on the campaign trail. but he has been out and about in bristol. a campaign asset or a ticking time bomb? what about you? and we speak to the human and animal residents of dumfries and galloway to find out whether scottish independence would be a deciding factor in their vote. no coalition of chaos here. we will be getting the pet theories of our panel, stephen bush from the new statesman, and the sun on sunday's dave wooding. let's catch up on the latest developments from the campaign trail today. the liberal democrats have launched their party manifesto in east london. leader tim farron called on voters to support his party and ensure they get a choice about britain's future relationship with europe. i believe that our children will have a brighter future if we are inside the european union. that they will be safer and better off. that our economy will be stronger and our country will have more influence in the world. butjust because i believe that doesn't mean i think people who voted to leave are bad people. of course they're not. wejust disagree. one ofjeremy corbyn‘s key allies, the unite leader len mccluskey, says he is now full of optimism about labour's general election hopes despite saying in an interview he could not see the party winning. it was against the backdrop of if the opinion polls are to be believed that i made those comments. of course since then labour have launched their manifesto, it is a fantastic manifesto. theresa may has brushed aside questions about whether the chancellor philip hammond will keep hisjob if the conservatives win the election. the green party of england and wales is promising free sanitary products for those who cannot afford them. and the pirate party launches its manifesto with a photo op with mi6 in view. it describes itself as a civil liberties party and has fielded ten candidates and will be campaigning for copyright reform, opposing surveillance and fighting for a free and open internet. we are trying to retain a lot of rights, especially human rights, that those before us have enjoyed and it is more a protectionist star, but we would like to see human rights expanded in general. the scottish labour party has suspended all nine members of the labour group in aberdeen for breaching party rules. it comes after labourjoined forces with the conservatives and independents to form a coalition to run the city council. this isn't about positions or gold medals around the necks of councillors, this is about the job labour councillors are elected to do to protect public services, to invest in and defend public services. the deal coming from aberdeen didn't pass that test, that is why it was rejected by the democratic body of the labour party and that is why that must be respected and why we have moved to suspend these councillors. liberal democrat leader tim farron wants to give power back to the people over brexit. that's what he said at the launch of the party's manifesto this evening. it's really obvious when you think about it. someone is going to have the final say over the brexit deal. it could be the politicians or it could be the people. i believe it should be the people. you should have the final say on whether theresa may's brexit deal is right for you and yourfamily in a referendum. and if you don't like that deal, you should have the choice to remain in the european union. with me are our guests david wooding and stephen bush and in a moment we'll talk to them about the manifesto in a bit more detail, but first the liberal democrats have promised to help young people get on the housing ladder and with discounted bus passes. but how will they afford this? the bbc‘s chris morris has been giving the figures a reality check. the biggest revenue raising proposal is to add ip to income tax across—the—board. they estimate it will raise £6.3 billion per year, money they would spend exclusively on the nhs, care services and public health. then they want to reverse cuts in corporation tax, not by nearly as much as labour proposed yesterday, but back up to 20% raising, they say, £3.6 billion annually. there is also an eye—catching proposal to legalise and tax cannabis. the lib dems say this will raise another i billion per year. overall this is a manifesto that will cost the country more. by 2020 the liberal democrats would spend 14.1 billion more in new day—to—day spending than they would raise in taxes. that would mean a small rise in the budget deficit by the end of the decade. but if you strip out the money going into longer—term investments in things like hospitals and roads, they say they would still balance the books. and they want to launch a package of infrastructure investment worth £100 billion, including plans to build 300,000 new homes a year. but the big thing in this manifesto, it's something that sets the lib dems apart from the conservatives and labour, is they want to hold another referendum on brexit. this time the vote wouldn'tjust be in or out, it would be about whether to accept the terms of the deal on offer from the eu at the end of the brexit negotiations in 2019. they will also put the option of staying in the eu on the ballot paper. over the course of the next parliament the biggest factor in determining the health of the british economy and spending will be the outcome of the brexit negotiations. the lib dems say they oppose a hard brexit. there will be a vote on parliament on the proposed deal, but in this manifesto liberal democrats argue it is the british people who should have the final say. some are suggesting the liberal democrats have as much chance of winning the next election as liverpool have of winning the champions league. but there are some eye—catching pledges in this ma nifesto, eye—catching pledges in this manifesto, not least the possibility that the british public would have the opportunity for a final say on brexit. actually, to turn away from brexit, if the final deal is not good enough. the only unique selling point of the lib dems is they are going to be the campaign for the die—hard remainders. they are the only party who will offer you an in and out referendum marked two. the problem with that is that the lib dems are extremely unlikely to get into