she'll be there this time — and so will he. theresa may and jeremy corbyn slug it out tonight in a bbc question time leaders' special. those two might not be going head—to—head tonight, but our guests tonight will — anne mcelvoy from the economist, and political reporter for the guardian, jessica elgot. now, it's gone this way and that in recent elections, but who will take the marginal swing seat of enfield north this time? and talking the talk, and walking the walk — we're on the campaign trail with cbbc‘s hacker t dog — is his bark worse than his bite? here i am, hacker the dog, at downing street. that's in london, that. but look who's here, cocker — it's my first constituent. yeah, it's larry the cat! and talking the talk, and walking the walk — we're on the campaign trail with cbbc‘s hacker t dog — is his bark worse than his bite? we should have invited him here to join we should have invited him here to join us! let's bring you up to date with the latest developments from the election campaign. police charge the conservative candidate for south thanet, craig mackinlay, over an alleged breach of election spending at the last general election.

but theresa may stands by him. well, the conservative party continues to believe that these allegations are unfounded — he's innocent until proven gulity and remains our candidate. former ukip leader nigel farage, who lost to craig mackinlay in south thanet in 2015, says he's baffled by the prime minister's stance. once again, it is bad judgment from theresa may. why on earth would you allow someone to go ahead as a general election candidate when this cloud was clearly hanging over him? the reaction to donald trump's withdrawal from the paris climate change accord sparks a political row here — opponents attack the prime ministerfor notjoining other european leaders to condemn the move. given the chance to present a united front for our international partners, she has instead opted for silent, and once again, subservience to donald trump. it's a dereliction of both her duty to this country, and our duty to our planet. and scotland's first minister,

nicola sturgeon, clarifies her position on whether the snp should join a potential anti—conservative coalition. i don't think it's going to be a hung parliament, but if it was then i've made very clear in the past i would want to be part of a progressive alternative to a tory government, and in that situation of course the snp, on scotland's the half, would wield significant influence, and we would seek to pursue progressive policies —— on scotland's behalf, we would wield significant influence. welcome to the programme. let's talk first about craig mackinlay being charged by the crown prosecution service over his 2015 election expenses, along with his election agent and a party official. he's released this statement on his facebook page. with me isjessica elgot

from the guardian, and anne mcelvoy from the economist. we must be very careful of course because there is a potential to prejudice this case. he is onlyjust being charged. but, jessica, how much of a concern will this be for the conservatives? i think this is the conservatives? i think this is the end of another quite bad week for the conservatives and their campaign. the first signs of misfire came at the manifesto launch, launching it at the social care policy which other parties have been naming the dementia packs. throughout the week a series of

criticisms for the prime minister, for not turning up for the last tv debate and sending amber rudd instead —— the dementia segment. this will be seen at conservative party headquarters i think as another knot. but so many twists and turns in this election campaign. how much, anne, could this be seen as a minor distraction? the conservatives we re well minor distraction? the conservatives were well ahead and thought this would not get to a serious enough matter to be sent to the crown prosecution service in the first place. they could be found innocent in the end and he has put up a strong defence themselves today, mr mackinlay, but it is another problem, another thing you would probably rather not have around, and as it happens, and in this case, you know, it has happened to all parties in the past, but in this case it happens to be the conservative party. this campaign, really every rule of campaigning has probably been broken, we have heard. we have

had u—turns, people not being certain about how theresa may wants to comport herself. she has many strengths but i would not see this week has been the best one we have seen them in. not what they would probably have chosen. not their finest. this is surely one of the most bizarre images of the election campaign so far... picked up by conservative jacob rees mogg, there he is, with his little boy. probably not one of the most tech savvy people in the world, but who is? but he has opened an instagram account and posted this photograph of himself with his son, and you might have noticed they are standing in front of a labour poster, rather at odds with their rosettes, i'd say that tattoo parlour, and mr rees

mogg has never been into the tattoo parlour himself, but the owners say he is welcome for a visit. this is causing quite a stir on social media. i think he has quite a few followers already on social media because people want to see what he is posting. i guess that shows you need to get your locations carefully and choreographing events... laughter not tech savvy, but i would think you would know a lot about the tech world but whether he chooses to use it is another matter. there might be a lot of irony there. that notion of people with very different outlooks and very different views who instinctively will think jacob and very different views who instinctively will thinkjacob rees mogg, what a snotty tory, and others who think, god, i hate tattoo parlours. giving him the benefit of the doubt, i think it is very amusing. and what is written next to the picture on instagram, we will

have to take custom elsewhere. so he is clearly aware of what he is standing next to, but they need to reach out and try to convince people who would not normally vote for them. i thinkjacob rees mogg has a lwa ys them. i thinkjacob rees mogg has always had a good eye for a good eye—catching stud. a lot of his tory collea g u es eye—catching stud. a lot of his tory colleagues affectionately refer to him as the honourable memberfor the 19th century, and i think that is pa rt 19th century, and i think that is part of this charm, perhaps. he was certainly very entertaining when he appeared on have i got news for you, i think you took everybody by surprise. but on one hand you hear people saying, if i hear the words strong and stable, i'll go mad, so people do a bit of us don't, take a bit of rs, i don't think we should... not at all! we have enjoyed it immensely and i hope he does it again in the few days —— ta ke does it again in the few days —— take a bit of a risk. in an hour's time, the prime minister and the labour leader

will face each other in a question time special. it will not be a head—to—head debate. instead, members of the audience will ask a question, which mrs may and mr corbyn will then answer one after the other. earlier today, simon mccoy went onto the set of the show in york, ahead of the debate, where he found out more about this evening's programme. as you can see luggage rack, nothing left to chance. all the microphones labelled here. two for babel —— david dimbleby, putting the questions to the members and taking those from the audience. this set has yet to be unveiled. let's talk to the director of tonight's show. i call it a show, but you have to be ready for anything, haven't you? yes, because it is live. the public here will ask the questions, and who knows what will be said and what will spark or ignite the clamour, the sort of success or failure of the sort of success or failure of the night of course depended on the interaction between the politicians and the audience. a quick word on the audience. how are the chosen?

that is a very complex issue. it is very balanced. it is demographically and politically representative of the area. that is our formula for question time but tonight i think it is even more focused on a national agenda. i know you have a lot to do so agenda. i know you have a lot to do soi agenda. i know you have a lot to do so i will let you get on. so of course all the cameras will be focused on here, but in many ways it is not just focused on here, but in many ways it is notjust the two people performing here that will be the focus, but the questions from the audience. 150 people sitting here, and as we have seen before it is a question from a person sitting here and the response to that that could be making the headlines tomorrow. studio: well, we will find out of course, in the paper review at 10:30pm when jessica and course, in the paper review at 10:30pm whenjessica and anne are still here. jessica, what do you think the leaders need to do tonight? the last time they went

head—to—head, and you couldn't call ita head—to—head, and you couldn't call it a debate because they never saw each other‘s faces, jeremy corbyn did a lot better than people may have expected of him, and i think theresa may played it quite safe. i think the main thing to take away from the last debate, what it took away, neither of them had a real knockout blow, not a real special moment when you could say that was the moment when the won the campaign oi’ the moment when the won the campaign or they threw it away, and i think they will clearly be trying to avoid they will clearly be trying to avoid the latter, but both of them i think will be hoping to land some sort of knockout moment in each of the debates they do. how problematic is that they are not facing each other? iam sure that they are not facing each other? i am sure the audience will give them a tough time. yes, they will, but the format is interesting the way it is. it is interesting given that they did not want to do debates they have never been backed the television, have they? more than east enders! laughter in terms ofjessica's comment on the knockout blow, i've remit a bit differently. i think it is about people in the country watching, way

beyond the audience in the studio, about who will be the next prime minister. going into the last days, all that stuff about a late jeremy corbyn a bit more comedy not as left asi corbyn a bit more comedy not as left as i thought, even though he is, or i don't like theresa may even though she is reliable, but we are not inviting them in for a cup of tea, it is about who will run the country, and i get that is the —— i guess that is what their teams will be focusing on. a bit different from the earlier part, the software shows, where they could just establish themselves as all the people. and jeremy corbyn has had a good week and theresa may not so. there is an opportunity and risk for them both tonight? definitely an opportunity. i thinkjeremy corbyn goes into this having had the easier week. he will be looking not to jeopardise any of the momentum he has gained in the past week by making some sort of terrible gaffe, and this is theresa may's opportunity to try to seize back whatever momentum she has lost in

