Today marked 16 days until the election (not that we're counting), and what a day it's been.

The morning kicked-off with Labour leader Keir Starmer taking questions from the public during a phone-in on LBC, in which he didn't rule out changes to council tax if his party was to win the election. You can read more about that – and some other key moments from the programme – in our earlier post here.

It will be Rishi Sunak's turn to take questions in the morning, and we'll be bringing you updates here.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay was also on the media round this morning, telling the BBC his party would keep Labour "honest" if they won the 4 July election.

We also had another manifesto launch – this time from Scottish Labour, whose leader Anas Sarwar unveiled the party's pledges in Edinburgh.

And in the last few hours, we brought you live updates from a seven-way debate on Channel 4, which saw the Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, SNP, Greens, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru clash over issues such as crime, climate change and migration.

We're going to pause our coverage in the next few minutes, but before we go, I'll leave you with one last reminder that the deadline to register to vote in the 4 July election is 23:59 BST tonight. Registering only takes around five minutes if you do it online through this form., external

We'll be back here tomorrow morning for more – we hope to see you then.

Image source, .

Earlier we brought you the news that billionaire John Caudwell, a former Conservative donor, told BBC political editor Chris Mason that he will vote Labour for the first time in his life on 4 July.

You can hear Chris discuss the story and the impact it could have on voters with host Adam Fleming in the latest episode of Electioncast.

But that's not all. BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring tells Adam about the UK undercover voters – fictional social media accounts created to investigate what content is recommended to different types of voters in the UK.

You can listen here.

I’ve been in Stoke, speaking to young people about whether they have registered to vote – and why.

Jackson Prior is one of those who has before the deadline, saying: “It’s important to get young people’s voices heard”.

As a transgender man, he says he wants to make sure he is represented.

“A lot in the country is going against us,” Jackson, 27, tells Newsbeat. “I think it’s important for people like me to make sure they’re heard.”

Jackson adds it’s up to voters to “make sure the country goes in a better direction” in future.

Morgan Hughes also tells Newsbeat he registered to vote last night.

The 20-year-old says “it’s important to make sure you get your say”.

“Everyone gets their point across. Different parties have strong points and weaknesses.

“I think it's quite important for them to focus on what the people want, rather than what they want," he adds.

We've just brought you a flurry of updates and analysis from Channel 4's seven-way election debate, but if you missed it, fear not – let us bring you up to speed:

• Representatives from the Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, SNP, Greens, Reform and Plaid Cymru clashed over climate change, migration and stop-and-search in the debate on Channel 4

• The SNP and Plaid Cymru blamed Brexit for labour shortages, while the Liberal Democrats said the country has a skills shortage
• On violence against women and girls, the Conservatives said they would make sure victims get to provide evidence quickly, while Labour said the UK needs more specialist rape courts set up. Reform UK said the country needs a proper criminal justice system
• Away from the debate, Sir Keir Starmer didn't rule out changes to council tax under a Labour government during a phone-in on LBC earlier today
• Meanwhile, former prime minister Boris Johnson is working with Rishi Sunak on sending out letters of support to some candidates. Sunak says Johnson's support would "make a difference"
• Scottish Labour launched its manifesto today, in which its leader Anas Sarwar said the party would prioritise economic stability and growing the economy
• Speaking in Hampshire, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey claimed a “divided” Conservative Party would “fail in opposition” having “failed in government”
• On a visit to Oban, SNP leader John Swinney urged Labour to commit to abolishing the two-child benefit cap

Now seems like a good time to remind you that the deadline to register to vote in the 4 July general election is 23:59 BST tonight.

Registering only takes around five minutes if you do it online. It’s the same whether you plan to vote in person at a polling station, by post, or through a proxy voter.

Go to the gov.uk website and fill out the form, external. You'll need your National Insurance number or another form of ID, and current address details to hand. You can also register by sending a form to your local electoral office, external.

You can read our explainer on how to register here.

No evidence for Tice claim about returning migrants to Francepublished at 20:40 18 June

20:40 18 June

Speaking about small boat migrants in the Channel 4 debate, Reform UK’s Richard Tice said: “We’ve got to pick people up, out of the boats and take them back to France”.

When challenged, he went on to say “we’re entitled to do that”.

Tice has claimed before that the UK is “legally entitled” to do this, but there’s no evidence that it would be as straightforward as he claims.

International maritime law does allow for states to pick people up when they are considered to be in danger, but it does not state that they can be unilaterally taken back to France.

BBC Verify spoke to two maritime lawyers who said this could only happen if there was a prior agreement with the French to return them.

There is no such agreement.

Tice has insisted that “my own lawyers have advised me” that it would be legal.

We have asked to see this advice, but his office has not responded.

Has violent crime fallen by 44%?published at 20:25 18 June

20:25 18 June

By Lucy Gilder

At the Channel 4 debate on crime and immigration, policing minister Chris Philp claimed violent crime had fallen 44%.

This is right according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, external, the preferred measure of long-term crime trends.