power and deliver that and people have to weigh that up against what is being dubbed by the conservatives as a coalition of chaos between the snp and the labour party. but also i think more than half the people would vote to leave the eu now if they were given a second referendum. a lot of those who voted to remain did so because of project fear and now they have seen the sky has not fallen in and they would probably vote to leave anyway. i am they would probably vote to leave anyway. iam not they would probably vote to leave anyway. i am not sure how well being the remain party in this general election will work. stephen, they got into a lot of hot water over the decision to back tuition fees after pledging not to in their 2010 ma nifesto. pledging not to in their 2010 manifesto. now they are going after younger voters, helping young people get on the housing ladder, they want to legalise cannabis. they want to push a few things that will attract younger people, but is it going to work? is the toxicity of the whole tuition fee issue one that is too much? that is the big question. we thought from the richmond by—election and the whitney by—election and the whitney by—election that people had forgiven them for the things they did not like about the comic coalition, but i'iow like about the comic coalition, but now we are looking at the local elections and the polls and it seems people are not perhaps ready to give the lib dems a second go. but we are not too sure and it is difficult to say one way or another. now the unite leader len mccluskey insists he is "now full of optimism" about labour's general election hopes despite saying in an interview he could not see the party winning. the union boss had told politico a labour victory would be "extraordinary" and suggested winning just 200 seats would be a "successful" result. the interview i did with politico was a conversational piece and it was against the backdrop of if the opinion polls are to be believed that i made those comments. of course since then labour have launched their manifesto, it is a fantastic manifesto, a manifesto for workers, ordinary working people, a manifesto that will change britain for the good and the response that we have had from unite members has been incredible. that is why i was checking our polls that we did, constant rolling polls, and the response has been like something we have never seen before. so i am now full of optimism. if i was having an interview today, i wouldn't be making those comments. now one of the most interesting places to watch on general election night could be dewsbury in west yorkshire. it's also one of the most unusual constituencies, taking in rural villages and the very diverse areas around dewsbury town centre. the seat has changed hands several times over the past ten years flip—flopping between labour and the conservatives. flip—flopping between labour and the conservatives. emma glasbey reports. there can be few constituencies more diverse than this one. 0n the outskirts of dewsbury town centre is the largely muslim community of savile town. do you know who you might vote for? labour. probably for labour. why labour? ijust tend to think they probably do more for the working class. i am thinking of voting for labour because ofjeremy corbyn. ilike him. because you like him? yes. i like the way... he seems like a genuine guy. i would just kind of like that whoever is interested in a family tell me who to vote for! but even those who do not feel passionately about the politics certainly feel passionately about the issues. education is one thing i am concerned about, it is the local issues that are important, the fact the health service is changing, the fact we are losing a hospital, the fact we may lose a library in the area, the fact they are wanting to build on what is supposed to be green belt. but yet you want to stick with a conservative government? i am not quite sure what the difference would be if i voted for labour. i also feel very strongly about the north — south divide. i think there needs to be much more realisation that we exist up here. of course although many of these women might be voting conservative, the village they live in does have plenty of labour supporters. it seems this constituency really could go either way. here is the full list of candidates standing in that constituency. let's ta ke standing in that constituency. let's take the pulse of the labour party. len mccluskey, yesterday he said they would be rubbish in the election, 200 seats would be seen as a victory, that is losing more than 30. today he says they could win. what is going on? it is the usual len mccluskey dance. don't forget that trade union bill eden is our elected politicians who need to balance their own voting interests. he came very close to being defeated bya he came very close to being defeated by a candidate who did not have much time forjeremy corbyn so is trying to have his cake and eat it. he is saying things are not good, hinting by saying 200 seats, ifjeremy can't get that he might be out. today he is giving something to his left by saying the manifesto is great. len isa saying the manifesto is great. len is a politician, he is acting like any politician would. dave, that is any politician would. dave, that is a hostage to fortune? it isa it is a bit of managing expectations. they always go below what they think it might be so that when they get more it looks good. if he does under 200 seats, it is even worse for them. stephen, do you believe that the clear plan now, barring a wipe—out, is forjeremy corbyn to stay on? yes, the leadership... no question about it? there is no doubt in my mind. some believe they can turn it around and go on to win, but you do not give up the keys to the castle willingly is they're lying. but people are underestimating lent when he thinks that labour will get 200. i would be very worried if i was in the leader's office and i was seeing len mccluskey say, you have got to get 200 to be a success. i do not believe for a moment len mccluskey believes they are on course to get 200 seats, so i thinkjeremy corbyn will find it harder to stay leader. so the unions are the power brokers. if len mccluskey