Hello, election cast, welcome to the latest episode for daily election podcast, electioncast. It has been a busy one of the campaign trail today, looks to get through it i will be going through it all with laura, our Political Editor and chris mason, Political Correspondent who tonight, much of the day, for them was spent in a nightclub in north london because that is where the liberal democrat leader unveiled her partys the liberal democrat leader unveiled her pa rtys manifesto the liberal democrat leader unveiled her partys manifesto on 90 pages of it. For the first thing we discussed was borisjohnson, it. For the first thing we discussed was Boris Johnson, the it. For the first thing we discussed was borisjohnson, the Prime Minister, seeming to blurt out a centrepiece tory policy that had not been announced yet. It was all about National Insurance and the threshold with which you start paying National Insurance and what comes out of your pay packet and the reason he blurted it out, was thanks to somebody called claire cartledge who was a worker at, i am called claire cartledge who was a worker at, iam not called claire cartledge who was a worker at, i am not sure with the factory was. The Prime Minister was visiting and she had the question. The taxes for people like you or People Like Us . Low taxes for the working people. And if you look at what were doing and i said in the la st what were doing and i said in the last few days, we are going to be cutting National Insurance up to 12,000, we are going to make sure what to cut Business Rates for small businesses, where cutting taxes for working people stop byjust to be clear, National Insurance contributions you currently pay 12 , we re contributions you currently pay 1296, were borisjohnson saying that eventually that threshold at which a start paying you 12 will go up to about £12,500, that is an aspiration and next year, it will start going up and next year, it will start going up to £9,500, saving the average worker about £100 a year initially. What you make of this information and what it means . The big picture is that it is a small but universal tax cut, basically. It is a tax cut that in the immediately will affect millions of people, but it is a small tax cut to start with. It is a really big policy and we do not know whether or not they meant to drop it at the moment. How it had a hint of falling out of his mouth rather than thinking this that they were definitely going to say it in the big picture since we kind of knew that this was the direction that they want to go in for Boris Johnson said in the past. It is not a giant suppress that they would wa nt to a giant suppress that they would want to do that the things that we saw might be quite likely surprise. Still days away from the Tory Party Manifesto and could it be a slight tactic to get in talking about the the tory manifesto a few daysin about the the tory manifesto a few days in advance which is tomorrow . May be, but we are often in conspiracies about this. But it would affect loads of people and it isa would affect loads of people and it is a really strong signal from the tory party, for everybody from low earners up tory party, for everybody from low earners up and therefore, they will use that as a way to blunt the attacks of labour that they want to give loads of free cash back to billionaires. And Boris Johnson, the way she has been talking about this, 110w way she has been talking about this, now that he is talking about this is that it will save everyone £500 a year, that is only the final saving once the threshold goes up to £12,500, which could be several, several years away and another thing i want to point out as you can to the tory party loving the symmetry of the message at the start of the week, borisjohnson says that i am not to cut Corporation Tax like we wa nted not to cut Corporation Tax like we wanted to. You know what im going to do instead . Cut National Security contributions forever everyone that goes to work every day which is a very neat political framing. Goes to work every day which is a very neat political framingm goes to work every day which is a very neat political framing. It does not adhere to the stereotype about looking after the rich and big business in these examples from earlier in the week, these cases that prove the opposite. And what is going on the selection that is been going on the selection that is been going on, it is nice to get a majority and they have to win seats that they have never won. They are hopeful of winning another seat in the northeast of england want to scoop up others because they did not start with a majority and second of all, they are expecting to lose some of the places that have remained constituencies. So if they were not going into this with good retail offers, we should not say that. Something is really awfuljargon and then use it anyway. So the good retail offer, and hes little bit of jargon, hard working families, will they be doing . What gear do they have left the manifesto . That thought that if, there are some seats that they can lose, either remain seats or in scotland, but they have to lose two to go one for they have to lose two to go one for the many to go quite a few forward to get the majority. And that is why regardless of where they are, they are not thinking that been talking toa are not thinking that been talking to a lot of people in the campaign was 48 hours or so about where they think they are at the National Parties put them ahead polls put them ahead. But i really dont think that. Chris morris from bbc reality check. Not in a he is on the balcony of news will be like to see them regularly and we are going to talk about the liberal democrat manifesto unveiled a couple of hours ago and that area byjo swinson. Her big messages that the liberal democrats want to stop brexit and here is how she put it. We have wasted the past three and a half years talking about brexit. I am pursuing a path that we know will make all of these problems worse. There is no formal brexit theyll be good for the future of our country. It will put ourjobs at risk, heard her nhs, reduce our environmental protections, threatened workers rights, and make us all less safe. Whether it is done by borisjohnson oi whether it is done by borisjohnson orJeremy Corbyn, theyre both gambling with your future. What do you make of whatjo swinson was saying today, the important ta keaways . Saying today, the important takeaways . It is a really Ambitious Programme beyond brexit, number two, really interestingly, theyre the only party that are trying to play the debt down. Because the last time around, the debt down. Because the last time around , everyone the debt down. Because the last time around, everyone wanted others to do that, and in 2015 it was more of a virility contest and after that, they also said that they would raise taxes, they would not do itjust by cutting but i would say this, but is also fascinating to me is i think we have seen the start of the pivot from the lib dems, we know theyre being squeezed and shes very different language we talk about the possibility of shying away of what she is saying, really born a couple weeks ago, i am static you to be Prime Minister right now she is standing to deny borisjohnson a majority of them were fascinatingly, i kept asking her about parliament and she would not say that she would block either borisjohnson orJeremy Corbyn. Why would that be, chris . 0ne corbyn. Why would that be, chris . One little nugget as well, one point that a colleague is making this morning on the detail about debt and ensuring that debt is a National Income clause, to meet the intriguing point that if the situation where labour was the Biggest Party in the balance of power, we know thatjo Biggest Party in the balance of power, we know that jo swinson said aboutjeremy power, we know that jo swinson said about Jeremy Corbyn and him not being Prime Minister. Thinking a few steps ahead here, a match of that situation, we had a different labour leader with all that about nationalization, debt and all the stuff being treated with negotiations, and what is really fascinating is i have talked to a lot of people and when it can stop standing on the queen speech, whether it is borisjohnson or Jeremy Corbyn on referendum. What would that mean for the election was make a new government basically has to do one thing, to prove that they area to do one thing, to prove that they are a government. If they do not have the seats necessary, they need other parties. Whenever things the lib dems make contemplate is whether it isJeremy Corbyn or borisjohnson as if they got another referendum out of it. It is unlikely that Boris Johnson would, but it is very likely thatJeremy Corbyn would offer them that. And in the interview they said look, this means that she might work with Jeremy Corbyn. And buy at the start, the very first electioncast, jo swinson used a very weird phrasing thing that the liberal democrats would not put them into Jeremy Corbyn would not put Jeremy Corbyn would not put Jeremy Corbyn would not put Jeremy Corbyn into the seat of power. If she said she stuck to the formulation back and forth but marvellous interviews. Chris, youre waiting very patiently. I have my table of the lib dem costing and spending in loads of various corbels they cannot make out what i meant. What are the big numbers that you wa nted what are the big numbers that you wanted to pull out for us . Childcare is really interesting one because we dont often look at the policies and say theyre going to spend a bit more on this and that, this is a policy where we do not know what labour is precisely going to say but it is putting some blue water in there because the lib dems, as we heard from jo swinson, to get Free Childcare if youre working at the age of nine months, but all children at the age of two until they go to school, but he doesnt play for, theyll be an extra £13 billion a year and theyll be an extra £13 billion a yearand spending on theyll be an extra £13 billion a year and spending on childcare above her current Government Spending plans and that is notjust her current Government Spending plans and that is not just a her current Government Spending plans and that is notjust a bit more, its nearly four and a half times more in current government plans, it is a pretty bored spending pledge and something which clearly might attract people who have young kids and the evidence is mixed, the point would be if we do have the Free Childcare, new mums of the end of parental leave want to go to work quickly and find it easier to do so, it is mixed as to whether the provision of childcare actually enables people to get back into the workforce more successfully. Let us see howjo workforce more successfully. Let us see how jo swinson workforce more successfully. Let us see howjo swinson try to sell a policy. That is why we, liberal democrats, will help parents going back to work with free high quality Child Health Care and their first year of school. 35 48 weeks a year. Another big number on the paper is the remaining bonus, which they saved by the year 2024, 2025, will be raking in14 saved by the year 2024, 2025, will be raking in 14 billion a year. We know they want to stop brexit, that very clear. Theyll be more money to spend on Public Services because the economy will be bigger most economists agree with that premise that the economy will be bigger if we stay in for the first few years, but then you get all of the Health Warnings about forecasts. It is not a definite number that putting a figure like that in five years times, who knows what is going to happen to the World Economy and the time. There will be some criticism saying yes, you can say youre being careful your calculations, but theres a huge amount of uncertainty about forecasting how much money you will have if you stay in the European Union as opposed to leaving. That is on the big things they are relying on, along with a range of tax increases, penny and income tax, a rising Corporation Tax and then some weird tax rises like for example, wanting to double the aviation Passenger Duty even though they wanted to cut it if you only took a couple of flights a year. So it looks like a pretty stinking tax for all those frequent flyers. It sounds like bad news, but in this newsroom , sounds like bad news, but in this newsroom, checking numbers. Go forward , newsroom, checking numbers. Go forward, i never fly anywhere any more. Train. Four and relax after a long days fact check, you want to smoke some legal cannabis. Recreational drugs are available. But i would rake and 1. 5 billion in cannabis duty from legalized cannabis duty from legalized cannabis from the liberal democrats. The other one that appears in everybodys manifest the other one that appears in eve rybodys manifest is the other one that appears in everybodys manifest is the 5 billion quid from cracking down on tax avoidance. How are they going to do that . Which taxes . Was going to stop avoiding them . Theyll be most manifestos and you have to take it with a pinch of salt. And because we are ina with a pinch of salt. And because we are in a battle. Theyd never before, and ive never heard the news saying it is a bit harder than it looks because people with really amazing accountants find new, amazing accountants find new, amazing reasons and then we go, that was a big surprise. Chris mason, you have read all of them that manifest, you been waving it around since 11 oclock this morning. Even though it was not published until later. What other thingsjumped was not published until later. What other things jumped out at you from looking through it . Every page you turn to us the word brexit and National Humiliation is a phrase thatis National Humiliation is a phrase that is used in the introduction, but it is actually 12 pages in. It put so much at risk and what is striking is you look through it, it has this theme that runs throughout and they talk about Renewable Energy and they talk about Renewable Energy and generated from renewable sources by2030, and generated from renewable sources by 2030, just 1p on income tax for the nhs, which is an old lib dem favourite going back generation. Coming back to this thing that we are so coming back to this thing that we are so frequently at the moment about physical health and quite a big idea on investment and commitment to that. But everywhere you look in this manifesto, the central thing on this front cover and stopping brexit is the argument that they say that that creates a great remainder the that they say that that creates a great remainderthe eu that they say that that creates a great remainder the eu allows for growth and any leave option in the Economic Forecast that suggests that. Also electrify the entire real networking about 25 years time and you seen networking about 25 years time and you seen how difficult it is electrifying bits that have been cancelled in the past few years, that seems very ambitious as well and it is a huge document with a lot of stuff in there. Whether it is extending Free School Meals and getting rid of policing crime commissioners, restoring grants and University Students from low income backgrounds and doing a potential review of tuition fees and stuff about universal credit, also the stuff in there and it is about 90 pages, which makes you wonder why did they go through all the effort of coming with the policy of 90 pages with the stuff with their backing away from the idea of them ever being in the government. Remember, parties, they are trying to appeal to the public, but theyve also got activists and stakeholders, to use another term. You cantjust be silent, well, you can. But you cannot be silent on policy, the lib dems are a Political Party that ta kes dems are a Political Party that takes policy very seriously. And very savvy about it. Sometimes to their detriment. And theyre very focused on policy. Canine welfare, they have not had a policy of the ma nifesto. They have not had a policy of the manifesto. I am a big fan of canine welfare, by the way. Can i ask a question at the candidates. These ma nifestos question at the candidates. These manifestos do come on the mid morning and yet the launches at five oclock in the afternoon. It was that all about . The timing was unconventional. They have done it before, the lib dems stopped alike to get people after work, they have fewer members and so it is harder for them, they are more members now than theyve had for ages, but they have fewer members that at the drop ofa have fewer members that at the drop of a hat can. It certainly felt that way. What was happening last night was nigel faraj was out with bruce because there was the first of the special question time programmes with the main party members, they we re with the main party members, they were talking for about half an hour to ta ke were talking for about half an hour to take questions from the audience, one of which was the brexit party but is instead for other than brexit . And it turns out it is rather quite a lot of constitutional reform. What do the brexit . Abolition of the house of lords, where we dont have a binary choice between two minority parties, what a farce that is. Politics are you say, if you do not think we are very good, look at the other bloke. If politics were to stand up for what we believe in and people voted accordingly. I would scrap the current postal voting register and go back to post defaults being for the elderly inform or working abroad. Some of the things jo swinson was saying the same things and because it was nigel farage and it was the brexit party, it was a bit of the ding dong. Here is the one that was with the audience last night. It really bothers me that you label yourself as a unique and different from other politicians because actually, you are a man of wealth and privilege, you are a privately educated x banker. |j wealth and privilege, you are a privately educated x banker. I have never worked with the bank in all my life. In 2009, you posted that you had received £2 million in taxpayers money to support you and in 2014, you wrongly did not declare over £200,000 worth of gifts that you have received in your role with a background like that, how on earth can you understand what it is like for the 14 Million People of this country who are currently living in poverty and the poverty is caused by austerity and it is not about immigration or the eu, it is about austerity and people are angry because the government is made a conscious decision to cut the funding to Public Services. That is made them angry and what you have done really well is that you have swooped in and exploited that anger. And therell be plenty more leaders talking in question time on friday because we are going to see Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn, jo swinson, getting a similar kind of grilling from members of the public as well and those question time Public Forums have been quite influential in giving us some quite good election moments. And we will bring all of the best bits of the election cast and another controversy was the podcast on bbc sound so any day you want. No different than the one you get on tv. Beyond the controversy was the conservatives renaming their twitter feed fact checked uk. They have not apologise for the in those very controversial and they say theyre completely entitled to fact check with abor sing and you can tell that it was a conservative party thing that was going on there. The foreign secretary was on brea kfast the foreign secretary was on breakfast news this morning saying who cares about all that social media post of social media fight backin media post of social media fight back in one of the trending hashtags was hashtag Chris Dominic and people we re was hashtag Chris Dominic and people were wishing for bad things to happen to him as a result of his cavalier attitude, i wonder what sort of Fact Checking and social media shenanigans will be in store tomorrow for the manifesto lodge in the big question luncheon friday and the big question luncheon friday and the tory manifesto launch in the week and we will cover it all here on hashtag electioncast. Thank you for joining on hashtag electioncast. Thank you forjoining us. On hashtag electioncast. Thank you for joining us. Goodbye. Hello again. Theres been quite a cloudy day for many areas in the uk but particularly across Western Areas where they have seen a bit of rain at times. While the weather was largely dry in the hills here, you can see we did have a fair layer of clouds that ploughed across Western Areas retired in with an area spinning west to the uk and in the last couple of days or so, the reason what it stood there was because in the east can be of High Pressure removing, so it will be slow moving in our neighbourhood. Overnight tonight, well trying to keep us rather cloudy conditions in new ten to become confined to cornwall as a go to the night and there could be a few showers as well in eastern areas of scotland but for most it is a cloudy night with temperatures to six celsius and a touch of frost where we will see any link the clear brakes, but not exclusively in scotland. Fairly cloud weather, with an easterly direction, most of the rain away from Northern Ireland and we will be bringing in some cooler air here so much chillier day, eastern scotland with patches of low cloud with a bit of drizzle around the hills. For most, cloudy with a few bright spells north inward and scott were not doing too badly. For fridays weather picture, we could see an area of rain developing across northern scotland. The weather is not been to wet here recently, so thatis not been to wet here recently, so that is not a cause for concern but if you do see some heavier rain working in the south west england, they could potentially cause a few issues later on the day. For many though, another cloudy day coming up with the occasional bright or sunny spells. The start of the weekend looks like this with low pressure moving in off the atlantic, this one looks like it is going be bringing a zone of heavy rain with it, so we could see some surface water flooding issues, given that the ground is completely saturated. Distinguish from the front of the scotland, temperatures rising a little bit with heights up to 10 degrees across southern parts of england and wales, so feeling a little bit milder here. Second half of the weekend, very uncertain but some models pushing them but if you do see some heavier rain working in the south west england, they could potentially cause a few issues later on the day. For many though, another cloudy day coming up with occasional bright or sunny spells. The start to the weekend looks like this of low pressure moving enough the atlantic, this looks like it is going be bringing a zone of heavy rain with it, so we could see some surface water flooding issues, it, so we could see some surface waterflooding issues, given that the ground is completely saturated. Distinguish from the front of the scotland, temperatures rising a little bit with heights up to 10 degrees across southern parts of england and wales, so feeling a little bit milder here. Second half of the weekend, very uncertain with some models pushing them with areas of low pressure because england and wales and others across scotland and Northern Ireland but stay tuned, the forecasted change of the next few days. Look of the outside source. Prince entrance analyses to be there from royal duties saying his association with Jeffrey Epstein royal duties saying his association withJeffrey Epstein scandal has become a major disruption to the royal family. This posted become a major disruption to the royalfamily. This posted interview with the bbc in which he was criticised for lack of empathy with epsteins victims and for saying he didnt regret his friendship with him. A key witness in the picture inquiry in washington says the white house did link policy towards ukraine with investigating the president s rivals. Was there ape quid pro quo . As i testified previously with regard to the requested white house call and the meeting, the answer is yes