General Election 2019: What you need to know today
By ITV News Content Producer David Williams
Not exactly a quiet campaign so far. Day One proper served up a ministerial resignation, apologies over crass Tory Grenfell comments and then the shock of Tom Watson’s announcement.
The fallout is continuing - with former Labour MP Ian Austin even urging voters to back the Tories - while we follow the campaign money pledges on Day Two.
There'll be notable speeches from Labour’s John McDonnell - promising enormous investment in the North of England - and Chancellor Sajid Javid - decrying the Labour spending pledge as dangerous “fantasy economics”. More details of both speeches here.
The full list of uncontested seats in a Remain Alliance will also be revealed on Thursday and there could be a notable shift in debate when Bank of England Governor Mark Carney potentially gives his first public view on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.
ITV News will be sharing all the key speeches and campaign appearances as they happen throughout the day as part of our Campaign Live coverage.
Here’s what's in store today:
Boris Johnson will visit various businesses on Thursday, first in the North East of England, then Scotland and Northern Ireland
Chancellor Sajid Javid will lay out the Tory plans for the economy in a speech in the North West of England
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell will announce in his hometown of Liverpool the Labour plans to invest £150bn in public services
Jeremy Corbyn will unveil Labour’s campaign bus, featuring the slogan “It’s time for real change”.
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson will visit a specialist nursery in Somerset
The Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Greens will announce details of a pact not to stand against each other in some seats, thought to number between 60 and 70.
What else is making the election headlines today?
Hunt stands by belief there are risks in holding election before Brexit is done
Willie Rennie promises ‘brighter future’ for Scots under Liberal Democrats
‘Milkshaking’ of politicians recognised in dictionary’s Brexit-themed list
The view from the campaigns
Paul Brand reflects on the volatile start to the Tory campaign.
Romilly Weeks looks ahead to Day 2 on the Labour campaign and whether John McDonnell's speech can mask the fallout from Tom Watson's exit.
Rebecca Barry shares her view on the road of the first official day of the Lib Dem campaign - and why Jo Swinson will be cashing in on Jacob Rees-Mogg criticism on Thursday.
Angus Walker identifies the key demands by Nigel Farage for the Brexit Party to move its tanks off the Tory lawn.
Calling Peston: The ITV News Election Podcast
Can ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston remember a worse start to a campaign than the Tories in 2019?
Has Boris Johnson gone too far with the war of words - and does Labour have a shred of evidence for its claim the Tories will sell off parts of the NHS to American investors?
Plus, crucially, which celebrities do Robert most commonly get confused with? And how has Shehab never heard of Four Weddings and a Funeral? All questions answered below.
ITV News Political Reporters Daniel Hewitt and Shehab Khan will be digesting the campaign every weekday - and dial in Robert to get his take on it all.
The Calling Peston podcast will take you behind the scenes of life reporting on the election campaign trail, hearing from our reporters on the road across the country.
Like what you hear? New episodes will appear every weekday afternoon at 5pm. Download it from wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
'All I want for Christmas is Crewe'
The constituency of Crewe is the most marginal seat in the North West of England, so is a prime target on the parties' festive wish lists.
It was here in 2017 that former teacher Laura Smith had her ‘David and Goliath’ moment, writes ITV Granada's Political Correspondent Hannah Miller.
She turned the election into a debate about school funding to snatch the seat for Labour from the Conservative incumbent by a minuscule margin of just 48 votes.
But which other North West seats are being targeted?
Today's question: What advice will campaign gurus be giving the main party leaders?
It's among the topics analysed by the ITV News correspondents who are travelling with the four main parties on every step of the campaign.
They also dissect each party's key message, identify what they won't want to talk about and which secret weapons will be deployed.
It's a speedy but informative read.
The Conversation: Which issues matter most to voters in Sunderland?
Sunderland is traditionally one of the first seats to declare on election night, so it's fitting the city kicks off our series eavesdropping on election conversations around the country.
Voters in the traditional Labour territory heavily backed leave in the referendum. But what matters most to them at the start of the 2019 campaign?
Plus...
Catch up on the best of Wednesday's campaign stories:
Tom Watson quits as Labour deputy leader and MP citing 'personal' reasons
Parliament is paralysed, says Johnson as he launches Tory election campaign
Indyref2 demands could be ‘irresistible’ after December 12, says Nicola Sturgeon
'Price for decarbonising economy is mind-blowing', can voters look beyond this?
Corbyn will lead with 'compassion' in 'very different' Labour government
What's happening away from the election?
Here's what else is making the news today: