General election debate – live: Tory minister interrogated over Brexit and NHS crisis, as David Attenborough rebukes ‘disgraceful’ Boris Johnson
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Your support makes all the difference.Party leaders are braced for a televised grilling in the first seven-way debate of the election – but Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn are expected to snub the clash.
Senior members of the Tories, Labour, the Greens, Lib Dems, SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Brexit Party will each face questions from the audience at a BBC debate in Cardiff, chaired by Nick Robinson.
It comes amid tensions between the BBC and the Tories over Mr Johnson’s refusal to confirm an interview with Andrew Neil, and criticism from David Attenborough over his decision to snub a climate change debate.
The prime minister instead took part in a radio phone-in on LBC, where he was confronted over his past comments about single mothers.
‘If Labour had another leader … Labour would steamroller this’
The latest blogpost by Lord Ashcroft, the Conservative donor and pollster, makes for interesting reading. He has revealed some of the comments made about the party leaders from his latest focus groups in Scotland.
Jeremy Corbyn did not appear to gain many positive responses. One person said: “He doesn’t come across very well. He just dodges questions. I find him quite a strange man.”
Another: “If Labour had another leader, a capable individual, Labour would steamroller this.”
On Corbyn’s interview with Andrew Neil, one participant told him: “It was worse than Prince Andrew.”
Discussing Boris Johnson, there were also plenty of negative comments. “He’s not the sort of person you can trust. He’s cheated on his wife, he’s a philanderer. I know that’s nothing to do with politics, but I wouldn’t trust him.”
Another Scot said: “If that man represents Britain, I feel much less likely to want to be British. Having him down there makes me want to detach myself from that.”
On Nicola Sturgeon, one participant said: “In her mind she just thinks ‘Freedom!’ She has the bagpipes playing in her head all the time.”
Tory volunteer chased with a sledgehammer
Andrea Jenkyns, the Conservative candidate Morley and Outwood, said one of her campaign volunteers was assaulted and chased with a sledgehammer.
She said the incident had been reported to the police. “Absolutely vile behaviour … No one deserves this. Disgusted,” she tweeted.
Labour launches ad campaign targeting ‘waspi’ women
Labour has launched a vast targeted advertising blitz to promote its policy of compensating the “waspi” women affected by the change in the state pension age.
In just four days 1.3 million targeted adverts have been blasted across the Facebook feeds of women over 55 – a number equal to around a third of the 3.7 million women affected by the policy.
The ad blitz, one of the biggest single-issue online targeted campaigns UK politics has seen, is costing the party as much as £8,000 a day, but Labour chiefs hope it will pay dividends in marginal seats.
Our correspondent Jon Stone has more details.
Police launch hate incident inquiry into Tory candidate over turban row
Former minister Philip Dunne is facing a police inquiry after he told a Sikh rival he was "talking through his turban" at a hustings event.
Mr Dunne, who is seeking re-election in Ludlow, apologised unreservedly for the offence caused by remarks made to Labour rival Kuldip Sahota during a debate in a local church on Wednesday evening.
According to witnesses, there was a sharp intake of breath and Mr Dunne - who has represented the Shropshire seat since since 2005 - only apologised at the end of the debate when he was told by Mr Sahota that the remarks were offensive.
West Mercia Police said in a statement: "Officers are investigating reports of an incident that took place at an event in Church Stretton, Shropshire, on Wednesday evening."
Local Policing Inspector Saf Ali said: "Officers are currently investigating the report, which is being treated as a hate incident. We take reports of such incidents extremely seriously and enquiries are currently ongoing."
Mr Dunne, an Oxford graduate and former banker, said: "I apologised to Kuldip Sahota for my comments last night. I apologise again unreservedly for the offence caused."
PM and home secretary express concern at London Bridge incident
Boris Johnson is returning to No 10 from his constituency and is being kept informed about the events at London Bridge, his spokesman said.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, has also expressed concern at the events and sent her thoughts to those affected.
Boris Johnson launches new plan to woo Labour voters but is warned it risks trade deal with EU
Boris Johnson has launched a fresh bid to win over former Labour voters, as he promised to make it easier for the government to step in to help failing companies after Brexit.
Speaking in London, the prime minister laid out a series of changes that a Conservative government would ensure were in place for 1 January 2021, when the Brexit transition period ends.
They include replacing the EU state aid rules, which govern how and when governments can step in to support failing companies and industries.
PM to receive briefing as Met Police confirm terror incident at London Bridge
Neil Basu, asst commissioner of Met Police, confirms the London Bridge attack was a terrorist incident.
A man was shot by police and died at the scene. The man was wearing a hoax suicide vest.
Mr Basu and Cressida Dick are heading to No10 to brief Boris Johnson personally.
You can follow all the latest updates in our dedicated blog here.
'The YouGov poll is not the end of the election – there is still huge uncertainty ahead'
John Rentoul, The Independent's chief political commentator, pours cold water on the large YouGov poll out this week.
He says: "YouGov's MRP does not stand for ‘Magically Realistic Polling’: all surveys can be wrong, and there are still two weeks of the campaign to go."
Johnson’s father says British public ‘couldn’t spell Pinocchio’
The British public is illiterate and could not spell “Pinocchio”, Boris Johnson‘s father has suggested in a bizarre attack on the prime minister’s critics.
Stanley Johnson‘s comment came during a TV appearance in which he defended his son’s against claims of dishonesty.
Presenter Joanna Gosling, standing in as host of the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, read out a tweet from a viewer comparing the prime minister to Pinocchio – the puppet character with a famous tendency to lie.
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