General Election 2019: What you need to know today

  • By ITV News Content Producer David Williams

After Prince Andrew dominated the weekend headlines, it's back to business on the General Election campaign trail.

The stage is set at the InterContinental London - The O2 for Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Jo Swinson to separately pitch their plans at the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) Annual Conference.

The addresses to UK business leaders come just over 24 hours before Johnson and Corbyn will go head-to-head, live on ITV, which remains a serious bone of contention for Swinson.

The Liberal Democrats will unveil a #DebateHer poster-van as their court case against ITV begins on Monday, while the SNP also head to the High Court.

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.

You can follow all the key live events on itv.com/news Credit: ITV News

Here’s what's in store today:

  • Boris Johnson will use his CBI speech to unveil a series of post-Brexit business cuts

  • Jeremy Corbyn will announce plans for more than 300,000 climate apprenticeships in England

  • Jo Swinson will declare the anti-Brexit Lib Dems the "natural party of business"

  • The Lib Dems will head to the Royal Courts of Justice as their court case against ITV gets underway

  • The High Court will also consider a separate challenge from the SNP over the Johnson-Corbyn head-to-head

Here's more on the election headlines:

The view from the campaigns

Paul Brand is carb loading ahead of a box office week following the Conservative Party campaign.

Romilly Weeks explains why this week is "make or break time" for Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour campaign.

Rachel Younger looks ahead to Monday's court proceedings on the day Jo Swinson will sell the Lib Dems as the party of business.

Emma Murphy wonders whether the Brexit Party's pause for strategy talks will see a change of focus in week three.

Calling Peston: The ITV News Election Podcast

Shehab and Daniel will dial in Robert for his thoughts every weekday of the campaign. Credit: ITV News

Why aren't the government publishing the report into potential Russian interference in British politics and how damaging could it be if it continues not to?

Under the Fixed-terms Parliament Act 2011 are we now stuck with winter elections forever?

What's the likelihood of the separate Remain parties forming a coalition after the election?

If there's another hung parliament is there a chance the political parties could get together and agree our first-past-the-post electoral system doesn't work?

Bunkered in his breeze block Modernist dream of 1965, Robert answered all of the above listener questions in a bonus episode from the Calling Peston team.

Plus, listen to Episode 8 as Robert puts his questions to Boris Johnson on the Tory campaign bus.

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.

How will a business audience react to Johnson, Swinson and Corbyn?

Boris Johnson, Jo Swinson and Jeremy Corbyn will present different options for business. Credit: PA

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is only too aware he may not be in entirely friendly territory when he addresses the Confederation of British Industry's annual conference in London, writes ITV News Political Correspondent Angus Walker.

Many business leaders blame Brexit for a loss of earnings.

In April this year a report by the business ratings agency Standard and Poor's estimated the UK economy had lost £66 billion since 2016, largely caused by uncertainty and subsequent reduced investment.

So Mr Johnson is expected to take his critics on.

[**Angus explains how the PM's message could be received before analysing the likely impact of Jeremy Corbyn and Jo Swinson's keynote speeches**](http://Angus explains how the PM).

Following the leaders: Tracking Johnson and Corbyn in Blackpool

Hannah Miller is reporting on the campaign trail across the North West. Credit: ITV Granada Reports

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn both made trips to Blackpool during the second full week of campaigning.

ITV Granada Reports Political Correspondent Hannah Miller shares a behind-the-scenes look as she followed them around the seaside resort.

While being illuminated by what she learned, keep watch at 1:04 for the smart way her team used new methods to deliver some old fashioned lightning to her report.

Today's question: Which seats could be up for grabs in the Midlands?

Ian Austin, who won't stand in Dudley North, had a majority of just 22. Credit: PA

There are 102 constituencies across the Midlands - at the last election 64 Conservative MPs were returned and 38 Labour MPs, writes ITV Central Political Correspondent Alison Mackenzie.

The seats include two of the most marginal in the whole country - at Dudley North (majority 22) and Newcastle-Under-Lyme (majority 30).

Both were Labour seats in 2017 - but earlier this year Dudley North's Ian Austin resigned from Labour over anti-semitism.

He is not standing this time and has controversially called on voters to elect Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

Any seat with a majority of fewer than 5,000 is considered to be marginal - the Midlands has 22 of those, including others where the incumbent MPs are now either standing down or have switched parties.

So which seats are likely to see the fiercest fights?

Alison names them and also asks: How will voters respond to the departure of Tom Watson at West Bromwich East?

The ITV Election Debate: Ask your question

The ITV Election Debate will be hosted by Julie Etchingham. Credit: ITV News

ITV will be broadcasting a seven-way election debate on Sunday 1 December.

Representatives from the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Brexit Party, Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru will come together in 'The ITV Election Debate', hosted by Julie Etchingham and broadcast live from Greater Manchester.

If you would like the opportunity to put a question directly to all seven party representatives as part of our studio audience on the night, please follow the link here to provide some more information about yourself, and to submit your question.

Plus, as ever, here are your...

Here's the best of the weekend's campaign stories:

What's happening away from the election?

Here's what else is making the news today: