Nigel Farage has accused the Tories of “corruption” over claims that several Brexit Party candidates were offered peerages and negotiating roles in return for stepping down in the general election race.
Dominic Raab has left the door open for Britain to crash out of the EU without a deal if future Brexit negotiations with the bloc don’t go the government’s way, telling Andrew Marr: “I don’t think it’s remotely likely.”
Jeremy Corbyn reiterated his party’s commitment to a second referendum but refused four times to say whether he backed Leave or Remain, insisting he wants to “bring people together on both sides”.
The Labour leader refused to say whether the party would seek to continue freedom of movement, despite it being current policy. He hinted their now-finalised manifesto would lay out plans for “a great deal of movement” but would not be drawn to explain in more detail.
Elsewhere, a “heartbroken” Jennifer Arcuri has accused Boris Johnson of casting her aside like “some fleeting one-night stand” as she “kept [his] secrets” amid the media firestorm over whether he misused public funds in awarding her cyber-firm £100,000.
The US businesswoman told ITV she wished the PM had declared their mysterious personal relationship a conflict of interest at the time to avoid her “humiliation”, in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday evening.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the general election campaign.
Green Party co-leader: 'We have to transform this country'
Sian Berry has claimed the Green Party will "have a big influence" on the next government, rebuffing Sky News' Sophie Ridge's allegations that the party's plans could be written off as "typical opposition politics".
Ms Berry spoke of the need to "transform this country", as she set out plans for the introduction of a Green New Deal, Universal Basic Income by 2025, and a "real" living wage of £12 an hour.
She denied being worried about propping up the Lib Dems in the general election, with whom the party disagrees on issues like austerity, saying: "This is what grown-up politics is about".
Immigration takes centre stage in debate
As rumours emerge of a split in the Labour Party over immigration, with influential union leader Len McLuskey retaining his longstanding affection for controlled immigration, and shadow ministers urging Jeremy Corbyn to back freedom of movement, Jonathan Ashworth does little to allay fears that Labour are capitulating to the Tories on the issue.
Mr Ashworth, the shadow health and social care secretary, refused to tell Sky News whether the party wanted immigration to go up or down, but did say the NHS should be allowed to recruit internationally.
But the Tories' plans came under fire also, with the Confederation British Industry's director general Carolyn Fairbairn describing their plans to only allow the "brightest and best" into the country as "a worry".
She said: “If you want to build 200,000 houses a year, yuou don’t just need the architects and designers, you need the carpenters, electricians, the labourers. We need people to come and help us rebuild our economy.”
Ms Fairbairn also took aim at Labour, saying the party's proposed high-cost plans could "crack the foundations of our economy".
She warned the party needed to ensure it was a friend to business, with many businesses "sitting thinking 'are we next'", in the wake of a pledge to nationalise BT.
One third will vote tactically to keep out the candidate they dislike most, poll finds
It's not just the Brexit Party and the "Remain alliance" playing tactics - it appears an unprecedented portion of the electorate are looking to do the same.
Almost a third of voters are planning to cast their ballot tactically in the general election to keep out a candidate or party they dislike, according to a poll.
Here's our political editor Andrew Woodcock with the details:
Raab leaves door open to no-deal Brexit
Amid fears from Remainers and moderate Brexiteers that Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement could well result in a no-deal Brexit further down the line, Dominic Raab has told Andrew Marr it is "not remotely likely" that the UK will leave without a deal.
Asked "could we leave without a deal?", the foreign secretary said: "I think it's, no, it's not what we're, I don't think it's remotely likely."
But he refused to rule it out when pressed on whether the UK would leave without a deal if it fails to secure its objectives on fishing, Mr Raab replied: "I'm not going to be able to break down in advance the hypothetical negotiating scenarios.
"The guarantee I can give is we're going to be an independent coastal state, we'll have full control over it and we'll do what's in the best interests of fishermen and women up and down the country."
Jeremy Corbyn refuses four times to say whether or not he wants Britain to leave the EU
Asked by the BBC's Andrew Marr for his personal view on whether Brexit should go ahead, he said: "I want a close decision with the the EU in the future and we will put that decision to the British people and I will abide by that decision."
He added: "My strategy has been to try and bring people together on both sides of the argument, because actually there's a great deal that unites them about the inequalities and injustices in this country."
The Labour leader reiterated his party's commitment to another referendum.
Both parties refuse to set “arbitrary target” on immigration, while Corbyn remains ambiguous on freedom of movement
Dominic Raab and Jonathan Ashworth have both said they will not give an “arbitrary” immigration target this morning.
As pointed out by Andrew Marr, this makes it very difficult to judge the efficacy of their policies further down the line.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn refuses to be drawn into discussing Labour’s plans for freedom of movement. Speculation that the party may not unconditionally back free movement has left many party members dismayed.