the last week and really take the initiative going into the final days. i suppose that is what makes question time so exciting. politicians might be able to second—guess what journalists can ask, but not so much members of the public? i think that is very true. i have been out for lots of this campaign, more than i care to reveal on your show! but when i have seen politicians really look like they we re politicians really look like they were grappling, not sure what they we re were grappling, not sure what they were reaching for, it was when somebodyjust said were reaching for, it was when somebody just said something were reaching for, it was when somebodyjust said something that through them off, thinking back to mr blair, being asked about the health service, you don't really care, and that really threw him in a way journalist would care, and that really threw him in a wayjournalist would have gone after the figures, said this is what you said then, but that direct thing, and the public is unpredictable which is what makes it so interesting and i think it is very good they are doing it, even if they don't want to debate each other, i think it will bring out something. don't want to debate each other, i think it will bring out somethinglj think it will bring out somethinglj think as well, parties do prep this kind of thing to the nth degree,

they have their aides standing in for other politicians, pretending to be david dimbleby, but you can't prep for everything. things came up in the last debate with the leaders that theresa may did not anticipate. there was a question about climate change, and a couple of the aides admitted to me in the spin room backstage they had not prepped a question on climate change, perhaps telling in a different way. of course they will have tonight after trump's decision. and that question time leaders special debate with david dimbleby featuring theresa may and jeremy corbyn takes place this evening. there will be full coverage on the bbc news from 8pm and the debate starts at 8:30pm. one of the most important battlegrounds in this election may well be the london suburbs, where labour, the lib dems and the conservatives will all be hoping to pick up crucial seats. and nowhere more so than in

the marginal seatof enfield north. it's currently held by labour, but for in recent years has swung back and forth between them and the conservatives. so what might tip it one way or the other? ayshea buksh has been finding out. it is london's northernmost constituency and come election day in enfield north every vote counts. for many years this seat has swung between labour and the conservatives. at the last election there was just conservatives. at the last election there wasjust 1000 conservatives. at the last election there was just 1000 votes between there was just 1000 votes between the two candidates. both parties will also be trying to woo ukip voters whose candidate last time polled 4000 votes. the labour candidate was first elected when tony blair came to power in 1997. in the last election she took the seat back from the conservative. the hospital was the biggest issue. the labour government under gordon brown side of my plans to downgrade it and in opposition david cameron vowed to save it, but later as conservative prime minister both the maternity and a&e units were closed down. can

local people trust the conservatives on the nhs given what happened with the hospital? i think local people do trust us because they know we are the party in the government that will continue to keep the economy strong to fund those services we need. we are already seeing now that the ccg has effectively got its act together, gp surgeries, we are seeing health care very much on the agenda. my view is no hospital, noel a&e, is currently safe under the tories. there is only a labour government that will protect and properly invest in the nhs is available free at point of use. how will they pay for an? they have made it clear how they will pay for it. do think it is important that the labour party has costed all of its proposals. like many other parts of london, enfield has also seen a rise

in knife cream. as the mp worked to amend the legislation —— knife crime. those in possession of a blade will be given an automatic jail service. we have now had 11 stabbings, three of which were fatal, since april the 1st. we have lost 188 uniformed officers off the streets of enfield since 2010, since the tory government, and in that very same period we have seen a doubling of viole nt very same period we have seen a doubling of violent crime. austerity cuts under the conservatives have not helped. cuts to local youth services, the police force. what would you say about that? firstly, in terms of the police force, when i arranged for the home secretary to, here to enfield two weeks ago we met with the borough commander and he was absolutely clear he has the resources to do the job and he has echoed that sense. here, as in some other seats, ukip have not fielded candidates were pro—brexit candidates were pro—brexit candidates are standing, but that

has not happened here. our ukip still relevant given the conservative support for brexit? very relevant, because theresa may could backslide at any minute. we need to be there to be fully pushing the buttons and be there, a force to be reckoned with, to keep her on her toes. with just a few days of canvassing left, all the candidates running in enfield north will be working hard to get their message across. studio: the liberal democrats and the greens are also standing in enfield north. here's the full list of the candidates. with the election fast approaching, my colleague victoria derbyshire has been organising a series of election blind dates — a lunch between two people with very different political views. today it's the turn of labour'sjess phillips and the conservative'sjohn whittingdale. this is how they got on. music iamjess i am jess phillips and i amjess phillips and i was

i am jess phillips and i was the member of parliament for birmingham yardley and now i am the candidate in that election. i was raised to hit the tories and there are still some i see as the headed monsters. i feel slightly anxious about going to meet somebody, i don't know who it is... i'm john whittingdale, the parliamentary candidate at the moment for maldon essex, some i can fashion to you, i am taking a night off from the election campaign for this. hello, how are you? nice to see you. sit down. sign actually, we have put more money into education. when people stand up at the dispatch box and say there is more money in education, i look around and wonder where it has gone, because it is not on my children's school it is not just it is notjust university education. all the college funding has gone.

