UK election campaign latest

A Downing Street spokesperson said: "This evening the prime minister spoke to President-elect Macron to warmly congratulate him on his election victory. 

"The prime minister said that she looked forward to working with the new president on a range of shared issues, with the UK and France's unique partnership providing a strong foundation for future co-operation.

"The leaders briefly discussed Brexit and the prime minister reiterated that the UK wants a strong partnership with a secure and prosperous EU once we leave.

"The prime minister and President-elect Macron looked forward to meeting and holding discussions at the upcoming NATO and G7 Summits."

Conservative Stephen Crabb says it's right in the context of Brexit to put out "a much broader, much simpler manifesto - keep it slimmer".

On the party's longstanding pledge to cut net annual immigration to the "tens of thousands" - the subject of much debate today - he says "reaching that target is extremely difficult" but the party should be clear with voters about what it is aiming for.

He suggests the triple-lock on pensions should be kept until 2020 and it would be an act of "bad faith" to do otherwise.

Labour's Baroness Smith says "there's a lot of working going on" on the Labour manifesto and it's important to set out "an honest assessment of what is achievable".

Asked about reports that the Labour leadership wants to "build a movement" rather than win an election, Baroness Smith says the job of any leader is to "maximise their representatives in Parliament, and the priority has to be to win seats".

Labour's leader in the Lords acknowledges the local election results were "disappointing" for her party, but she say she 8 June might be different because turnout will be higher.

Conservative Stephen Crabb agrees with her that "people are getting carried away" with the lessons of the local elections and "we need to be out there every day campaigning hard". 

UKIP's Patrick Flynn jokes that "we can't lose seats as we don't have any" but he wants to see his party to make a "sensible attempt" in certain parts of the country. 

UKIP MEP Patrick O'Flynn warns voters will be put off "if the Labour Party sticks to a doom-and-gloom message" on Brexit.

Labour Lords leader Baroness Smith protests that "people are worried - it's the uncertainty that worries people". 

Commenting on reports of a stormy meeting between Theresa May and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, Conservative Stephen Crabb says: "Juncker has made himself look ridiculous by leaking this." 

Former Foreign Office chief Sir Simon Fraser describes it as a "bumpy" bit of diplomacy and "a bad leak", which Theresa May "exploited for political gains".

Former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office Sir Simon Fraser calls Emmanuel Macron's victory "a good result for France, a good result for Europe and a good result for Britain".

Sir Simon, who's met Mr Macron, describes him as a "charismatic, bright guy, very able".

He says while there are challenges waiting for the new president, this is "a new beginning and an opportunity for France". 

Science Photo LibraryCopyright: Science Photo Library

Adverts for junk food and sweets would be banned from all TV shows broadcast before the 21:00 watershed under Labour plans to tackle childhood obesity.

The party says the proposal forms part of a future child health bill that will be outlined in its election manifesto.

Products high in fat, salt or sugar are currently banned from being advertised during children's TV only.

The Tories said they had the world's "most ambitious" child obesity plan that would be put at risk by Labour.

Read more here

The big moments from the election campaign this week.  

AFPCopyright: AFP

After a record result in the Scottish local government elections, where they returned 276 councillors, the Conservatives now have several SNP-held seats in their sights on 8 June. 

Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, has already declared her party has a "pretty good" chance of winning the Moray constituency. 

The party's foreign affairs spokesman, and former leader, Alex Salmond has hit back.

"There's no question the Tory vote is on the increase and therefore we have to galvanise the SNP support," said Mr Salmond. 

"Boasting before an election is an extremely foolish thing to do. The people have their say at the ballot box and I think the north-east of Scotland has a way of bringing people who make vainglorious boasts down to earth with a sharp bump." 

Ian Murray, until recently Labour's single MP in Scotland, insisted the "Sturgeon surge" was now over, pointing out: "The SNP failed to win a single majority on any council."

BBCCopyright: BBC

Welsh Conservatives will benefit from a general election seen as a two party contest, a senior Tory has said.

Despite returning 80 more councillors, 184 in total, at Thursday's local elections in Wales, the party only took control of Monmouthshire.

Welsh Tory chairman Jonathan Evans said June's poll will be regarded as a Theresa May-Jeremy Corbyn battle.

Welsh Labour's Chris Evans said the local election results gave the party a "firm foundation" to build on.

Read more.

British politicians have been eager to tweet their approval of Emmanuel Macron's victory:

But not everyone is pleased. The former UKIP leader tweets:

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Labour's John McDonnell says there is much to learn from reading Karl Marx's Das Kapital. 

What is it?

Well, it's over 200,000 words long but we've had a go at summarising its main points. 

Das Kapital is essentially an explanation of how the capitalist system will destroy itself.

Marx had already set out his ideas on class struggle - how the workers of the world would seize power from the ruling elites - in the Communist Manifesto and other writings.

Das Kapital is an attempt to give these ideas a grounding in verifiable fact and scientific analysis.

In simple terms, Marx argues that an economic system based on private profit is inherently unstable because it relies on the exploitation of workers.

Read more.

What is Marx's Das Kapital?

Labour's John McDonnell says there is much to learn from reading Karl Marx's Das Kapital. What is it?

Read more

A Downing Street spokesperson says: "The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success. 

"France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new President on a wide range of shared priorities."

BBCCopyright: BBC

Some important breaking news from France - Emmanuel Macron, head of centrist party En Marche, has defeated Marine Le Pen, of the far-right National Front, in the presidential election.

You can follow the full story on our French elections live page

Steve Rotheram, who was elected the first mayor of the Liverpool City region on Thursday, has announced he will not be seeking re-election  as MP for Liverpool Walton, the Liverpool Post reports.

The race is now to be selected for one of the safest Labour seats in the country.

Candidates have just five days to make their pitches to a representative of Labour's National Executive Committee, who will make the final decision.

Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson is said to be interested, along with MEP Theresa Griffin and former Labour advisor Daniel Hughes. Daniel Carden, an aide to Unite union boss Len McLuskey is also in the running, according to the Post.