says, sorry, jeremy, that is it? do not forget that len mccluskey is from the same ha rd left that len mccluskey is from the same hard left wing of the party as jeremy corbyn and he has been even described as his puppet master. he isa described as his puppet master. he is a big backerand described as his puppet master. he is a big backer and so if he loses len mccluskey, then the sound will be shifting from underneath his feet. 0k, be shifting from underneath his feet. ok, let's move on. ok, let's move on. meanwhile, on the eve of the launch of the conservative party manifesto, the chancellor philip hammond has sought to play down reports of a rift with theresa may and her team of advisers. he dismissd it as "media tittle tattle". look, we work very closely together. the prime minister and i have known each other for many years. we work closely together, she has got an extremely strong team around town andi extremely strong team around town and i work very closely with her tea m and i work very closely with her team and some of them are people i have known for many years. we do work very well together as a team. there is all this media to do that and it is just that, there is all this media to do that and it isjust that, media there is all this media to do that and it is just that, media tittle tattle. sharp analysis. noted all tattle. sharp analysis. noted all tattle on the election wrap. noted all tattle on the election wrap. now we've not really seen or heard much from the foreign secretary this week but there's been criticism of borisjohnson after an uncomfortable election campaign stop in bristol. he was taken to task for talking about boosting sales of alcohol while in a sikh gudwara. members of the community were also unhappy with other aspects of the foreign secretary's visit. but mrjohnson has since apologised for the unfortunate incident. i think if i remember correctly, she said she had some personal experience of alcohol abuse within herfamily. i experience of alcohol abuse within her family. i said experience of alcohol abuse within herfamily. isaid i experience of alcohol abuse within herfamily. i said i was sorry experience of alcohol abuse within her family. i said i was sorry to hear about that will stop that was the issue. this is not the first time that borisjohnson has done or said something that has caused controversy or embarrassment. let's remind ourselves of some of his greatest hits...and misses. here's the then mayor of london hanging around near the olympic park in east london. don't think he made the team though — not sure of his technique. another team he won't be making is the british lions — here is on a trade visit to japan — talk about picking on someone not your own size. and credited with winning the brexit vote by many, here he is milking it at an cattle auctioneers in lancashire. david, are they hiding boris? well, this campaign has been completely dominated by theresa may. they are hiding the party! yes, but boris is high risk, but he is also box office. you put boris out there and he attracts a crowd. he is probably the biggest crowd puller of any of the biggest crowd puller of any of the cabinet. getting him out there, they like him. even traditional labour voters like him. they are prepared to forgive him for the gaffes. but he is a risk. some are suggesting he is a risk. the flip side for labour is that they are all too happy to talk about the party and not aboutjeremy corbyn. too happy to talk about the party and not about jeremy corbynm too happy to talk about the party and not about jeremy corbyn. if you have got a popular leader, you put them out front, if not you talk about your brand. boris is a bit of an appendix. an appendage. no, an appendix. he should be cut out? david cameron could not reach out to the country and theresa may is hugely popular, which means what is the point boris johnson hugely popular, which means what is the point borisjohnson in an election campaign when you have got a conservative leader who a great number of people seem to like great deal. how are philip hammond and theresa may getting on? the suggestion is it is not very good. i have been involved in this tittle tattle over the last few years. you have to stop it. it is no secret they do not really see eye to eye. he lives next door and he does not get into the half past eight downing st meetings which george osborne used to go into when david cameron was prime minister. he says he is happy with that and he has got a direct line to the prime minister. but there has been some friction over things he has said about the economy, he wants more wriggle room in the economy, and there have been arguments over taxation policy. this little slip, you talk about boris making a gaffe, but philip hammond made a gaffe by saying sometimes he is reduced to swearing when he is dealing with him and tittle tattle was the case when len mccluskey was hosing down his own outspoken gaffe. is it because they do not see eye to eye philosophically about the way to reza make this taking the party, perhaps a little bit more interventionist, a bigger role of the state, cutting back on private enterprise? that kind of classic tory thing, or is it also to do with brexit, that philip hammond is not pushing in any way for any kind of ha rd pushing in any way for any kind of hard brexit. and theresa may say thatis hard brexit. and theresa may say that is the way forward? it is both. the role of the treasury and the government is in many ways the wea kest government is in many ways the weakest it has been under theresa may and it is partly about that institutional friction as well. eddie price is continuing her tour of the uk with lots of balls, speaking to voters about what really matters to them. she asked people in the snp held constituency of de vries and galloway if the issue of scottish independence is a crucial issue for them in the forthcoming general election, with some interesting results. dashed dumfries. i am interesting results. dashed dumfries. iam proud interesting results. dashed dumfries. i am proud to be scottish. iam very dumfries. i am proud to be scottish. i am very proud to be british and i am very proud to be european and you