General election - live: Nigel Farage faces grilling from Andrew Neil after four Brexit Party MEPs defect to Tories

Corbyn ‘working out’ ownership of Chequers – after suggesting it could be given to homeless family

Jeremy Corbyn has said he is trying to work out the ownership of the prime minister’s official country residence Chequers after suggesting he would give it up if he wins.

The Labour leader said on Wednesday evening’s ITV interview that he would consider relinquishing the 16th-century residence for a homeless family.

During a campaign visit in Peterborough on Thursday morning, Corbyn was asked if he is planning to give the Chiltern Hills retreat to a homeless family.

“I’m not even sure who owns Chequers actually because I’m trying to work that out. I’ve never been there. I don’t know what the place is like,” the Labour leader said.

“I’m campaigning to win the election to become prime minister, that’s quite enough and I just want to do the job of prime minister, I’m not really very interested in country houses.”

Chequers was gifted a century ago to whoever holds the office of PM to allow them a place to retreat from the bustle of Downing Street.

Jeremy Corbyn visits school in Peterborough (PA) 

Self-styled ‘anti-extremism’ group spending thousands on anti-Labour ads

The pro-“civility” group Mainstream UK is spending thousands of pounds running anti-Labour attack adverts on Facebook focusing on the party’s tax and nationalisation policies.

Despite the non-partisan branding and mission statement under which it solicits cash donations, the group’s entire advertising output is in actual fact targeted at the opposition Labour party – the bulk of it on issues like taxation and public ownership.

Our correspondent Jon Stone has the details.

Annunziata Rees-Mogg: my brother doesn’t tell me what to do

Annunziata Rees-Mogg – the sister of Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg – has denied her brother or anyone in the Tory Party persuaded her to quit the Brexit Party.

“I have had no approaches from the Conservative Party in any description and I am frankly finding it really quite disturbingly old fashioned that people are suggesting that my brother gets to tell me what to do with my political views - he doesn’t,” she told the press.

“We have completely independent views from each other and I am only concerned about Brexit. I haven’t spoken to anyone about it - they wouldn't be able to bribe me. This is purely, purely about Brexit.”

Ms Rees-Mogg appeared alongside fellow quitters Lance Forman and Lucy Harris, and John Longworth, who already had the whip withdrawn.

Now former Brexit Party MEPs Annunziata Rees-Mogg, Lance Forman, Lucy Harris and John Longworth (AFP) 

Protesters surround Boris Johnson’s campaign bus

A group of protestors have surrounded the Tory battle bus as the prime minister arrives at a campaign event in Derbyshire. They were heard chanting: “Whose NHS? Our NHS?” and “Boris Johnson’s got to go.”

Asked what he was protesting for, one activist said: “Boris Johnson because he’s a liar … he’s going to sell off the NHS.”

Osborne and Balls to re-united for election night

Former chancellor George Osborne and his then-opposite number Ed Balls will reunite for ITV’s election night coverage.

Since leaving frontline politics Osborne is, among other things, now the editor of the Evening Standard, while Balls is chairman of Norwich City FC.

ITV has confirmed that the pair will join former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, as well as former Labour home secretary Alan Johnson.

Also on the panel will be the PM’s brother Jo Johnson, chairman of the pro-Corbyn Momentum group Jon Lansman, Theresa May’s former chief of staff Fiona Hill and former Vote Leave chairwoman and ex-Labour MP Gisela Stewart.

Tom Bradby will host ITV’s election night coverage and will be joined by political editor Robert Peston and national editor Allegra Stratton.

Johnson ‘whipped his phone out,’ says Willoughby – and it’s a Huawei

Boris Johnson has been using a Huawei smartphone, despite ongoing security concerns around the Chinese company.

Following an interview on ITV’s This Morning, the PM used what appeared to be a Huawei P20 – understood to be his own – to take a selfie with presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Willoughby said Johnson reappeared after his interview on the programme and “he whipped his phone out” in order to take the picture.

The incident comes in the midst of a heated debate around the company and allegations of its close links to the Chinese state. Critics have argued that Huawei’s telecoms equipment could be used to spy on people in the West – something the company has always denied.

The selfie itself has received a lot of flak on social media from those convinced it shows the Tory leader – still ducking his Andrew Neil interview – has not been subjected to proper scrutiny.

Three-quarters of no-deal Brexit backers voting Tory

An interesting new YouGov survey shows the Conservatives have absorbed a great deal of support among people backing various forms of Brexit.

Strangely, it shows 7 per cent of Remainers are voting for the Tories. Presumably they’re just incredibly loyal Conservatives.

Chancellor wrongly claims UK ‘already’ has outline of trade deal

Sajid Javid is under fire after wrongly claiming the UK “already” has the outline of a trade agreement with the EU, when those talks have yet to even start.

The chancellor also argued the EU’s trade commissioner believed the deal could be struck by the end of 2020 – when he actually said that was unlikely when and predicted an agreement could take years.

And Javid claimed Brussels had “agreed” to grant so-called ‘equivalence’ for financial services, when that is not the case.

More details here:

Labour whistleblower: ‘I considered taking my own life’

Speaking at a Jewish Labour Movement press conference in Westminster, former Labour head of disputes and whistleblower Sam Matthews said the “intolerable” problem of antisemitism within the party had left him considering taking his own life.

Matthews said: “During a prolonged period, my team and I were put in the intolerable position of witnessing widespread racism in the party, and not having the support from those above us to tackle the problem effectively.

“A problem so intolerable that it directly affected the mental health of myself and my team, to the point where, by the end, I considered taking my own life.

“Those whistleblowers, some of whom are still employed by the Labour party, are fearful of retribution from their employer.”

Matthews added: “No amount of tinkering with the Labour Party rule book is going to fix this process. The problem has evolved from one of process and procedure at the beginning to ... a problem of culture that can only be challenged by leadership.

“A leadership that is willing to be uncompromising about rooting out almost five years of a sickness growing inside the party. Such leadership does not exist at the top of the Labour party right now.”

Andrew Neil: ‘I’m not the one refusing to do the interview’

Andrew Neil has been defending the BBC – and criticising the prime minister for avoiding his questions in a series of tweets.

Explaining the process, the veteran interviewer said: “The moment the election was announced we began simultaneous talks with all the leaders. We proceeded on the basis they’d all do it. At no stage did anybody indicate they wouldn’t do it. All did do it. Bar one.”

Responding to criticism from former X Factor winner Steve Brookstein, who said he was “disappointed” in Neil, he said: “Why the hell are you disappointed in me? I’m not the one refusing to do the interview.”

Incidentally, Neil has also been retweeting those images of Boris Johnson taking a cosy selfies with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

If you didn’t already know, Neil is interviewing Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage on BBc1 at 7pm this evening.