Summary of the day …
Nigel Farage has made a surprise announcement that he is to stand as a Reform UK candidate in the general election in Clacton and take over the leadership of the party from Richard Tice. Farage said the country was in economic, social and moral decline
Keir Starmer has offered a “triple lock” guarantee on the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which he said was at the heart of Labour’s defence police. Legal advice on UK arms sales to Israel would be reviewed under a Labour government, he said
The Conservatives have said they will reform the 2010 Equality Act to end what they say is “confusion” over biological sex and gender. Rishi Sunak denied the party was trying to stoke culture war issues
Diane Abbott will be reselected to fight her seat tomorrow despite having suggested on social media that Keir Starmer was a liar, the Guardian understands
The Liberal Democrats, campaigning on their clean water policies, managed to photobomb a publicity appearance by the prime minister in Henley-on-Thames when they went behind him on a boat
A Scottish leaders debate will take place on STV tonight at 9pm. Scottish Greens have said it is not too late for the television network to do the right thing and include them
A YouGov MRP has said Labour are on course a landslide majority even bigger than that won by Tony Blair in 1997
Around half a million people have been affected by an issue which meant that some child benefit payments did not arrive as scheduled
The Post Office Horizon IT inquiry was due to resume today, with Ben Foat, general counsel of the Post Office as witness, but the session was cancelled due to illness in the inquiry counsel team
That is it from me for today. Andrew Sparrow will be back with you tomorrow. Have a good evening, and I will no doubt see you somewhere on the Guardian website soon. Take care.
Here is that first Conservative political broadcast of the campaign, in which it says that “by sticking to the plan, Rishi Sunak is steadying the ship and making progress.”
