this is bbc news. jeremy corbyn is campaigning on labour's promise of free childcare for all two to four year olds. the snp are about to launch their manifesto — calling for higher public spending across the uk and an end to social security cuts. we'll be live in perth shortly, where they'll also be putting their case for scotland to stay in the european single market, after brexit. the mother of zookeeper rosa king who was killed by a tiger says she loved herjob and wouldn't have done anything else. manchester victoria station reopens a week after the concert attack which killed 22 people. also, back on schedule, british airways is back on full schedules but many passengers are still without their bags. there's an open

top bus parade this afternoon for huddersfield's promotion. to the premier league. good morning. it's tuesday the 30th of may. welcome to bbc newsroom live. welcome to bbc newsroom live. with just over a week to go until the general election, the main parties are returning to their key election themes, following last night's tv grilling of the conservative and labour leaders. theresa may will put the focus back on brexit accusing eu officials of adopting an ‘aggressive negotiating position‘ which will need strong leadership from the uk. jeremy corbyn is campaigning on the party's promise of free childcare for two to four year olds and answering questions on the mumsnet website. and in the next few minutes, nicola sturgeon will launch the scottish national party manifesto, promising to invest

an additional £118bn in public services across the uk and a call for scotland to stay in the european single market, after brexit. emma barnett pressed the labour leaderfor more details. we know from polling that the economy tops both men and women for the top its use. both men and women for the top its use. let me understand, how much will it cost to provide and tested means ca re will it cost to provide and tested means care for children, for 1.5 million children. we are making universal so that eve ryo ne we are making universal so that everyone is in a position, for every child to get this. at the moment,

those that have to pay won't, they will collect this mainly through corporate taxation. how much does it cost? you don't know it? you are logging into your ipad to. you've announced a major policy and you don't know the figure. all our ma nifesto don't know the figure. all our manifesto is fully costed and examined. you are holding your ma nifesto, examined. you are holding your manifesto, you are flicking through your manifesto, can we come back to that? this is a policy you are launching today mr corbyn and you don't know how much is going to cost. that was jeremy corbyn on

winning's hour. we are hoping to get that shortly. let's pick up on that pretty excruciating moment in that interview with jeremy corbyn. we pretty excruciating moment in that interview withjeremy corbyn. we go live now to norman smith. it was almost the diane abbott moment. it seems to be on a par, may be more so. seems to be on a par, may be more so. this is a key labour pledge. it's what he is launching today and he was clearly struggling badly at the numbers. i can tell him the number if he wants it its £4] billion set out in the party's

ma nifesto, billion set out in the party's manifesto, but it raises questions about how thorough, diligent and credible labour's plans are. the is s have said the sons do not add up. they say they've underestimated the spending commitments. and when you get the leaders struggling to grasp how a get the leaders struggling to grasp howa —— get the leaders struggling to grasp how a —— how much a call policy is going to cost then it is awkward. you are at the launch of the snp ma nifesto you are at the launch of the snp manifesto what are they offering? they are offering an anti—austerity message. they want to set out policies that will improve living standards. what is interesting is a move away from what is there

traditional battle cry which is independence. that has been pushed to one side in this campaign and i suspect they're thinking if they don't want to frighten off voters who are worried about the break—up of the uk. i suspect there's a nervousness about alienating voters. iimagine how nervousness about alienating voters. i imagine how they want to see brexit pans out before they move for another referendum. what we get todayis another referendum. what we get today is a manifesto which focuses on issues such as reversing benefit cuts, banning 0— hours contracts, investing £180 billion more by a top rate tax, protecting the pension triple lock. it's obvious the snp

won't form the uk westminster government that they are saying these are the policies they would press for an campaign for and they say it is not a futile task because theresa may has performed all sorts of u—turn so why should she not carry on doing so for example pensioners‘ triple locks. carry on doing so for example pensioners' triple locks. 0k, norman. we are expecting to hear from nicola sturgeon shortly say we will stay with this 56 seats were won out of 59 at the last election. what would success that like in this election for the snp?” what would success that like in this election for the snp? i think they are acutely aware that it is almost

inevitable that they will go down because they won all but three seats last time. that‘s pretty much mission impossible, so they need to look at how losing seats could not bea look at how losing seats could not be a loss of mandate, but the really striking thing that seems to be in the election in scotland is the revival of the scottish conservatives who have been pretty much dead as a dodo. now they are talking about winning 6—12 seats. figures that would have been this missed this utterly ludicrous in the past. outside the manifesto launch centre here in perth, there was actually a demonstration by tory activists. i can‘t recall that for many years. they‘ve almost been frightened to come out and protest. they wear their protesting against

nicola sturgeon with their placards. we seen a change of dynamic north of the border where maybe, we have passed peak snp. that is certainly the the mood. perhaps the momentum towards independence begins to dissipate, so it seems that theresa may is anxious to play along game when it comes to independence. she says there is no question of another independence referendum until brexit is three. that could mean a few yea rs is three. that could mean a few years after brexit, so well into that could mean a few years after brexit, so well into 2022 i

,and , and there might be more reluctance to go down the independents rose again —— road again. it‘s surprising how much the snp have parked the issue a little bit and we will hear more when we listen to nicola sturgeon. let‘s listen to angus robertson. our strong and effective snp group has a proven record of standing upfor snp group has a proven record of standing up for scotland in westminster, leading the real opposition to the tory government. in this election, only the snp can provide a strong, progressive voice to protect the scottish people and scottish jobs of the dangers of the unopposed, hardline tory government, that‘s why now, more than ever before, it‘s essential we have a strong group of snp mps standing up

against tory cuts. and a manifesto that will represent progressive al use and an alternative to austerity. we will provide that effective voice. we will provide strong opposition. we will provide an agenda for change. so, ladies and gentlemen... applause ladies and gentlemen, to present the scottish national party‘s plan to deliver this change, please welcome the leader of the smp, the first minister of scotland, nicola sturgeon. applause cheering thank you, very much.

thank you, very much. thank you, very much. thank you, angus. a very warm welcome to the launch of the snp buzz manifesto for the general election. this sets out a clear plan to end tory cuts, protect scottish jobs and strengthen scotland‘s hand will stop it is a manifesto with fairness, opportunity and democracy at its heart. a manifesto for a country that is welcoming and outward — looking. a manifesto that reflects our belief in the intranet possibilities open to the people of

scotla nd possibilities open to the people of scotland if we work together in the common good, to build the kind of country we know we can be. applause our pledge at this election is that snp mps will work every day to make scotland‘s voice heard and build a better country. we know that decisions taken in westminster, in the years ahead, will shape our country so now, more than ever, it is vital to have strong snp voices standing upfor is vital to have strong snp voices standing up for scotland, with labour... applause and labour in disarray, the tories saw a chance to tighten their grip

on the whole of the uk than many, many years to come. with their true colours being exposed in this campaign, we have a real chance to keep them in check. letters be clear. labour isn‘t strong enough to do that. voting labour simply risks letting in tory mps. in scotland, only the snp can keep the tories in check. applause cheering in this election, it is vital to strengthen scotland‘s hand, not theresa may‘s. otherwise so much of what we cherish and value will be under threat. the dismantling of the post—war welfare

state, already underway, will pick up state, already underway, will pick up pace. experts are already predicting the biggest rise in inequality since the 1980s. they say that the incomes of the poorest third of working households will fall by 10% over the next four yea rs. fall by 10% over the next four years. the tory policy will drive 1 million children across the uk into poverty. just think about that. 1 million more children. that means by 2021, there could be more than 5 million children across the uk, and number equivalent to the total population of scotland, living in poverty in one of the richest countries in the world. that is shameful. applause that is

shameful and our manifesto puts it at the very heart of this election. jobs will be lost too as the tories threaten to turn their backs not just on the eu but the single market as well. that is why, more than ever before, we need strong snp voices in westminster to stand up for scotland, and against the tories. applause asa applause as a country, we face the challenges, but we have made so much progress. we mustn‘t let westminster governments drag us backwards. this ma nifesto governments drag us backwards. this manifesto sets out how strong snp mps will help to build a fairer, more equal scotland and that starts with a clear alternative to

continued austerity. the tories, austerity cuts are not simply ape policy response to a particular economic situation but a political dogma and ideology, and as well as damaging our public services, they damage our economy, which is why the uk government has consistently failed to make it fiscal targets. we are setting out a different approach when it comes to public finances. we have three key aims. firstly, to balance the budget or day—to—day spending by the end of the parliament and then only to invest. secondly, to return austerity to its pre—crash average, and thirdly set debt on a downward path. we want to return finances to a stable and sustainable position. we wish to

free up £118 billion of public investment to grow the economy, safeguard public services and protect household incomes. a clear alternative to five more years of austerity. hope and investment for the future, not another potentially destroying cycle of cuts. that is the dsm p‘s plan. applause —— that is the snp plan. snp mps will also backed their tax. the government at holyrood has frozen the basic rate to help lower and middle earners. that is the right approach at a time when rising inflation is making it harderfor many families to make ends meet. we have also opted not to cut tax for

higher rate taxpayers. a tax cut for the top 10% of earners when up expending is under pressure is the wrong priority. we choose investment in our public services instead. applause snp mps will also is bought an increase in the additional rate of income taxes. for those earning more than £150,000, 45p to 50p. the difference between the smp and the tories is this will stop the tory plans will give tax cuts to the wealthiest while pushing more hard—working people wealthiest while pushing more ha rd—working people and wealthiest while pushing more hard—working people and families into poverty. our plans are fair to all and will lift people out of poverty. not just all and will lift people out of

poverty. notjust because it‘s the right thing to do, but because group —— we know that it is good for the economy too. the scandal has been the rise in the number of people living in poverty despite having a job. 70% of children, 70% of children growing up in poverty live ina children growing up in poverty live in a household where at least one person is working. scotland already has the highest proportion of workers paid the living wage, the real living wage of any country in the uk and that is positive. but we need to do more to tackle low pay, falling real wages and support for those on low incomes. that is why today i am setting out a 3—point plan to tackle poverty and bring equality to families across the uk, and living standards. firstly we

will support moves working with business to increase the minimum wage to the level of the real living wage. applause that means a living wage by the end of the next parliament that will slightly more than £10 per hour. secondly, here in scotland we will ta ke secondly, here in scotland we will take a different approach to public sector pay. the 1% pay cap is designed to protect jobs sector pay. the 1% pay cap is designed to protectjobs at the time of spending cuts in westminster. while the snp has taken action to soften this for the lowest paid, this example is that although nurses are paid more than elsewhere in the uk, it has been hard and it is

increasingly unsustainable with the rise in inflation. pay rises must be affordable but must reflect real—life circumstances. next year and in future years, we will not assume a 1% pay cap. applause cheering instead, we will set a remit for discussions with trade unions and review bodies to deal with the impact of inflation. with a view to reaching fair outcomes to strike a balance between affordability and the cost of living. thirdly, the policies in this manifesto will restore fairness to our social security system. make no mistake. the tories have sought

to undermine faith in the welfare state itself. they have set out very deliberately to stigmatise those on benefits. of course, no one should benefits. of course, no one should be allowed to abuse the system, but their rhetoric is cover for the hardship they are causing to those who work hard and struggled to get by allowing comes. children, the elderly, women, the disabled, even the bereaved are bearing the brunt. £9 billion in social security cuts still to come over the next four yea rs, still to come over the next four years, not surprisingly, the tories wa nt to years, not surprisingly, the tories want to press ahead with every single penny. what is surprising is that labour is pledging to reverse less tha n that labour is pledging to reverse less than a quarter of those carts. so let me be clear today. snp mps will stand against all of that

further planned cuts to social security. applause cheering we will do so because they punish the disabled and those who work hard to make ends meet. we will also support the reversal of the 2— child cap tax credit. applause and we will... applause and we will campaign tirelessly against the immoral rape clause that goes with it. the rape clause, a

policy that shames every tory candidate who supports it. applause we will demand reversal of the cuts to employment and support allowance, which is remove support from disabled people. we will oppose the freezer working age benefits, policy set to reduce the incomes of the poorest in our society by 6%. the reason we stand against this tory assault on social security, on the poon assault on social security, on the poor, disabled and vulnerable is this, is because the cuts strike at the very heart of how we sealed ourselves as a nation and our ambition for the future as a nation.

—— as we see ourselves as a nation. applause they are unfairand applause they are unfair and they are designed to divide. of course, a growing gap between rich and poor is not the only divide that tory policy will create. they wish to set young against old. the utter chaos that ingold theresa may‘s plans for dementia tax makes me proud that the scottish parliament introduced free nursing care for our elderly. applause cheering those needing nursing care in

scotla nd those needing nursing care in scotland save £249 a week, just under £13,000 a year. this differ greatly reduces the burden of the personal assets of somebody who has two fund their rank aired. let me make it clear today. the snp will always protect free nursing care for our elderly. applause of course, there concern for fairness in old age which drives our policy. the snp will be strong voices for the elderly. the tory ma nifesto voices for the elderly. the tory manifesto is nothing short of an assault on pensioners from the dementia tax to the removal of the winter fuel allowance and the ending of the triple lock. to every older person in scotland, i say this. it

is very clear that the tories can ta ke is very clear that the tories can take the votes of many older people for granted and their manifesto makes clear what they would do if given a chance. if you don‘t want them to have a free hand to remove your hard— one protections, make sure you will elect strong voices that will stand up the u. applause —— foryou. applause —— for you. the snp will protect the winter fuel allowance and with pensioner poverty on the rise, we will oppose the removal of the pensions triple lock. we will also be strong voices of those who have been short—changed jute decelerated time for the lack —— timetable for the increases in the women‘s

retirement age. we will continue to support through our waspi campaign. applause it seems clear that the tories plan to cut deeper the impact of their planned, extreme brexit. these cuts are damaging our public services, that‘s why we will stand against them. over the past ten years, the snp has prioritised the health service and we will continue to do so. our nhs, like health services across the world, faces real challenges but haitian satisfaction is at record levels. our accident and emergency is the best performing anywhere in the uk! applause cheering many nurses in scotland are better

paid than anywhere else in the uk and we have integrated health and social care. we‘ll ready have a pledge to increase the nhs budget by £2 billion by the end of the scottish parliament. triple lock that would increase the health budget in england by £11 billion more than inflation by the year 2022. and it would deliver a consequential funding to support additional investment in scotland‘s nhs of up to £1 billion over and above our current spending. the snp standing up for scotland‘s nhs now and always. and for our police and fire

services, who have served us so well over this past week, as they always do, snp mps will demand that a tory government returns the £140 million of vat that it has so unfairly taken. money the tories have unfairly and s ha m efu lly money the tories have unfairly and shamefully ta ken away money the tories have unfairly and shamefully taken away from our emergency services. from young people and families, we will continue to extend free childcare. the snp is committed to protecting free university education. in this election, we are also

campaigning to restore the post study work visa, so we can continue to attract the best and brightest from around the world to our country here in scotland. and who are working to ensure that our universities don‘t lose out on vital european funding. policies... policies like expanding free childcare, closing the attainment gap in our schools and free university tuition are designed to help young people achieve their goals and create a fairer society. making sure we have a strong economy is also vital to the futures of our young people. jobs and the economy are central to this manifesto. these have been really challenging economic times, particularly given the fall in the oil price. but at

the fall in the oil price. but at the end of last year, scotland‘s gdp per head was above its prerecession level. productivity has been growing faster than the uk and unemployment is lower than the uk average. and on the greatest economic issue facing scotland, reversing population decline and growing the number of people of working age who live here, real progress has been made. progress now put at risk by brexit. in government, we have a £6 billion infrastructure programme and we are taking 100,000 business premises out of paying business rates altogether. in this election, we will not support further reductions to the headline rate of corporation tax. that is not the right priority at this time. but we will support

targeted reductions in national insurance to bring down the costs employers face when taking on new workers. and to help boost productivity, we will support an increase in the investment allowa nce, increase in the investment allowance, to encourage businesses to invest more in plant and machinery. supporting our economy is vital to everything we do. we live ina vital to everything we do. we live in a world where technological and economic transformation is happening ata economic transformation is happening at a pace we haven‘t seen before. we have the potential in scotland, more than most countries on earth, to ta ke than most countries on earth, to take advantage of the opportunity this change presents. ourfood and drink industry is a multi—billion pound success story. we have unrivalled energy resources. our universities are among the best in the world. we are world leaders in the world. we are world leaders in the industries of the future. life sciences and financial technology, creative industries, space technology and tourism. our educated

workforce and internationally recognised brand gives scotland a head start. the european single market, already the world‘s bigots, represents a massive opportunities for these areas of scottish strength. in the digital economy, the services sector, the single market is still a work in progress with huge potential still to be unlocked. that means a huge potential economic prize for scotland. it means world of opportunity for our young people. at brexit, especially an extreme brexit, especially an extreme brexit, puts all of at risk. and thatis brexit, puts all of at risk. and that is why i believe so strongly that is why i believe so strongly that at the end of the brexit process , that at the end of the brexit process, not now but when the terms of the deal are known, scotland must have a choice about our future. a

choice between following the uk down the brexit path or becoming an independent country. whistling. there isjust too much state for brexit simply to be imposed on scotland. no matter how damaging it turns out to be. a future must be decided by us not for us. the holyrood election last year

delivered the democratic mandate first scotland having such a choice. the recent vote underlined that. if the snp wins a majority of seats in this election, it will further reinforce our mandate. any continued tory attempts to block scotland having a choice when the time is right and the options are clear would be democratically unsustainable. however, that will be a choice for the end of the brexit process. i wa nt to the end of the brexit process. i want to be clear today that this election also present scotland with a more immediate opportunity. in the months ahead, we must make sure that our interests are not ignored in the brexit negotiations. vote for the snp will make sure that scotland‘s

voice is heard. the majority of people in scotland voted to remain in the eu. even many of those who voted to leave have real concerns about the extreme brexit being pursued by the prime minister. to be taken out pursued by the prime minister. to be ta ken out not just pursued by the prime minister. to be taken out notjust of the eu but also the single market puts 80,000 scottish jobs at risk. it poses a real danger to our farmers and fishermen, our universities, our food and drink businesses, to almost every sector of our economy. that is why the scottish government published compromise proposals to keep scotland in the single market. these proposals were brushed aside by the prime minister. this election offers people the opportunity to give them democratic legitimacy and make it impossible for the prime minister to continue to ignore scotland‘s voice. so my message today to all voters in

scotla nd so my message today to all voters in scotland is this. whether you voted leave or remain last year, or yes or no in 2014, vote snp on the 8th of june to give me a mandate to demand a place for scotland at the brexit negotiating table so we can work to keep scotland in the single market. no more than ever, it is vital to have strong snp voices standing up for scotland at westminster. a vote for scotland at westminster. a vote for the snp on the 8th ofjune will

strengthen scotland‘s and against tory cuts, and extreme brexit and will strengthen scotland‘s right to make our own decisions. the fact is, we cannot afford a tory government with a free hand to do whatever it likes. we must have strong voices. standing upfor our likes. we must have strong voices. standing up for our interest and defending the values we hold dear. you know that tory mps have rubber stamp for whatever theresa may wa nts. stamp for whatever theresa may wants. just as you that in scotland voting labour risks letting in tory mps. only the snp is strong enough to keep the tories in check and only snp mps will always stand up for scotland. whether on brexit, austerity are the

future of our public services, this isa future of our public services, this is a manifesto to make scotland‘s voice heard. it is a manifesto for prosperity and opportunity. ma nifesto to prosperity and opportunity. manifesto to tackle inequality. a ma nifesto to manifesto to tackle inequality. a manifesto to protect jobs manifesto to tackle inequality. a manifesto to protectjobs and build afairer manifesto to protectjobs and build a fairer society we know is within our a fairer society we know is within s . a fairer society we know is within our grasp. and a manifesto to ensure that scotland‘s future will always be in scotland‘s hans. i am proud to present it to the scottish people today. music. nicola sturgeon enjoying the

applause, holding the manifesto she has just launched. we now applause, holding the manifesto she hasjust launched. we now count applause, holding the manifesto she has just launched. we now count down the final days to the general election next thursday. she is due to a nswer election next thursday. she is due to answer questions in a moment. we understand there may be a pause for a couple minutes, so let me bring in norman smith whilst we wait for nicola sturgeon to answer questions. what did you make of that?” nicola sturgeon to answer questions. what did you make of that? i thought the most extraordinary thing about this manifesto was the playing down of the whole independence issue. you go through the pledges inside, page numberten out of go through the pledges inside, page number ten out of ten is strengthening's —— strengthening

scotland's independence mandate. plans such as ending the public sector pay cut and protecting the pension triple lock. remarkably little on independence, which is striking because independence is sort of the lifeblood of the snp. clearly they have made a calculation they need to focus on domestic policies. can i take brian taylor, ifi policies. can i take brian taylor, if i can see him? policies. can i take brian taylor, ifi can see him? thank you. your entire speech is predicated on the return of a majority conservative government. you have cold but highly likely and discounted labour‘s prospects. in those circumstances, would power reside in number ten and

11 downing st. what evidence is there that are fast snp presence can constrain the conservatives? we have seen over the past two years that it has been the snp, not labour, angus robertson, notjeremy corbyn, who has been the effective opposition to the tories. making scotland‘s voice heard week in, week out, raising issues important not just heard week in, week out, raising issues important notjust to scotla nd issues important notjust to scotland but the whole of the uk, week in, week out, at prime minister‘s questions. the snp were the first to spot and pick up on the national insurance increases in the budget. that of course led to a u—turn. ona budget. that of course led to a u—turn. on a whole range of issues, it has been the snp making sure that scotland‘s voice is heard. over a

period where we may have another tory government with a bigger majority, that will be even more important. in politics, who wins elections matters. in terms of who has the authority to stand up and speakfor has the authority to stand up and speak for those they represent. if the snp win this election a week on thursday, i take nothing for granted. if we win this election, then yet again the people scotland will have put their trust in the snp to stand up for scotland. and that is exactly what we will do. the final point which gives me great heart is that we have seen over her premiership so far, particularly in the last two weeks, theresa may we face is not so much the iron lady, but the queen of the u—turn. the

more u—turns we can force her into, the better. you talk about addressing an independence referendum at the end of the brexit process. is the end of the brexit process. is the end of the brexit process still spring 2019? or in circumstances do you regard it as later than that? you see for the tories to block a referendum would be democratically unsustainable. given that they beg to differ, what would you do? firstly, i think we should let the people have their say on the 8th ofjune. that is the great opportunity that theresa may has given us in calling this election. we have the opportunity for the people scotland to have their say. i am very clear that scotland‘s choice —— scotland must have a choice. we cannot have our future imposed on his. theresa may

today spoke about the damage brexit can do if it goes wrong. we cannot find ourselves in a position where we have no alternative but to accept a damaging brexit wreaking havoc on the economy and public services. that is why a choice at the right time is important. it is important that people have clarity about brexit and what that means. and they then have clarity about the options. isaid autumn then have clarity about the options. i said autumn 2018 to spring 2019 for a reason. that is when theresa may is saying the brexit process will end. if that changes, then of course we will have to consider our timing in light of that. because the key point of principle for me is clarity at the end of a process to allow people to make a genuinely informed choice about the future of

our country. you talk about a woman at this election reinforcing the case for another independence referendum. if you lose seats, does that week in your case? journalists are here to doa your case? journalists are here to do a job. it is an importantjob to hold me and all of us to account. maybe i am old—fashioned. the person who gets more votes and more seats than any other party wins the election. that is democracy. we are talking here about a choice for the

end of the brexit process, not for now. this election also gives us immediate opportunities. it gives us the opportunity to make sure our voices in the house of commons are standing up against tory austerity. snp voices standing against an extreme brexit, making sure our interests are extreme brexit, making sure our interests a re represented extreme brexit, making sure our interests are represented in the brexit talks. no matter how you voted in the referendum last year or two years ago, this is our opportunity to make scotland‘s voice heard. we know the only way to make scotland‘s voice heard is to vote snp. that is what i am asking eve ryo ne snp. that is what i am asking everyone to do on the 8th ofjune.

iam i am looking very handsome, i can assure you. diplomacy prevents me from commenting! the conservatives are running this general election campaign in scotla nd general election campaign in scotland on one message. they don‘t wa nt scotland on one message. they don‘t want another independence referendum. really? cheering. there is some evidence that it is working and some of your colleagues could lose their seats because of it. do you worry about that and the decision to call a referendum might cause some of your colleagues to lose their seats? can i also ask if you would support the increase in

income tax which has been outlined by labour? we oppose tax cuts for those at the higher rate and we have not delivered that tax cut in the scottish parliament. we support the freeze on the basic rate of income tax. inflation is rising and i don‘t think we should be passing the burden of austerity onto the shoulders of low and middle income earners. in terms of your other question, i am confident in all of my colleagues here. eight of these people has been a strong voice for scotland. get out and vote for them on the 8th ofjune. cheering. angus robertson has been the voice

of opposition, standing up to theresa may and the tories. not only putting her on the spot whee kim, week out, but putting jeremy corbyn to shame as he does ed. let‘s make sure that thorn in the side of the tories is still there are. lasley, on the point of the tory campaign, ruth davidson is going around scotla nd ruth davidson is going around scotland saying i talk about nothing other than independence. this thing is, she talks about it so much that i don‘t get a chance to talk about it. what i am talking about in this election is how we put an end to tory austerity, how we get rid of policies like the rape clause. ruth

davidson‘s support for the rape clause really does shame her and show her in her true colours. the reason the tories want only to talk about independence, if you look at any of their leaflets, there is no mention of health, education, welfare or policies that matter to people. they don‘t want to talk about their record and the do not wa nt to about their record and the do not want to talk about their policies. because they know the tory record and tory policies harm our public services, harm people the length and breadth of this country. i will let ruth davidson continued to talk about whatever she wants in this campaign. i will continue to talk about how we put an end to the tory policies doing so much damage. a little birdie tells me it is your

birthday? happy birthday. thank you. we might have gone from one extreme to the other with the media. a happy medium is probably what we should try for! you see in the manifesto you want to balance the budget by the end of parliament. is a lot of extra spending here, no cuts and not very much in the way of tax rises. do you have a detailed plan of costings and can you give us an idea of exactly how you plan to balance the budget? what we have said in terms of our alternative fiscal plan, by balancing day to day spending by the end of the parliament, reducing the deficit to

its long—term pre—crash average and getting debt as a share of gdp on a downward trajectory, that compares to the tory plans, freeing up over £180 billion over the length of the parliament. there are tax rises as well. the removal of the marriage allowa nce. well. the removal of the marriage allowance. it currently discriminate against those who are not married. and reversing the cuts in the bank levy. that will raise an additional £10 billion over the life of the parliament. spending commitments in the manifesto add up to around £80 billion over the life of the parliament, so they are affordable within the fiscal plan we have set out. they also leave some headroom if for example there needs to be investment to deal with some of the impact of brexit. so this is a fully thought out and affordable plan. how

we balance the budget is to take sensible steps towards balancing the budget, but not doing it through aggressive cuts on the backs of those who can least afford them. this is moderating, significantly moderating, what the tories are already planning and it allows us to invest more in our nhs, halt the welfare cuts driving people into poverty... nicola sturgeon at the launch of the party‘s manifesto. we will have more reaction to the launch coming up after midday. if you have questions you would like to put about the manifesto, at 5:30pm today, we will put questions to stewart hosie, the snp‘s economics spokesperson. the headlines are coming up in a few

moments on bbc news channel. in a moment, we say goodbye to viewers on bbc two. for many of us, it has been cloudy, but holes are developing. you can see where the holes are bright shore up. this thick cloud towards the north and west is associated with a weather front. fresher weather and sunny conditions in northern ireland through the afternoon. patchy rain for northern and western parts. some brightness down towards the south—east. holding onto some warmth. clearer skies in the north will gradually extend their way further southwards. much colder than previous nights. temperatures into fairly low single figures. in the

south, holding on to warmer weather. rather cloudy start to the day. misty and berkin places. eventually breaking up to give some sunshine. for most of us, a warm afternoon. 24 degrees could be possible. goodbye. this is bbc news. these are the top stories developing at midday. jeremy corbyn stumbles over the cost of labour‘s free childcare plans in an interview for the bbc‘s woman‘s hour so how much will it cost? i‘ll give you the figure in a moment. so you don‘t know it? what i want... you are logging into your ipad here. you‘ve announced a major policy and you don‘t know what it‘s going to cost? nicola sturgeon launches the snp manifesto, calling for higher public spending across the uk and an end to social security cuts. this manifesto sets out a clear plan to end tory cuts,

to protect scottish jobs and strengthen scotland‘s hand. the mother of zookeeper rosa king who was killed by a tiger says she loved herjob and wouldn‘t have done anything else. manchester victoria station reopens a week after the concert attack which killed 22 people. also, back on schedule, british airways is back on full schedules but many passengers are still without their bags. and back in the top flight after 45 years, huddersfield town will celebrate promotion to the premier league with an open—top bus parade later. welcome to bbc news.

with just over a week to go until the general election, the main parties are returning to their key election themes, following last night‘s tv grilling of the conservative and labour leaders. jeremy corbyn is campaigning on the party‘s promise of free childcare for two to four year olds in the last hour, nicola sturgeon childcare for two to four year olds. in the last hour, nicola sturgeon has launched the scottish national party manifesto, promising to invest an additional £118bn in public services across the uk and calling for scotland to stay in the european single market, after brexit. and theresa may will put the focus back on brexit, accusing eu officials of adopting an ‘aggressive negotiating position‘ which will need strong leadership from the uk. let‘s get more now on those proposals on free childcare for two to four

year—olds from labour, because jeremy corbyn has faced questions this morning on how much the policy would cost to implement. our political correspondent, chris mason, is in westminsterfor us. it was excruciating, wasn‘t it because he didn‘t know? it was excruciating, wasn‘t it because he didn't know? it wasn't a clever, so and so journalist question, this was the very idea thatjeremy corbyn was wanting to talk up today, the idea of 30 30 hour a week free childcare. once mr corbyn had set out why this policy was good, she asked the obvious question, how much is it going to cost? we know that polling tops the

economy for both women and men. how much will and means tested childcare costs for 1.3 million children? much will and means tested childcare costs for 1.3 million children7m will cost... it will cost a lot. i presume you have the figures? i do. we are trying to make it universal so that we make sure every child gets it and those... those who get free places will not have to continue but those who do will get is mainly through corporation taxation. what's the figure? hang on... you've announced a major policy and you don‘t know what it costs ? policy and you don‘t know what it costs? can i give you the figure in a minute? isn't this the issue that‘s come up time and again that

you cannot be trusted with our money? you don‘t know the figure. all—out manifesto is fully costed and... you've had a phone call, your ma nifesto and... you've had a phone call, your manifesto is in front of us and you have been ticking through it, and you are looking it up. my point is it‘s quite troubling, this is a policy that you are launching today and you don‘t know how much it‘s going to cost. it hardly inspires the voters. there are many ways you could analyse an interview, but i just think ouch! it's a radio interview, so he could have gone in with it on a piece of paper and just read it out from the piece of paper. he's had a gruelling 24 hours after that road grime on sky news

yesterday. he's on the one show later on today. the problem is we have seen this happen before including with his senior figures, diane abbott, getting stuck on figures before. he didn't want to guess that figure or try and recall it and get it slightly wrong, hence his desire to avoid answering it entirely, though not uneasy moment for him. there have been a few blunders through the course of this political campaign. diane abbott didn‘t know her figures and then we had the incident with the tory man a —— tory party manifesto and the u—turns. how do these impact voter intentions? the polls seem to move quite a lot, do these things make a

different? you have to have a smidgen of sympathy for politicians in these situations. they are subjected to high amounts of scrutiny. we've had terrible days in job interviews where we can't think of anything coherent to say. we can't recall a number. and we wish the earth would swallow us up. the danger these kind of moments though is that they seem to play into existing prejudice that someone might already have about a party person. there are those who have concerns about the way in which labour uses public money. if you had that particular view, that might play on that opinion. broadly

speaking, there's been a narrowing in the polls in the last few weeks, orten in the polls in the last few weeks, or ten days, but opinion polls going back a long time including the most re ce nt back a long time including the most recent ones show the conservatives in the lead, very comfortably. so prior to this morning, jeremy corbyn was moving forward, giving that wobble, the big, big wobble big conservative 's have on social care but the opinion polls, for what they're worth, still directing towards a conservative victory. thank you very much chris. the scottish national party have launched their manifesto

for the general election —— promising to reverse cuts in welfare and boost public sector pay. speaking in perth, the party leader, nicola sturgeon, said scotland should have a say in it‘s future at the end of the brexit process. what did you notice, norman, when you were there? independence is number ten you were there? independence is numberten in you were there? independence is number ten in the ten point ledger is in this manifesto. and tutorials there are is the core message that there are is the core message that the snp want to get across. there‘s a whole range of pledges, ending the public sector pay cap, ending the benefit freeze. lifting the minimum wage to the living minimum wage, more than £10 per hour. more money for the nhs, protecting the triple lock on pensions and protecting £118 billion to be spent through an increase in the top rate of tax to

50p. why are they playing that independence issue down? they don‘t wa nt to independence issue down? they don‘t want to frighten voters who are worrying about the break—up of the union, but i think they‘ve also been bruised by some of the criticism that they have been remorselessly focused on independence, and today, nicola sturgeon made her key pitch on resisting tory austerity. we set out a manifesto to end tory cuts, and strengthen scotland's hand. it's and strengthen scotland's hand. it's a manifesto with peerless opportunity and chrissie at its heart. a manifesto for a country thatis heart. a manifesto for a country that is welcoming and outward looking. a manifesto that reflects our belief in the infinite possibilities open to the people of

scotland if we work together in the common good, to build the kind of country we know we can be. applause the other thing that struck me about this speech is that in some ways nicola sturgeon borrowed from theresa may, we know the prime minister has built her campaign on strengthening her hands in negotiations. nicola sturgeon adopted a similar approach saying voting snp would help to resist tory policies and ensuring that scotland could remain in a single market and pressing the case for a second independence referendum. have a listen. we know the decisions taken at westminster in the years ahead will shape our country. so, now, more than ever, it is vital to have

strong snp voices standing up for scotland. with labour... applause with labour in disarray, the tories saw a chance to tighten their grip on the whole of the uk for many, many years to come. with their true colours being exposed in this campaign, we have a real chance to keep them in check. and let us be clear. labour isn't strong enough to do that. voting labour simply risks letting in tory mps. in scotland, only the snp can keep the tories in check. clearly, a lot of the policies being outlined there, they westminster issues that have to be decided by the prime minister at

westminster, therefore the snp will not be able to implement policies such as protecting pensions and keeping the triple lock on the pensions. but she believes that the snp can crank up the pressure on theresa may, who she described as theresa may, who she described as the queen of u—turns. you think of course of the rays in national insurance tax on small business, most recently, that car crash on social care, conceding that she would have a cap on people‘s total liabilities when it came to care. she said the snp would press theresa may tu turn. some of the question—and—answer session afterwards, nicola sturgeon in her speech said the snp would press for

a referendum when the time was right on the issues were clear. she was asked those that mean she was sticking to her timetable in autumn 2018, 2019, and she left some wriggle room where she said she would make sure the brexit process with clear which meant it could go beyond the spring. i suspect some people will see that as a little more given by nicola sturgeon of the timing ofan more given by nicola sturgeon of the timing of an independence referendum. thank you, and norman. we will put your questions about the snp's we will put your questions about the snp‘s manifesto to our economic experts. you can use this hashtag or e—mail us at bbc ask this.

the mother of a zookeeper who was killed by a tiger at hamerton zoo park in cambridgeshire has paid tribute to her daughter. she said her daughter wouldn‘t have done anything else, it‘s what she has always done, it‘s what she has always loved. the zoo remains closed while the investigation continues. ben ando is there now. her colleague said she was a shining light here at the zoo and that she had exceptional ca re the zoo and that she had exceptional care for the animals she looked after. she had an affinity for cheaters and other big cats. the

question is how she came to be in an enclosure wearer tiger could get in there with such devastating results. the police investigated yesterday and where here all day. they said they felt there were no suspicious circumstances, so today they have confirmed that their investigation is winding down. what they would do is winding down. what they would do is send theirfindings is winding down. what they would do is send their findings to huntington district council. and they will decide whether there are any health and safety implications to be considered. in the meantime, the tiger who was involved in the attack is still here. it has not been killed. we are waiting for an update from the zoo regarding their investigations and what they have found out so far. thanks, ben. there

have been two bombings in the iraqi capital, back bad. at least 16 people died in this ice cream parlour bombing. the second bomb exploded in the centre of baghdad killing 11 people. tiger woods has denied he‘d been drinking when he was stopped whilst police charged him with being under the influence — under the influence but the golfer has blamed an unexpected reaction to some medication he had taken. an update on our headlines. jeremy corbyn is struggling to see how much free childcare for two to four—year—olds would cost under the labour‘s manifesto. the snp have launched their manifesto calling for higher public spending and into social security cuts. the mother of the zookeeper who was killed at the zoo the zookeeper who was killed at the zoo by a tiger said her daughter died doing a job she had always loved. let‘sjoin

let‘s join holly let‘sjoin holly for our let‘s join holly for our sports update. written‘s best hopes at the french open start today. joanna konte plays today and it‘s tied at one set all. on the main show court, andy murray starts his campaign today. he hopes to improve his run on clay. you have too tried to enjoy this part of what we do as well, although it‘s frustrating. the struggles are what make the good time so enjoyable, so i need to enjoy my struggle a little bitjust now and that will help me get through it quicker, i believe.

gareth southgate said he didn‘t speak to wayne rooney before he left to face scotland next month. wrote the lyth—mac —— wayne rooney has only started 15 games. he has a back injury. in the end, there's only so many times you can speak about the situation. we‘ve been very clear. i‘m very conscious that again, it‘s the first question you asked me so unconscious from his point of view that it unconscious from his point of view thatitis unconscious from his point of view that it is a big story when you don‘t select him. i want to do that in the right way. equally, when we have had previous conversations, there‘s no point in revisiting them at this stage. paul lambert has lost hisjob as at this stage. paul lambert has lost his job as manager. at this stage. paul lambert has lost hisjob as manager. they had a

at this stage. paul lambert has lost his job as manager. they had a 15th place in issuing the championship. thousands of huddersfield fans will ta ke to thousands of huddersfield fans will take to the streets for a victory parade later after their team was promoted to the premier league for the first time. they beat reading in a dramatic penalty shoot out in a match worth at least £117 million. their manager described it as a fairy tale. it‘s the first time they‘ve reached the top flight in 45 yea rs. they‘ve reached the top flight in 45 years. this is a fairy tale that is usually not possible, but they have done it and we are very happy. i‘m one of the happiest men. i‘m so proud for what the players have done and happy for everyone who is connected and supported huddersfield town, especially the chairman. that is all your sport for now. we‘ll

have more in the next half—hour. british airways says it will operate a full schedule at heathrow and gatwick today for the first time since the computer failure on saturday disrupted flights around the world. the airline says its it systems are now "back up and running" but "significant numbers" of passengers are still without their luggage which could take some time to sort out. with me now is a brand expert and journalist. what impact is there likely to be, long—term? journalist. what impact is there likely to be, long-term? there will be an impact on summer holidays, because this is the last time people are going to start thinking about who should ibook with go on my summer holiday? and i think this is really damaging them in terms of reputation, in terms of people thinking, is the plane even going to ta ke thinking, is the plane even going to take off? there could be quite a short—term impact in terms of decisions people take, what about long—term? a

decisions people take, what about long—term ? a long—term decisions people take, what about long—term? a long—term brand impact? i worked on there account years ago and nowadays, the world has changed and nowadays, the world has changed a lot. it‘s not about a national carrier it‘s about budget airlines. people aren‘t just carrier it‘s about budget airlines. people aren‘tjust going for quality but also cost effectiveness, so this has come at a terrible time regarding their own development of their own brand of british airways because they are trying to establish themselves as a brand you contrast, with a heritage, but all seek a look at the budget airlines —— but also, you can look at the budget airlines and see how they handle things. people talking about being considerably out—of—pocket. people talking about being considerably out-of-pocket. absolute leave. —— absolutely. some really

terrible scenes, and one of the m ista kes terrible scenes, and one of the mistakes they made here was that, fine, they‘ve got the greatest technology in the world, but what happens if it goes wrong? what happened literally when somebody pulled the plug because allegedly this was to do with an electricity outage. what happens when it goes wrong? there should have been some greater, better, more competent training going on. thank you for coming in. manchester victoria station has reopened this morning after it was damaged in last week‘s bomb attack. last night hundreds of people gathered for a vigil at st ann‘s square to mark exactly one week since 22 people were killed by a suicide bomber at the manchester arena. 17 others are still in critical care. greater manchester mayor andy burnham was among those who lay wreaths at the victoria station today. he praised station staff for rushing into the danger

to help those affected. i think this is an incredibly important milestone this morning, the reopening of victoria station. the hats more than anything, this is a sign that life goes on and the city is returning to a form of normality, i say that because it‘s still there in much at the front of our minds. just to hear about what happened, i hadn‘t realised that some of the station staff had rushed to help, and that can get forgotten. to the way that everybody responded to this is truly remarkable. let's go to frankie mccamley in manchester for us. the station has reopened. tell us a bit about the mood and what‘s been happening there will stop as you can see behind me, people are coming and going. the

station was operational from 5am this morning. there are however parts still close, the area which connects the concourse to the arena, where the bomb went off, killing 22 people. there are some stark reminders, some flowers laid where you walk through the door, and around the station. bunches of flowers, tributes have been paid. we have been speaking to some staff who have been speaking to some staff who have come back to work, who haven‘t been there for the last week. they we re been there for the last week. they were the first on the ground when the bomb went off. they were originally there, checking tickets, suddenly turned into first respondent. we spoke to one man who poured an individual to safety who had been badly injured. people were being collected their first aid administered. quite a sombre day for

those coming back to work. although manchester is trying to get back to some form of normality, this still does linger in people‘s minds. frankie, thank you very much. there‘s just one week left before the general election, and the parties are trying to get their m essa g es a cross parties are trying to get their messages across to voters. let‘s told to labour‘s former director of communications, and the adviser to ed miliband, and katie, correspondent for the spectator. let‘s talk about jeremy correspondent for the spectator. let‘s talk aboutjeremy corbyn on the radio. he didn‘t know his figures when he was outlining a keep on what do you think about that? he should have known. he was announcing it today. it was an obvious

question. it‘s something that labour‘s spokespeople have faced before in this campaign, and he should have known. the fact he didn‘t, and the fact it unfolded in the way it did does it have an impact? everyone watches and knows they have had a brain— freeze moment, in terms of its political impact, i think itjust tops of the momentum he had coming in to today. he won the debate last night. the polls are looking very good for him. the tories are looking rattled. they are running a terrible campaign. it may be still similar to all. what eg think? jeremy put in an accomplished performance and made him likeable. some of their doubts may be put to one side. i feel today's blunder is

a bit ofa one side. i feel today's blunder is a bit of a shame because it's putting the misstep back, but the tories have hardly been perfect with their figures. they've had to go back on their planned for free breakfasts. a lot of shot feat in this campaign! do you think the tories are rattled, the focus going back to brexit? they are definitely worried and in the final days, they will focus on brexit, and we saw it in the posters when it was back to the conservative posters, and there is no more theresa may, strong and stable. it's going to be a disciplined campaign. what would you do, tom, in this campaign, what would you say the core messages? you need to look at what‘s happening the

conservative arty campaign. they‘ve built it around theresa may‘s brand, and in the course of three weeks they have shot that brand.|j and in the course of three weeks they have shot that brand. i don't think labour expected to be in this position. they now have a chance to build on the mentor maeve got. will they face more scrutiny now about they face more scrutiny now about the kind of policiesjeremy corbyn was outlining today? will they have a light shining on them which wasn‘t before? that is their biggest challenge and they‘ve got to stay focused, focused on the tory disarray and focus on theresa may‘s brand of brexit which could be damaging to the uk. white mock right at the start, theresa may didn‘t

have too call this election. it is looking potentially not like the case any more. i think the tories expect a landslide victory. i think they are beginning to reconcile the fa ct they are beginning to reconcile the fact that it isn't going to be like that. if it's a small majority, i think there will be lots of anger directed at theresa may. she will be considered to be the one who has lost it. gordon brown never recovered from not calling a snap election. it‘s ironic if she never recovers from calling a snap election this time. she didn‘t need to do this and she has really damaged her reputation and her capacity to govern and to go in and negotiate brexit. this is the dog that has not barked loud enough in this election. she hasn‘t told about

brexit because she knows she can‘t deliver it. labour haven‘t particularly wa nted deliver it. labour haven‘t particularly wanted to talk about it either. there will always be a conspiracy of silence on the single biggest issue to affect this country for the next ten years. this might be thank you. tim farron has accused the prime minister of complacency over social care plans. he said every vote for the conservatives was a vote for the dementia tax, which could mean nine out of ten homes been taken out of their hands. tim farron said the prime minister‘s attem pts farron said the prime minister‘s atte m pts to farron said the prime minister‘s attempts to explain away her cruel ma nifesto attempts to explain away her cruel manifesto were matched byjeremy corbyn‘s failure to provide any kind of alternative outline for brexit. let‘s get the weather.

pretty good for some of us. a little bit of rain. a decent day on the way, a few showers around here and there are. looking at the satellite picture, afairamount there are. looking at the satellite picture, a fair amount of cloud. some big breaks in the cloud. this is the rain bearing cloud that brought the rain to parts of northern ireland. temperatures getting up to around 20 degrees in the south. 9 degrees in glasgow. brewery have the cloud, a bit milder. tomorrow, some mist around the south coast. on balance, a nice day for most of us tomorrow. 21 for

yorkshire. more fresh in the far north. nice day on the way. that it. goodbye. the headlines. labour is campaigning on its proposal to roll out free childcare to all two—year—olds. but in an interview, jeremy corbyn did not know what it would cost. you are logging into your ipad. you have announced a major policy and you don‘t know how much it will cost? the snp have launched their ma nifesto. the snp have launched their manifesto. our plans are fair to all and will lift people out of poverty. the mother of the zookeeper killed bya the mother of the zookeeper killed by a tiger at the zoo in cambridge yesterday said she lost herjob and wouldn't have done anything else. more than 25 people have been killed in two bombings in baghdad. one

targeted a popular ice cream parlour. let's tell you we have some news just parlour. let's tell you we have some newsjust in from parlour. let's tell you we have some news just in from the parlour. let's tell you we have some newsjust in from the united states on the behind—the—scenes team advising donald trump. abc news is reporting that mike dubke has resigned. there is no announcement yet. he offer to stay on in his post until the end of the president‘s first foreign trip. there has been some criticism of the communications team in the first few months of the presidency. theresa may is due to speak shortly. vicki young is in the west midlands for us

now. you have the bus behind you. with the slogan which has been said many times. although it wasn‘t particularly mentioned in the debate last night. going back today to the co re last night. going back today to the core message on brexit? it feels like the conservatives want to return to that subject. today, i think what you will hear from theresa may is her very much talking about brexit. getting people to look ahead to the brexit negotiations. she is back here in the west midlands, a place where there are lots of marginal seats and there are lots of marginal seats and the tories are very much fighting with labour for those seats. in many of these areas, people voted for brexit. that‘ll be the kind of

message theresa may is trying to get across. trying to make sure that they make it clear they can deliver on brexit. we saw her struggling much more when it came to defending her record in government on police numbers falling, on the nhs funding, on education funding or on that social care cap where she still wouldn‘t say where that would be. the message today is going to be she will talk about those who voted for brexit and say they are the kind of people who have been ignored forfar too long and shall make the case to say she will stand up and deliver for them on brexit. when she makes being someone who stands up in the face of such opposition in europe a

key element in terms of her brand, thatis key element in terms of her brand, that is set against the u—turn we saw, is their concern in the tory party about the thought that potentially that brand has been damaged? yes, i think part of the issue here is if you look at the bus behind me, it is about theresa may. they have made this election campaign is all about her. the conservative sign much smaller on lots of the literature that has been coming through people‘s doors, it is about theresa may and her team. they have made that brand about her being strong and stable. we have heard repeating that again and again. thank you. she has arrived. we will listen and see what she says. thank you. she has arrived. we will listen and see what she saysm

thank you. she has arrived. we will listen and see what she says. it is great to be here. it is great to be here in wolverhampton. i wonder how many of you saw the tv debate last night. i thoughtjeremy was in impressive form. well—prepared, on top of his brief, knew the policy inside out, persistent to the last, he never gave up. jeremy paxman certainly did well. last night, i get. gave up. jeremy paxman certainly did well. last night, iget. i gave up. jeremy paxman certainly did well. last night, i get. isaw jeremy corbyn close—up on intelligent and what i saw was revealed. despite being a member of parliament for 34 years, being labour leaderfor two parliament for 34 years, being labour leader for two years, he parliament for 34 years, being labour leaderfor two years, he is simply not ready to govern and not prepared to lead. he is not prepared

to use the nuclear deterrent, he is not prepared to take action against terrorist, not prepared to give the police powers they need to keep us safe. not prepared to take a single difficult decision for the good our economy. not prepared to answer questions about his long track record of supporting people who want to harm and even attack our country. and with the brexit go see asians due to begin only 11 days after polling day, he is not prepared for those negotiations. but i am prepared. prepared to take the difficult decisions that leadership demands. prepared to do what is necessary to protect and defend our country, prepared to go into the negotiating chamber with the european union just 11 days negotiating chamber with the european unionjust 11 days after polling day. i am prepared, european unionjust 11 days after polling day. iam prepared, i european unionjust 11 days after polling day. i am prepared, i am ready to go. jeremy corbyn is not.

because last night confirmed that only one of us has the determination to deliver the will of the people and make brexit happen. and only one of us has the plan to make brexit a success. last night showed that jeremy corbyn‘s minders can put him ina smart jeremy corbyn‘s minders can put him in a smart blue suit for an interview with jeremy paxman, but with his position on brexit he will find himself alone and naked in the negotiating chamber of the european union. i know that is an image that doesn‘t bear thinking about. but actually this is very serious. we are approaching the end of a long campaign but it is crucial everybody remembers this important fact. britain is about to enter into the

most important negotiations of my lifetime. they begin just 11 most important negotiations of my lifetime. they beginjust 11 days after polling day. and the european union is already adopting an aggressive negotiating position. that is why now more than ever britain needs a strong government and a strong prime minister capable of standing up to brussels. your vote is more important than ever. because every vote for me in this election will, if i am returned as prime minister, strengthen my hand in the negotiations that are about to start. but if you don‘t vote at this election, and if you don‘t vote for me in this election, you risk sleepwalking into the very real danger thatjeremy sleepwalking into the very real danger that jeremy corbyn will find himself in the hot seat in the negotiating chair on your behalf. i only have to lose six seats in this election for that to happen. the

consequences for britain if that did happen would be dire. are weak and u nsta ble happen would be dire. are weak and unstable prime minister propped up by the liberal democrats and the snp. a coalition of chaos unable and unwilling to get the best deal for britain, consisting of political parties who disagree with brexit and wa nt to parties who disagree with brexit and want to unpick the referendum results. don‘t let them steal your votes at last year‘s referendum. don‘t let them make a mess of these negotiations. don‘t sleepwalk into that danger. because what last night‘s television debate brought home in technicolor is that only we have the will and the plan to make a success of brexit. but it is important to understand that the referendum was not just important to understand that the referendum was notjust a vote to leave the european union, it was also a vote to change the way the country works. and the people for whom it works forever. it was a

quiet revolution. driven by all those who felt let down and left behind for too long. a revolution in which millions of our fellow citizens stood up and said they were not prepared to be ignored any more. that is why since the first day i step through the door of number ten as prime minister i have been clear that the mission of the government i read is not just that the mission of the government i read is notjust to get the best dealfor britain in europe, but to shift the balance in britain in favour of ordinary working people here at home as well. to fight for all those for whom life is more difficult than many seem to think or realise. those who are just about managing to get by. people who are working around the clock, giving of their best, but for whom life is still too often struggle. the don‘t ask for much. they just still too often struggle. the don‘t ask for much. theyjust want still too often struggle. the don‘t ask for much. they just want to still too often struggle. the don‘t ask for much. theyjust want to get on with our lives and be able to do the best for their children. above

all, they just want to the best for their children. above all, theyjust want to be given a fair chance. because for too long, for too many people, life has not seemed fair. if you cannot afford to get onto the property ladder, or your child is stuck in a bad school, if you‘re one of the ordinary people who made huge sacrifices after the financial crash but see no evidence of the people better off than you did the same. if you lost herjob or stayed in work on reduced hours, took a pay cut as household bills rocketed, are someone who find themselves out of work or on lower wages because of low skilled immigration. above all, if you have been trying to say things need to change for years and your complaints fall on deaf ears, if your patriotism is deemed somehow distasteful. your concerns about immigration dismissed as parochial. your desire for your country to make

the decisions that matter to britain here in britain ridiculed and ignored for too long. life simply doesn‘t seem fair. that is why my plan for britain does two things. respect and responds to the british people‘s decision to leave the european union and it aims to shape the brighter, fairer future european union and it aims to shape the brighter, fairerfuture for our country, a future in which everyone in every part of this united kingdom will enjoy a fair share. it will help businesses create more and better paid jobs, with new rights and protections for workers. it will help more people have a home of their own, by building more affordable houses. and tackling the cost of living by keeping taxes low. my cost of living by keeping taxes low. my plan will make sure every child gets the best start in life by increasing school funding every

year. provide real technical education for young people for the first time. and increase yet dhs budget every year to ensure every family has the care that they need. —— increase the nhs budget. and take effective action against extremists. a plan to make britain stronger, fairerand a plan to make britain stronger, fairer and more prosperous. and to put government at the service of ordinary working people. so that if you have a job but don‘t always have job security, we will be backing you. if you own your home but worry about paying a mortgage, we will be backing you. if you can‘tjust about manage but worry about the cost of living and getting your children into a good school, we will be backing you. if you just want to get on with your life, to do your best for your children and be given a fair chance to get on, we will be

backing you. because the government i read will be a government at the service of ordinary working people. but all of this depends on one thing. getting brexit right. and thatis thing. getting brexit right. and that is what is truly at the heart of this election campaign. that is the one fundamental defining issue, the one fundamental defining issue, the choice on which everything else we ca re the choice on which everything else we care about will depend. because the terms of the brexit deal we negotiate with the eu and the course we begin to chart in the years after it truly will define our country for generations to come. our place in the world, our economic security, the world, our economic security, the vital public services upon which we all rely. our future prosperity, everything depends on and will be defined by the outcome of these next five years. if we don‘t make a

success of the next five years, our economic prosperity will suffer. jobs and livelihoods will be put at risk. with them security and peace of mind of working families. if we don‘t make a success of brexit, we won‘t have the financial means to fund public services we rely upon. the national health service, the institution which is there for us at the most difficult times, it leads us to make a success of brexit to ensure we can‘t afford to provide it with the resources it needs for the future. every school in every village, town and city needs us to make a success of brexit if we want to continue to provide sustainable welfare system with help targeted at those who need it most, we need to make a success of brexit. if you wa nt to make a success of brexit. if you want to go on investing in transport infrastructure, roads, bridges and railways, we need to make a success of brexit. if we want to continue to play our part in the world stage, standing upfor our

play our part in the world stage, standing up for our liberal values with strong defences to protect us, we need to make a success of brexit. everything depends on getting brexit right. so the central question in this election is who has the will and crucially the plan to make a success of brexit? so that we can be build the stronger, fairer, more prosperous britain we want and need to? and on the central question i believe there is only one choice. because i am clear about the instruction i have been given. clear about what needs to be done and ready to get on with the job on day one. jeremy corbyn doesn‘t have the belief, the will or the planned to deliver brexit. and he doesn‘t have the strength to do so either. because the only way he can get into number ten is by doing a deal with the scottish nationalists and the

liberal democrats who do not believe in brexit and do not want it to succeed. we know this and the rest of europe knows it as well. they also know that a weak government in also know that a weak government in a hung parliament here at home won‘t be able to stand up for britain in europe. they know that a british government that has to given to other political parties all the time so it can just hold onto power will be weak abroad because it will be compromised at home. you don‘t negotiate the right brexit deal for britain from a position of weakness, you do it from a position of strength with prime minister committed to the cause and a strong majority government with a clear plan to see it through. and you can‘t negotiate the right brexit dealfor britain if can‘t negotiate the right brexit deal for britain if you can‘t negotiate the right brexit dealfor britain if you don‘t can‘t negotiate the right brexit deal for britain if you don‘t have confidence in our strengths and in all that we have to offer. you can only deliver for all that we have to offer. you can only deliverfor britain all that we have to offer. you can only deliver for britain if you believe in britain. and i do. and

thatis believe in britain. and i do. and that is why i have been clear about my plan for brexit at every stage. i saidi my plan for brexit at every stage. i said i would trigger article 50 before the end of mark and i did. i saidi before the end of mark and i did. i said i would set out mind negotiating objectives before i did so. and i have. isaid we negotiating objectives before i did so. and i have. i said we would take back control of our borders, money and laws and we will. and i have set out clear and ambitious plan for the negotiations ahead. it is a plan for a new deep and special partnership between britain and the european union. partnership of values and interests. partnership based on cooperation in areas such as security and economic affairs. and at the heart of that plan our 12 negotiating objectives to guide us in the months ahead. we will deliver certainty wherever possible, so that eve ryo ne certainty wherever possible, so that everyone will have as much clarity

as possible during the process. we have published a white paper confirming plans to convert items into british law. so that everyone has the certainty they need. i will put the final deal to in both houses of parliament before it comes into force. we will bring an end to the jurisdiction of the european court ofjustice in britain. our laws will be made in westminster, edinburgh, cardiff and belfast. and those laws will be interpreted in courts across this country. we will strengthen the union of the four nations that comprise our united kingdom. we will negotiate as one united kingdom, taking into account the specific interests of every nation and region

in the uk. and we expect the devolved administrations in scotland, wales and northern ireland to see a significant increase in their decision—making power at the end of the brexit process. we want to maintain the common travel area with the republic of ireland, with no return to the borders of the past. we will control immigration to continue to attract the brightest and best, but manage it properly so the immigration system serves the national interest. we seek to guarantee the rights of eu citizens already living in britain and the right british national zoo another member state as early as we can. i said that out clearly in the letter i sent to president to ask in march. iam clear i sent to president to ask in march. i am clear this must be a reciprocal arrangement. it is myjob as prime minister to protect the people of this united kingdom. we will ensure

that workers‘ rights are fully protected and maintained, indeed as i have made clear throughout this campaign, not only will the government i‘ll eat protect the rights of workers, we will build on them. we will allow free trade between britain and the eu member states. it will let european businesses do the same in britain. but we will not be members of the single market because that would mean accepting the four freedoms the european union considers sacrosanct. including freedom of movement, meaning we could not control orders as the british people would want. membership of the single market goes

against the democratic will of the british people. we will continue to pursue the freest possible movement of trade. we will ensure we can strike trade agreements with countries outside the european union. important though our trade with the eu is and will remain, it is clear that the uk needs to increase significantly its trade with the fastest growing markets in the world. we will continue to collaborate with european partners in science, education and technology. we will continue to cooperate in important areas such as crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. and with a clear plan and strong leadership we will deliver a smooth and orderly brexit, delivering the will of the british

people while minimising disruption to our economic security. that is my plan for brexit. 12 objectives that are meant to one big goal. a new deep and special partnership with the european union, allowing us to stand tall in the world once again. it is the clear and credible approach of strong stable government. isjust approach of strong stable government. is just compare approach of strong stable government. isjust compare it approach of strong stable government. is just compare it to the alternative. because the truth is thatjeremy corbyn has no plan for brexit at all. when you think about it, that is incredible because the brexit negotiations will begin just 11 days after the election. no time to waste, no way of stalling, no way of asking you to hang on past we figure out what we want to do. the europeans are ready to go and are determined to fight for a deal that works for them. this is no time

for a weak government and weak leader to be making it up as they go along. particularly not when that leader has shown herjudgment and wea k leader has shown herjudgment and weak leadership throughout the process. on the day the result was declared, jeremy corbyn thought we should trigger article 50 straightaway. that reckless misjudgement would have immediately handed the europeans the advantage in the negotiations and seriously curtail the time we had to formulate our own negotiating position and objectives. it would have cost our country dear. let‘s remember that while my team and i have put in the work to develop a coherent plan over the last ten months, jeremy corbyn has lurched queue to clear from half baked plan to half baked plan. he has had seven different brexit plans in the space of nine months. none of which added up to a coherent vision

for our country. let‘s remember that on the central issue what kind of relationship the united kingdom should have with the single market, jeremy corbyn still cannot say for certain where he stands. he says he wa nts to certain where he stands. he says he wants to keep all the benefits of the single market, but without seeing how that will be achieved or how it fits with ending free movement of people. let‘s remember what we know about his approach, with negotiations due to begin in 11 days after the election, the first thing jeremy corbyn would do is scrap the plan for brexit we set out ina scrap the plan for brexit we set out in a white paper... we will leave theresa may. coverage of this speech continues on bbc parliament. the message from theresa may refocusing the tory campaign on brexit. the labour party today are focusing on childcare. much more analysis of the

campaign is coming up only 1pm news ina campaign is coming up only 1pm news in a couple of moments. right now, let‘s catch up with the latest weather. umm... you‘re logging into your ipad here, you‘ve announced a major policy and you don‘t know the cost? can i give you the exact figure in a moment? meanwhile theresa may said with brexit negotiations due to start days after the election, only she was prepared. i‘m ready to go. jeremy corbyn is not. the snp launch their manifesto, calling for a second scottish independence referendum "at the end of the brexit process".