General Election 2019: What you need to know today

  • By ITV News Content Producer David Williams

Gosh, we're almost there...

Yes, it's final furlong time which means the main political parties are hammering their core messages to shore up support and sway the undecideds with three days to go.

The prime minister will attack Jeremy Corbyn pretty bluntly in traditional Labour heartlands on Monday, claiming he has stuck "two fingers up to the public’ on Brexit.

Jeremy Corbyn will no doubt hit back in a series of stump speeches on the day shadow chancellor John McDonnell outlines the party's plans to "end austerity" in the first 100 days in power.

The Liberal Democrats will meanwhile promote their plans to stop Brexit immediately after the election with two draft bills to move towards another EU referendum.

But how will the three major parties react to the president of the Royal College of Physicians saying they have all failed to address the looming workforce crisis among NHS doctors?

ITV News will be sharing all the key speeches and campaign appearances as they happen throughout the day as part of our daily 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 is targeting Brexit-voting Labour seats in the North East before heading to the South West to warn against Lib Dem votes

  • Shadow chancellor John McDonnell will lay out the main priorities for the first 100 days of a Labour government in London

  • Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will address a rally in Bristol before hitting the campaign trail across the Midlands

  • Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson will take part in a Young People's Question Time debate in York

  • Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage will be campaigning in Rotherham and Barnsley

  • Nicola Sturgeon will make a campaign stop at a factory as the SNP bus journeys through Lanarkshire

  • Best for Britain will publish the campaign's final round of MRP analysis showing how tactical voting could impact on party seats

Here's what's making Monday's early election headlines:

The view from the campaigns

Paul Brand looks ahead to the PM's pitch to Sunderland's Leave voters while sharing a fishy campaign pic, just for the halibut.

Libby Wiener says the Labour camp is optimistic heading into polling day despite low outside expectations of a win.

Rachel Younger looks at the difficulties which have hit the Lib Dem campaign and scaled back the objectives for polling day.

Emma Murphy says the Brexit Party will hope for a calmer final few days while Nigel Farage ponders his future.

Calling Peston: The ITV News Election Podcast

Shehab Khan and Daniel Hewitt have called Robert throughout the campaign. Credit: ITV News

In this bonus episode, Shehab asks Robert probing listener questions, both political and personal.

On the political: Is it possible to leave the EU by January 2020 without it being a no deal Brexit? What is Page 48 of the Tory manifesto? Could severe weather stop the election?

On the personal: How do you deal with abuse on social media? What would you have been if you weren't a journalist?

Find out Robert's responses to all of the above here:

ITV News Political Correspondent Daniel Hewitt and Political Reporter Shehab Khan have been digesting the campaign every weekday - and dialling in Robert to get his take on it all.

The Calling Peston podcast episodes appear each weekday at 5pm.

Download it from wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Today's question: Will political parties clean up with green pledges?

The environment has always been a niche issue in politics, writes ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke.

One of those “nice to haves” in the manifesto, often nothing more than to serve as light relief from pledges on crime, healthcare or the minimum wage.

But this election is different. Every major party is talking about it.

Each manifesto has significant commitments to environmental issues.

And unlike previous elections, many of the policies are actually the ones needed to make a meaningful difference.

But which main parties are leading the charge and will it translate into votes? Read Tom's analysis.

The Conversation: Scottish left with more than Brexit on their minds

Scotland is brimming with marginal seats in this election, writes ITV News Scotland Correspondent Peter Smith.

Half of them have a majority of less than 2,000; a quarter have a majority of less than 1,000.

Scots voters could well hold the keys to Downing Street in their hands on the 12th December, with every vote counting toward which leader gets into Number 10 the next day.

Glasgow North East is going to be one of the key battlegrounds. Four years ago, Labour lost it to the SNP. Two years ago, Labour won it back - just - by 242 votes.

For the latest in The Conversation series on ITV News, we went to the Drygate brewery and restaurant in this constituency. We found much the talk is about who’s best placed to lead the country through these turbulent times.

Brexit is part of the discourse, but unlike in some communities across the UK, it doesn’t quite dominate as much as that other constitutional dilemma: Scottish independence.

Read what Peter learned from the conversations and watch his report above.

From The North podcast: How could likely snow impact the vote?

From The North podcast has delivered a series of weekly election specials. Credit: ITV News

If the weather outside is frightful on Thursday will it be delightful for any of the main parties?

Martin Stew merges his past gig as a weather presenter with his present duties as a political correspondent for ITV News Tyne Tees and ITV News Border to share his election forecast in the final pre-vote edition of the From The North podcast.

Among the many topics discussed, ITV News Granada's party-going Hannah Miller explains why "don't know" is an engaged answer in this election, while ITV News Calendar's Joe Pike outlines the likely bun fight for Labour leadership if Jeremy Corbyn suffers defeat this week.

Plus all three give their tips for the key seats in their region to look out for on election night. Listen in full here:

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: