes about five minutes online.

If you can’t vote in person, then there are separate deadlines to apply for a postal vote and a proxy vote. You need to register to vote and then submit a postal vote application by 17:00 on Wednesday 19 June.

Plus, you’ll need photo ID at the polling station. If you don’t have one of the accepted forms of ID already, the deadline to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate is Wednesday 26 June.

If you want to apply for a proxy vote (when someone votes on your behalf) the deadline is also 17:00 on Wednesday 26 June.

You can find further details on how to register to vote here.

Jordan Kenny
BBC Newsbeat politics reporter, in Bristol

Next, the BBC Newsbeat team speaks to Sydney, 20, about the issues that matter the most to her during this general election, as they continue to hear from young voters in Bristol.

We aren't too far from Bristol's iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge now.

Sydney, a psychology and neuroscience student, tells Newsbeat that climate is an important issue for her in the election.

"It affects everything, doesn’t it?" she says.

She says it’s "very expensive" to live in Bristol and wants to know how politicians intend on supporting people who have financial problems.

"I want things to be more sustainable in general, day-to-day with the things people struggle with."

Read more about BBC Newsbeats Race Across the UK in our earlier post here.

Jordan Kenny
BBC Newsbeat politics reporter, in Bristol

More now from BBC Newsbeat's team, who are speaking to young voters in Bristol.

As we navigate our way through the city, we meet Laura, a 19-year-old is a maths student.

She says the climate crisis is an important issue for her and she’s hoping it will be addressed by the main political parties.

As a university student, she’s also conscious about the cost of living.

"I'm working today and throughout the summer. To be able to afford [things] is a big thing for lots of people," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

Laura says she also wants politicians to "show that they care".

"In a lot of speeches, it doesn’t seem sincere that they care about the bigger issues young people face," she adds.

Jordan Kenny
BBC Newsbeat politics reporter, in Bristol

It’s the second day of BBC Newsbeat’s general election Race Across the UK, and today we’re in Bristol.

We've been set the challenge of getting this microphone from one end of the country to the other before 4 July, speaking to young voters about the things that matter most to them.

The catch? Newsbeat listeners have the chance to decide the points we have to pass through to unlock our next stop.

We've been speaking to Penelope, 21, who has just finished university and is working in a café. She tells me her thoughts about rent control and tuition fees.

"People have been forced to move out because it’s so expensive. You’ve also got energy bills and food shopping, it’s so difficult when you’re not paid that much," she says.

She says that high prices have an impact on students because they have to balance work alongside studying, which can affect grades, adding: "Maintenance grants don’t really cover it.

"So I think changing the way it all works would help people who just want to study and have opportunities."

Olivia Bolton
Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4

In the run-up to the election on 4 July, our colleagues at BBC Radio 4’s Woman's Hour are interviewing leaders of the main political parties.

Earlier today, we heard from Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer, who told the programme that her party “has a lot to offer women voters”.

She also spoke about the Greens' manifesto, boasting its policies on equal pay, flexible working, increasing carer allowances, making misogyny a hate crime and its childcare support plans.

Denyer is then asked about a pledge to reduce the number of medical interventions in childbirth – which the party ditched last week – Denyer insists it “was never going to be in the manifesto”, and apologised “for the anguish this has caused”.

You can listen to the full interview here.

Have rents gone up by 20-30% since 2021?published at 13:56 British Summer Time 14 June

13:56 BST 14 June

The leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage said on BBC Radio 5 Live a little earlier that “rents are up since 2021 by between 20-30%, depending on what part of the country you live in".

This is correct when looking at how private rent prices have changed over this period.

According to the Office for National Statistics, external, the biggest spike was seen in Northern Ireland where rents went up by 29% during the three years leading up to February 2024.

Rents in Scotland were up by 25%, as of April 2024, while over that same period prices in England increased by 20% and in Wales by 21%.

We're at the halfway mark, and there's no getting away from the fact that it's been a lot.

Lots of pledges, claims and counterclaims, debates, interviews and oh, so many updates.

There's plenty more to come. But we thought we'd mark this milestone by looking back at some of the lighter moments. Because why not?

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Reuters

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has been speaking to reporters on a visit to West Yorkshire, where he was asked about the possibility of Labour winning a large majority.

“I don’t believe the opinion polls for a moment," Streeting says.

He has been knocking on doors in seats Labour needs to win to get a majority, he says, "and there are millions of undecided voters out there".

“I think what the Conservative Party is doing, quite cynically at the moment, is to say to people ‘if you want change, you don’t have to bother going out and voting for it, you can put your feet up, or you can vote for one of the smaller parties and their wish list of promises, because Labour’s going to win anyway’," Streeting adds.

You can see the BBC's poll tracker here.

Nick Robinson
Presenter, Radio 4 Today

Image source, PA Media

I’m interviewing the leaders of the seven biggest political parties in Great Britain for a series of BBC Panorama specials ahead of the election on 4 July.

Tonight it’s Labour leader Keir Starmer's turn.

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

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

Tell us what I should ask Starmer by emailing bbcyourvoice@bbc.co.uk or filling in this form.

Image source, .

Watch The Panorama Interviews with Nick Robinson tonight at 19:00 on BBC One, iPlayer and right here on this page.

Image source, EPA

Calendars out, let's make it quick. Here are five dates that'll help you feel more on top of this election:

• Deadline to register to vote - 23:59 on Tuesday - that's this Tuesday! - find out more here
• Deadline for a postal vote - submit an application, external before 17:00 on Wednesday (in Northern Ireland it's 17:00 today)
• BBC Question Time election special - with the leaders of the four biggest parties, on Thursday at 20:00
• BBC head-to-head debate - Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak face off in the last leaders' TV debate of the campaign from 21:00 on Wednesday 26 June (more here)
• The election itself - Thursday 4 July, just under three weeks away

We'll be here to guide you through it all.