can't have all of them. what about you? school, educating, nhs, things like that. not independence? no. i ama like that. not independence? no. i am a staunch campaigner for the union andl am a staunch campaigner for the union and i will be voting conservative to remain as part of that. why yes? i am voting independence and i have always voted yes. the election, if it included a yes. the election, if it included a yes or yes. the election, if it included a yes 01’ no yes. the election, if it included a yes or no vote for independence, i would vote that way. it is not about independence for me. what is it about? who would be best running this country. i have believed in independence all my life, so i will not vote for anyone else except snp. ido not vote for anyone else except snp. i do not want independence, i do not think anyone in scotland should either. dumfries and galloway, make some noise. thank you very much. would you like one? oh! noise. thank you very much. would you like one? 0h! nicola sturgeon is just hell—bent on independence. you like one? 0h! nicola sturgeon is just hell-bent on independence. you wa nt to just hell-bent on independence. you want to bow to make sure she cannot have that? yes. what is the most important issue in this election? have that? yes. what is the most important issue in this election7m would be brexit. scottish independence is not a burning issue? definitely not. what is? helping the working class. i think this must be the first in our history, i verified dead heat in the mood box. thank you, dumfries and galloway and thank you, dumfries and galloway and thank you robbie burns. ellie and her balls. there are several other different kinds of chocolate bars that you can get from all kinds of confectioners. a little bit of a health warning. anyway... this is a crucial issue for the scottish nationalists because the whole idea of a second independence referendum, if that plays against them, they are in trouble. yes and them, they are in trouble. yes and the conservatives are unusually making big gains in the polls in scotla nd making big gains in the polls in scotland and there are suggestions they could win five or more seats up there. if that happens, that will give more strength to theresa may's hands to say you will not have another referendum on independence. but like the lib dems were remain is a big selling point for them, just most people voted to leave, so how good a unique selling point is it in the same weight for the snp, independence. most peoplejust the same weight for the snp, independence. most people just voted to remain in the united kingdom. she is playing to just half of the audience. our voters in scotland looking at the record of the snp in scotland, rather than looking at the slightly higher issues some would argue of the referendum and the role of westminster in scottish politics? i think people have always looked at the record of the snp and that is why they won in 2011. they are quite good at running scotland. but they have been npower for a decade. think about how labour looked when tony blair had been in power. we kind of expect the snp to be a bit mouldy. they are doing quite well for a government that has been in that long. but it is still not as good as they would ideally like. it looks like a straight fight between the conservatives. it is difficult for them. we will leave it there. it is good to see you. i am sure we will be seeing you over the next three weeks. we will be back with more from the campaign trail tomorrow at 7:30pm. goodbye. time for the latest weather update. you wait weeks for a proper rain to come and you get lots of it. one of the wettest places is in lincolnshire, not far away where this picture was taken. there was about a0 millimetres at the last count and that is nearly one month's worth of rain in the last 2a hours. it has been a wet but a cool day and the rain is slipping its weight eastwards. north—west england and wales have not got rain in the past few hours. overnight the last of the rain clears off into the north sea and we will hold onto the odd shower in wales and west of england, but most of us will stay dry. chillier than this in rural spots. down to single figures for some. any early cloud will clear to sunshine tomorrow. most places will start with a bright blue sky, but the showers will get going in northern ireland and there will be slow—moving, thundery downpours in places. this is four o'clock in the afternoon. a drier day in the channel islands. a few hit and miss showers inland. south—east england and east anglia feeling fresher. maybe a passing shower in the midlands later. catch a shower in wales and northern ireland in the afternoon and there could be some heavy ones. the most frequent and heavy ones. the most frequent and heavy showers will be in northern ireland and northern scotland. a few of these showers continue into thursday evening, but on thursday night there is another area of low pressure. but on friday this may push further across the uk, across the north of england and into scotland, giving wetter weather for some time. keep following for updates on that. if you do not get the rain from that, it will be sunshine and showers and with low pressure over the weekend, sunshine and showers are the potential for some in scotland. to sum up the weekend, if you get rid of that rain early on, there will be sunshine and showers and fresh feeling dazed and quite chilly at night. if you have got outdoor plans, follow the forecast closely at our website. hello, i'm ros atkins, this is outside source. the pressure is mounting on donald trump as he faces the most serious allegations of his presidency. he's accused of trying to stop an fbi investigation into links between his former national security advisor and russia. but the president has come out fighting. no politician in history — and i say this with great surety — has been treated worse or more unfairly. leading democrats are now demanding an independent commission into the trump team's links with russia. and that's not all. translation: we are prepared to provide the senate and the us congress with a transcipt of the conversation between our foreign minister and president trump.