In the year ending March 2010 – the period just before the Conservatives came to power – the survey recorded 1.8 million incidents of violent crime but the latest figures show just over a million incidents.

But these figures do not include sexual offences, which have risen since 2010 according to the crime survey, external.

The last question we're bringing you from the Channel 4 debate is about the climate crisis, and whether the parties think it will be the main driver of immigration in the future.

• For Plaid Cymru, ap Iorwerth says "absolutely", adding that we're already seeing the impact of climate change
• For Reform UK, Tice says it's important to create economic growth in developing nations to reduce pressure on migration
• The SNP's Brown talks about inequality of resources, and says to have influence on that you need moral authority and that the level of trust in the UK has diminished
• Philp, of the Conservatives, says talks about the need for peace and prosperity. He says the UK can promote prosperity through trade

An audience member asks the Channel 4 debate panel how the UK would ensure its foreign policy doesn't have a negative impact on migration.

• The Liberal Democrat's Cooper says the country's reputation on the world stage has been "trashed", adding that the UK needs to work with its allies
• Plaid Cymru's leader tells the audience that many people come to the UK because of the English language connection and the years of the British Empire that forged those connections
• The Greens' Denyer says her party would increase the government's aid budget, take a proactive role in working towards peace in places like the Middle East, and tackle climate change

The panel now takes a question from an immigration solicitor, who says her clients are traumatised people who are being demonised.

She asks how humanity could be brought back into the system.

• Labour says they would scrap the Rwanda scheme and redirect that money to create a “proper border security command”
• The Tories say “safe and legal routes” need to be set up where necessary, and that people cannot illegally enter the UK by small boats from a safe place such as France.
• The SNP says the issue is about resources which need to be put into the home office and housing
• The Greens say it would allow asylum seekers to work while their claim is being processed
• Plaid Cymru says that the UK has international obligations and that the UK's standing on the world stage has been "damaged"
• Reform UK says has got to "pick people up" and send them back to France and that the UK is entitled to do that. "It will stop people dying," he says

The party representatives are now asked what their plan is to improve processing for asylum seekers.

• In Reform UK's view, Tice says, it's "complete and utter chaos" adding that the Home Office's incompetence has lead to more backlog and raised the cost for taxpayers
• Philp says changes the Conservatives have made through the Illegal Migration Act will make the process a lot faster "and a lot more final"
• And the Lib Dem's Cooper says the backlog is a "complete mess, entirely of the Conservatives making" and says her party would scrap the Rwanda scheme, which she calls "unworkable" and "immoral"

We're now hearing from an Afghan refugee who came to the UK when he was 12-years-old. He says the country should be proud of providing sanctuary for "people like me".

He says he's voting for the first time as a British citizen and that in this election he'd like to see a fair system and compassionate approach to asylum seekers.

• The Greens' Denyer says the UK needs to create safe and legal routes for asylum seekers, speed up the asylum system, and allow asylum seekers to work while they wait for a decision on their application
• The Tories' Philp says the UK is "generous" and "open" when there is a crisis, referencing what his government has done for Syrians, Ukrainians, and Hong Kong citizens
• And Labour's Thomas-Symonds says resettlement routes need to be reformed and says the UK has a duty to help those who've risked their lives to help the armed forces, referencing Afghans as an example

What has happened to small boat arrivals?published at 19:39 18 June

19:39 18 June

By Anthony Reuben

The Home Office publishes figures – going back to 2018 - for people detected crossing the English Channel in small boats.

The highest figure recorded in a single year was in 2022, when 45,755 arrived this way.

At the start of 2023, Rishi Sunak made “stopping the boats” one of his five priorities for government – he has not yet met this pledge.

Last year, 29,437 people arrived in small boats – down a third on the year before.

This year, 11,433 have been detected so far, external, which is up more than a quarter from the same period last year and also ahead of 2022 levels.

Sunak wants to send some of the arrivals to Rwanda – to act as a deterrent – but, so far, no-one has been forcibly removed to the African country.

Image source, Channel 4

The panel are now responding to an audience question about how they would make it easier to recruit workers from abroad?

• Labour's Thomas-Symonds says the country needs "fair pay agreements" for the the social care sector as well as national standards
• The SNP's Brown brings up Brexit and how the UK used to see many people from Europe come to the UK to work in the public services but that the flow of labour has now contracted
• Reform UK's Tice says the country doesn't have a labour shortage but that for too many people, "work doesn't pay"

• Plaid Cymru's ap Iorweth says restaurants in his constituency are struggling to find staff and blames Brexit for this
• The Lib Dems' Cooper pivots back to talking about skills shortages and says there's a need for ethical recruitment from abroad and that the domestic workforce need to receive better training

The parties in Channel 4's seven-way debate are now discussing immigration - the first question from an audience member is about how they plan to combat hostilities towards migrants.

