UK general election LIVE: Fun and games on the campaign trail as dissolved Parliament leaves country without MPs while Tories taunt Labour over left-winger purge, VAT and Vladimir Putin

Mr Starmer has now spoken about Diane Abbott for the first time today.

He described the veteran MP who became the first black woman to be elected to Parliament as a 'trailblazer' who had overcome 'incredible challenges' in her career.

But he insisted he wanted Labour to have the 'best quality candidates' heading into the election, amid confusion over whether Ms Abbott will stand for or against the party.

Asked if he was blocking left-wingers from standing, he said:

After falling off his paddleboard in the Lake District and riding his bike in Wales, Sir Ed Davey is at it again by visiting a slip and slide in Somerset.

The Lib Dem leader has proved he's always game for a photo opportunity with his party looking to make waves in the election by targeting 80 Conservative-held seats.

Here are some pictures we can show you of Sir Ed's visit. We will bring you further reaction when we have it.

Sir Keir Starmer has appeared at a campaign event in Wales today alongside Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething who faces a motion of no confidence in the Senedd next week.

Here are the highlights of his speech in which he accused Rishi Sunak of 'rummaging round in the toy box of bad ideas':

Mr Starmer pledged to fight for Welsh steel and protect jobs as he said the Tories were 'too divided to take industries forward'

He joked the Prime Minister ambushed himself by calling a July election after thinking he was 'laying a careful trap'

He repeated attacks on the Government's flagship Rwanda scheme which he said Mr Sunak 'knew wouldn't work' before £600 million of taxpayers money was spent

Our deputy political editor David Wilcock reports Sir Keir Starmer and his team are trying to dampen the fires of a major Labour election row today over moves to block veteran MP Diane Abbott and a slew of other leftwingers from standing on July 4.

Read his story here:

If you're just joining us let us bring you up to speed with what has happened so far on day eight of the campaign trail.

Welcome to our live coverage of the general election campaign trail.

Labour will be hoping to move on from the Diane Abbott row which deepened last night when it emerged a slew of other left-wing candidates have been blocked from standing in the election for the party.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been busy stirring the pot by claiming Labour are planning to raise VAT if elected, though his remarks have been dismissed as 'nonsense' by his shadow Rachel Reeves.

We will bring you the latest news and reaction from campaign events across the country on the day Parliament is dissolved - meaning there are no MPs until after the election.