"A lot of European Union nationals have made their homes in this country and made a massive contribution to our society,” Mr Corbyn said. "A lot of British people live in different parts of the European Union.
"And many of those families have been through unbelievable levels of stress, so they absolutely must have the right to remain and be able to bring their families here."
Mr Corbyn added that there are "huge economic demands" in the UK with the need for nurses and doctors.
"We cannot exist in isolation, therefore there has to be migration into Britain in order to maintain our economy and our services. And that will be reflected in the policy which you will see on Thursday."
Jennifer Arcuri says Boris Johnson has 'cast me aside like some fleeting one-night stand' despite her having 'kept his secrets'
In an advance clip of ITV's Jennifer Arcuri interview, she describes herself as "a true confidante of [the PM]", "hearbroken" and, ultimately, "collateral damage".
Here's Ben Kentish with more details on the soon-to-be broadcast interview, in which she describes how the prime minister cast her aside as scrutiny over their four-year relationship reached boiling point in recent months.
Corbyn refuses to praise Nato but veers away from Macron's controversial 'brain death' assessment
Jeremy Corbyn has refused to praise Nato, saying he did not agree with claims that it was the most "the most successful military alliance in history".
Asked what his message to Nato members would be ahead of a summit in London in early December, the Labour leader said: "I hope they're able to bring about peace in Syria and Turkey, I hope they're able to put pressure on the Turkish government on its treatment of Kurdish people in northern Syria and I hope that they will have a developing and serious relationship with Russia in which they question Russia's human rights record and behaviour but they also build a relationship in order to reduce the tensions that exist on the borders of Nato and Russia."
Asked whether he agreed with Sir Nick Carter, the chief of the defence staff, that Nato was "the most successful military alliance in history", he said: "I'm not sure I'd define it as that. I'd define it as a product of an attempt to bring people together during and after the Second World War."
He also refused to agree with president Macron’s assessment that the alliance was suffering "brain death", telling Andrew Marr: "They’re both quite strong statements, if I may say so, neither are completely right.”
Tory and Labour spending pledges will need tax rises, Institute for Fiscal Studies warns
Taxes will have to rise to meet Conservative spending pledges made on the campaign trail, independent experts warn, while Labour's proposed taxes on high earners will not go far enough.
Sajid Javid, the chancellor, is relying on a £37bn “cushion” – which has already been wiped out – to justify a string of high-cost promises to woo voters, Rob Merrick reports.
Voters face choice of no-deal or Final Say referendum, ex-Tory minister says
David Gauke, who resigned as justice minister in response to Boris Johnson becoming PM, has expanded upon fears that his former party retaining power would result in a no-deal Brexit.
"I don’t see what the escape route is if there is a Conservative majority," he told The Observer. "Will we [leave the EU] at the end of January 2020? Yes.
"Will the prime minister seek an extension to the implementation period before 1 July next year? No.
"Will a comprehensive free trade agreement be completed and ratified before 31 December 2020? No."
Mr Gauke, a reluctant second referendum convert who is campaigning as an independent, says that as calls for a soft Brexit have been extinguished, the choice now lies between no-deal or Remain.
Government will publish Russian interference report after the election, security minister says
Opponents have accused the government of sitting on a report on Russian interference in UK politics, which has been cleared by the security services, because it might contain embarrassing revelations about Boris Johnson, Leave campaigns, and the Conservatives.
But security minister Brandon Lewis told Sky News the report could not be published during the so-called "purdah" period which sets rules on government announcements during an election campaign.
"We want to make sure, particularly where national security is involved, we go through that process properly and thoroughly," he said. "We can't publish things during the general election ... but after the general election that report will be published."
Last week the government had said the report had not been published because of necessary procedure whereby vetting it would take several weeks.
CNN claim to have seen testimonies from the inquiry, and reported that one witness described Moscow's development of a network of agents and allies across the political spectrum as "potentially the most significant threat to the UK's institutions and its ways of life", according to a testimony shown to reporters.
The US news network said Russian agents are reportedly targeting House of Commons research roles and gaining citizenship in order to funnel cash into political parties.
The US news network said Russian agents are reportedly targeting House of Commons research roles and gaining citizenship in order to funnel cash into political parties.
The Sunday Times said the report concluded Russian interference may have had an impact on the Brexit referendum but the effect was "unquantifiable".
Shadow cabinet minister denies alleged Labour antisemitism and refers to 'sloppy analysis of capitalism'
Laura Pidcock, a key ally to Jeremy Corbyn, has denied accusations of antisemitism within the Labour Party.
"If anyone thinks I could have that history and support a leader who agrees with antisemitism, that’s deluded,” she told the Sunday Times.
“Would I say antisemitism does exist in the Labour Party? Course not.
“There are people with a sloppy analysis of capitalism – who believe in the tropes about a new world order and all that nonsense. They must be rooted out.”
The Labour Party has finalised their manifesto, to be released on Thursday.
"It will be a once in a generation opportunity to vote for a more egalitarian society that cares for all," Mr Corbyn told reporters outside the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
The manifesto should lay out Labour's proposed costings for a recent series of expensive pledges, such as free broadband and free dental check-ups, which the Confederation of British Industry's director general earlier warned could "crack the foundations of our economy".
Aside from funding, one of the largest questions hanging over the document is of the party's stance on immigration.
As Labour finalised the manifesto, a group of campaigners gathered outside to demand the party back freedom of movement.
Mr Corbyn earlier told Andrew Marr to wait and see the wording within the manifesto rather than lay out the party's stance to viewers.
Government urged to ‘stop playing political football’ with drug death crisis
A Tory MSP has lamented she had “not done enough to help” in the face of soaring drug-related deaths in the UK, and reprimanded both Holyrood and Westminister, saying both “should be feeling the same way”.
According to The Herald, Annie Wells wrote to drugs minister Kit Malthouse last night saying: “We are collectively failing.”
It comes after home secretary Priti Patel unveiled a £20m law enforcement crackdown on county lines drugs gangs despite Home Office literature stating existing approach has “little to no impact on trade”, according to drugs charity Release.
Meanwhile, investment in drug treatment services flounders.
Should PM say Corbyn wants to nationalise his Johnson in TV debate?
In what will likely turn out to be the most bizarre piece of unintended promo for the upcoming TV debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, an unnamed source has told the Sunday Times of a strategic challenge facing the Tory camp.
Speaking about the first TV debate, an unsurprisingly anonymous Tory said: "There is a bit of nervousness about whether we go hard at Corbyn.
"Do you say, 'You're a disgrace on national security and you want to nationalise my penis,' or do you go for the statesmanlike approach?"
It is unclear which option the prime minister will go for.
Farage accuses Tories of "corruption" while saying claims of Brexit job offers and peerages are "fact"
The Brexit Party leader has told BBC Radio 5 Live that claims his party's candidates had been offered negotiating roles and peerages in return for them standing aside for Conservatives in the general election are "fact".
"Ann Widdecombe made it perfectly clear she received two phone calls, from a senior official in number 10, offering her a job on the negotiating team if she stood down as an election candidate. Fact," said Mr Farage.
"Fact number two, Sir Eddie Lister, rang up our candidate for Peterborough offering him a job in higher education if he stood down as a candidate.
"They’re the things that are already out in the open and what I have said that is there was actually a package put together, in which eight senior figures of the Brexit party would go to the house of Lords and be part of the negotiating team ... in order for us to stand down, and I was shown the list that we'd be be given from Number 10.
"It’s corruption. It’s corruption."
The police are investigating allegations of electoral fraud in relation to the claims, which the Tories say are untrue.
People’s Vote campaign splits as youth group breaks away amid row
The People’s Vote campaign for a fresh Brexit referendum has split after weeks of infighting between its chairman and members of staff, writes Benjamin Kentish.
One of the campaign’s two youth groups, For our Future’s Sake (FFS), has decided to break away and will campaign separately to the other groups under the People’s Vote umbrella.
Corbyn rules out Scottish IndyRef2 before 2021
In a potential blow to any future electoral or power-sharing deal, Jeremy Corbyn has shrugged off the SNP's desire for an independence referendum in 2020.
Mr Corbyn said he would "certainly not" consider a ballot on Scotland's place in the UK until the Holyrood elections in 2021.
Mr Corbyn's comments followed a warning from the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford that Scotland's desire for independence is "unstoppable" and must not be blocked by the next prime minister.
Mr Blackford also described a submarine-shaped block on the two parties working together, calling for Labour to pledge the removal of the UK’s nuclear arsenal from Scottish shores: “Trident does not play a part in our future defences.”
Excl: Domestic abuse survivors ‘blocked from voting due to an antiquated system that puts lives at risk’
Domestic abuse survivors are frightened to cast a ballot in the forthcoming election over fears their abusive former partner would be able to find their address on the electoral register, which is a public document, Maya Oppenheim reports.
Campaigners say such women are being excluded from the democratic process due to fears they will be tracked down by their perpetrators – noting domestic homicides often happen years after the woman has escaped.
Social media is an increasingly important battle ground in elections - and home to many questionable claims pumped out by all sides. If social media sites won't investigate the truth of divisive advertising, we will. Please send any political Facebook advertising you receive to digitaldemocracy@independent.co.uk, and we will catalogue and investigate it. Read more here.