• The SNP's Brown says migrants make a contribution to the country and there needs to be an end to the "hostile rhetoric" on the issue
• Reform UK's Tice claims the Tories have allowed mass immigration "deliberately" in contradiction of their promises, and says there needs to be a more efficient processing and appeals system, and also claims the country is not building enough homes for "our own people"
• The Lib Dem's Cooper hits out at that, saying the rhetoric around resources "fans the flames". She says investment is needed in a proper skills strategy as well as an end to "ridiculous arbitrary targets"
• The Greens' Denyer says the UK is "a country of migrants" and that migration is good for the country, adding that "some politicians" like to scapegoat migrants for issues she says are actually caused by underfunding public services
• Plaid Cymru's Ap Iorwerth says the question was about tackling hostility, but that the other parties on the panel need to stop creating hostile rhetoric in the first place, adding that pressures on public services are caused by a failure to invest in them
• The Conservatives' Philp says there are millions UK citizens who could work but don't. He says the top priority is to encourage those people to get into the workforce and talks of the need to welcome people who will "add value" to the economy
• Earlier in the debate, Labour's Thomas-Symonds said four Conservatives manifestos in a row broke their promises on reducing immigration. He said the numbers are too high and that there needs to be a plan to upskill the workforce

What has happened to legal migration under the Conservatives?published at 19:18 18 June

19:18 18 June

By Anthony Reuben

The seven participants in the Channel 4 debate have been quoting the net migration figures – let's look into those figures further.

Net migration is the number of people coming to the UK and planning to stay for at least a year, minus the number of people leaving it for at least a year.

It reached a record high of 764,000 in 2022 and fell back slightly to 685,000, external last year.

The figure started rising in 1997 and, although David Cameron promised before the 2010 election that it would fall back to the “tens of thousands” – a pledge later reiterated by Theresa May - this clearly did not happen.

The 2019 Conservative manifesto promised that overall numbers would come down.

Net migration did fall considerably during the pandemic before rising to record levels.

We'll soon bring you the reactions from tonight's panel's about immigration.

Image source, .

Peeling away from the Channel 4 debate for a moment, a billionaire who gave the Conservatives £500,000 before the last general election has told the BBC he will vote Labour for the first time in his life next month.

John Caudwell, the founder of Phones 4U, described Rishi Sunak as an “absolute dud” and said the Labour leader Keir Starmer “just really hits the spot with a lot of issues with me”.

The businessman has been critical of Labour’s plan to charge VAT on private school fees and has said some of Reform UK's policies "sound sensible", although he ruled out backing Nigel Farage's party over its stance on climate change among other things.

He stopped short of saying he would donate money to Labour at this election.

• Read our full story here

The next audience question is about the safety of women and girls and how rates of violence against them can be reduced.

• Denyer says the Green Party wants to free up police so they have more time to deal with domestic violence matters and to make sure they are properly trained in this area and says her party would also make misogyny a hate crime
• Labour's Thomas-Symonds says the UK needs more specialist rape courts to speed up the processing of cases - as it takes an average of 400 days to get to the initial charge - and to make sure victims are at the "heart of the process" and get the support they need
• Brown, the SNP deputy leader, says there needs to be proper vetting within the police force as it's a "huge job" in rebuilding people's trust in the police
• The Lib Dems' Cooper says her party would ask social media companies to publish regularly what they are doing to tackle online abuse
• While Reform UK chairman Tice says trust in police is "woeful" and that the UK needs to have a proper criminal justice system
• Finally, Tory minister Philp says his party plans to make sure victims can give evidence quickly on videotape

Are £18bn of cuts planned?published at 19:00 18 June

19:00 18 June

Talking about the Conservatives and Labour in the Channel 4 debate, the SNP’s Keith Brown referred to “£18bn of cuts that they're both going to bring in”.

Labour has said it will stick to the broad outlines of the Conservatives’ current spending plans, which see an increase in spending on public services overall.

However, with a lot of this going on increased spending on health, education and defence, other unprotected areas of public spending face a squeeze in coming years, if the government is to meet its target of halving the national debt falling in five years.

The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies has estimated that this could amount to £18bn a year by the end of the Parliament., external

That could mean cuts to services such as courts, further education and local government, but they are not inevitable.

An improvement in the economy could make these cuts unnecessary – or the government could find a way to raise more tax.

Image source, Channel 4

The debate kicks off with a question about victim-based crime and another on retaining police officers:

• For the Tories, Chris Philp says that since 2010 violent crime has come down by 44%, but says "we need to go further"
• Labour’s Thomas-Symonds accuses Philp of being "out of touch" with how people in the country feel, and says there needs to be a "restoration" of neighbourhood policing
• Brown, for the SNP, points out the election won't change the administration of police services in Scotland and claims the Tories and Labour will bring in £18bn of cuts which will also impact policing in Scotland
• For Reform UK, Tice says knife crime has almost tripled under the Conservatives, and says the Tories have presided over a "massive reduction" in police officers
• Denyer says the Green Party would stop the "routine use" of stop-and-search, calling it a "racist endeavour", but saying it's OK to search someone if there is a "reasonable suspicion"
• For the Lib Dems, Cooper talks about the need for youth services and community policing, and says there is a place for stop-and-search but it has to be based on intelligence and not profiling

• Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says his party is proposing establishing the role of a victims' commissioner for Wales.