there have been cuts. these are things that really matter. again, every problem, yes, you could be spending more money. the problem is in every area you want to spend more money. yes, i want to spend more money. yes, i want to spend more money on the kids in my constituency. yes, but i also want to get the economy to work properly. this tells you, on ridiculous lives we lead, i went to ibiza and all i did, put up a tweet, and it got picked up. sacked culture secretary spends weekends in ibiza. people have this idea that mps are not normal people and we don't enjoy doing the things everybody else e njoys doing the things everybody else enjoys doing. people are always looking at me, you like rock music? as if it is somehow bizarre. looking at me, you like rock music? as if it is somehow bizarrelj looking at me, you like rock music? as if it is somehow bizarre. i was buying something backs the other day my constituency and somebody said, i can't believe you are in wilkinson ‘s! can't believe you are in wilkinson 's! - can't believe you are in wilkinson 's! —— buying some bin bags. i have

to put things in the ben! i don't have people to put things in my bins! we agreed on quite a lot of things but did not agree on how the nation should spend its finances. there was a line in the sand but... that was jess phillips and there was a line in the sand but... that wasjess phillips and the conservative's john whittingdale. you can see the full version of that blind date on the bbc website. a great idea. they turn up and really don't know who they are meeting! it has been quite a week on the campaign trail. the polls apparently began to narrow; theresa may didn't turn up for a tv debate; jeremy corbyn forgot his figures while live on the radio; tim farron said everyone should be watching bake—off; while nigel farage denied the fbi wanted to speak to him and claimed he was the victim of "fa ke news. " so what more can the campaign throw at us as it enters the final straight? let's askjessica let's ask jessica and let's askjessica and anne. what are you looking forward to?

laughter after that what. .. you need a lie down! it is like, the skittles have gone down and... yes, this is the week coming up with people who are not consuming politics by the bucket load thinking, 0k, well i change my vote? well load thinking, 0k, well i change my vote ? well i load thinking, 0k, well i change my vote? well i always do what i did before? have vote? well i always do what i did before ? have i vote? well i always do what i did before? have i changed since the beginning of the campaign? all of this stuff looks very dramatic when you're sitting in westminster village, or maybe you just what a lot of politics on television because you enjoy it but a lot of people are not like that. these are the people the parties need to appeal to and i think in the last week we will see the message honed towards them. it might get a little boring again for that reason but i am taking a bit of a risk... saying that we will have a boring week! that has not turned out to be the case! such an unpredictable election andi case! such an unpredictable election and i think a lot of us journalists,

we thought what a boring election, huge government polls, but it has been very unpredictable. i expect in the last week it will get more predictable, theresa may talking about strong and stable leadership, brexit negotiations... it is all still there. to bring us back to that, but i expect to really focus on that and last week and i expect jeremy corbyn to try to go back to his safe space, if you like, about social justice, his safe space, if you like, about socialjustice, domestic policies, education, the health service. to personal might it be, though?m could get personal to the extent that it theresa may is saying i am the only one who can be trusted with brexit, she can do a positive message, but i think she has underline it and presence. i don't

think she is a politician who is very comparable with a negative message. she likes to think of herself as quite an upright person but i think she needs to take on this new soft jeremy, but i think she needs to take on this new softjeremy, because the corbyn team has done very well by focusing on his qualities and making his own jam and everything, but a lot of the labour members think he's too far to the left, so i think she will go the other way round, saying you are much will go the other way round, saying you are much more will go the other way round, saying you are much more right—wing than you are much more right—wing than you seem you are much more right—wing than you seem and much more the all—party —— not to much older tradition that you pretend. and i wonder what the polls will throw up this weekend. yes, they have been so unpredictable. such a gulf between what some and others are saying. earlier in the week yougov predicted a hung parliament and others are saying the tories are 12 points ahead. no one seems to know what is going on. someone will have egg on theirface. going on. someone will have egg on

their face. yes, they are! never journalists. especially us, we don't have opinions! forgave me for this... we all know politics is a dog—eat—dog world, but what happens when a pooch tries to get into parliament? cbbc‘s hacker t dog has pounding the pavements, and hounding the political establishment, as he tries to find out exactly what it takes to become an mp. guitar riff. so very soon adults in the uk will be voting for who they want as their mp. i thought that stood for meat paste, cocker. free meat paste for everyone! here i am, hacker the dog, at downing street. that's in london, that. but look who's here, cocker — it's my first constituent. yeah, it's larry the cat! i'm here with edwina currie, who used to be an mp. now, where's that newsnight studio... alanjohnson! are you going to help me out with my big plan to be an mp? yeah, i've been known to...

get your shoes on, love! we're going knocking on some doors! knock on the door. let's see if we can get a voter. you did a musical knock them. you did a musical knock then. whose is that grab bag of crisps? they're my favourite crisps, them! i'm standing to be prime minister or something — i want free crisps! i want to get plenty of votes here, edwina currie, so i win the election, right? and become the new king — the king of wigan! yes! hello? oh, newsnight, you say? you'd like me to come on the show and be interviewed about my policies... do your sums add up? no! do yours? mr hacker, this is not about me. it's about the policies that you're taking to the people of the united kingdom for this election? can you get us on dragon's den? speak to me! i'm off to hit the big—time. la la la, la la la... he isa he is a shoo—in, isn't he? especially with that jacket.

he is a shoo—in, isn't he? especially with thatjacket. would you vote for him? i think he's one of those terrifying tv animals. he looks a bit like basil brush. and he does actually have some little political tropes going on, slightly worrying! i think people can run far less competent election campaigns than that! laughter he certainly had evan on his toes. both of you, thank you very much. it's time for a look at the weather forecast. hello. good evening. a bit of a mixed bag through the day—to—day. the weather fronts working eastwards, a few showers and thunderstorms, spells of rain in wales, but some places managed to see some sunshine. a good afternoon in oxfordshire. into the weekend it looks like there should be some good opportunities for getting out and about. some spells of sunshine but

perhaps not for all. scattered showers around as well. this is the satellite sequence, showing the swirl of cloud in the north atlantic pushing this front across the uk. fresher air creeping in from the west. thunderstorms and heavy showers should ease away from the south—east of england but then they could work their way up the eastern coast and there may still be some overnight drifting through parts of northern england and the midlands. still quite warm and humid in the south—eastern corner, 15—16d in london, but fresher, 12, for the rest. into the morning, a few showers lining up towards the bristol channel but dry weather in wales and the southwest first thing. more cloud further east. still one 01’ more cloud further east. still one or two early showers affecting the north—east of england, drifting up towards the north—east of scotland. drierfurther towards the north—east of scotland. drier further west but a few showers in northern ireland and western scotland. central and eastern areas largely dry but grey for eastern scotla nd largely dry but grey for eastern scotland with extensive low cloud and mist. through the day, i think

it will brighten up in the north—east of england. a few showers in wales and down here but most showers in scotland and northern ireland. 17—18d luggage rack. and 22 down here, pleasant enough. —— 17—18 degrees here. most of the showers across scotland and northern ireland. sunday, dry and bright weather for central and eastern areas particularly, but still a few showers to be had in scotland, the odd one for western england and wales. top temperature at this stage about 18—20d. then it will turn pretty wet and windy. lots of isobars around that low pressure so it will be quite windy. we are looking at gales or perhaps something stronger around the coast and hills. there will be fairly extensive rain as well. through the next few days, sunshine and showers taking us through the weekend then

it will turn wet and windy on monday. welcome to york, where in just half an hour's time theresa may and jeremy corbyn will face questions from a studio audience. we're counting down to the start of the bbc question time leaders special. with just six days to polling day, theresa may and jeremy corbyn are gearing up for a special edition of bbc question time. they won't appear at the same time, instead each will take questions separately from a studio audience. we're here in the spin room at the university of york along with commentators, bloggers and party representatives. this is where the battle of the party message will be played out during and after the event.