I fully accept now that the post office, excuse me. Former Chief Executive of the post Office Paula Vennells breaks down in tears while giving evidence to the inquiry into the Horizon It Scandal, and admits she made mistakes tributes are paid to the former british Olympic Swimming Champion david wilkie, whos died at the age of 70. A number of Flood Warnings are starting to rise after relentless rain, more to come for some today but something a bit brighter across the south. Will that become more extensive as we head towards the Bank Holiday Weekend . Its thursday 23rd may. Our main story. The uk will go to the polls six weeks today after the Prime Minister announced there will be a General Election on the 4th ofjuly. On the steps of Downing Streetjust over 12 hours ago rishi sunak vowed to fight for every vote while labour leader sir keir starmer said it was Time For Change. Our Political Editor chris mason has this report on how the surprise events unfolded. The lectern in place after a downpour of anticipation. Cameras, reporters, brollies, the downpour coming from the skies too. At teatime, this. Earlier today, i spoke with his majesty the king, to request the dissolution of parliament. The king has granted this request and we will have a General Election on the 4th ofjuly. Music blaring from campaigners in nearby whitehall, Rain Tumbling onto the Prime Ministers sodden suit. You must choose in this election. Who has that plan . Who is prepared to take the bold action necessary to secure a Better Future for our country and our children . Now, i cannot and will not claim that we have got everything right. No government should. But i am proud of what we have achieved together. The bold actions we have taken. And im confident about what we can do in the future. Over the next few weeks, i will fight for every vote. I will earn your trust. And i will prove to you that only a conservative Government Led by me will not put our hard earned economic stability at risk, can restore pride and confidence in our country. And with a clear plan and bold action, will deliver a secure future for you, yourfamily, and our united kingdom. So this is it. A General Election is on. Power will leave this most powerful of streets and youll be able to decide whether he stays or whether he goes. And so the arguments, the persuasion begins. One lectern leads to another. And the thrust of labours message hangs on one word. A chance to change for the better. Your future, your community, your country. Now, it will feel like a long campaign, im sure of that. But no matter what else is said and done, that opportunity for change is what this election is about. Over the course of the last four years weve changed the labour party, returned it once more to the service of Working People. All we ask now humbly is to do exactly the same for our country and Return Britain to the service of Working People. And of course, the next six weeks are about lots of parties, Notjust Labour and the conservatives. The Liberal Democrat leaders been in surrey. Well, in so many parts of the country, its the Liberal Democrats who can beat the conservatives. And i think people are crying out for change and they want to vote for someone who champions them, their family and their community to sort out the crisis in the nhs, to get our economy back on track and to end environmental scandals like the sewage scandal. Its a welcome opportunity to remove the tory government and to put Scotland First and thats what ill be saying to the public. But i also have to say that i think this is perhaps the latest act of disrespect from a conservative government to call an election during the Scottish Summer School holidays. Campaigning is already under way. Prepare to see plenty of events like this. Friends, friends, thank you. It is great to be with you all this evening, great to be with you all this evening. Elsewhere from norfolk to london, placards of a different colour, a different message. The promising and persuasion starts here. Chris mason, bbc news. Werejoined now by our chief Political Correspondent henry zeffman. Good morning, henry. Good morning. Art in general good morning, henry. Good morning. Art in General Elections good morning, henry. Good morning. Art in General Elections are good morning, henry. Good morning. Art in General Elections are about Art In General elections are about set piece moments and the announcement itself is a big deal. You were right here in this position, the lectern was just here, tell me what that moment was like. Let me make the most obvious point first. It was really wet. It was so wet that i was standing under massive Golf Umbrella but my suit is still a little bit wet so i dont know how that worked, but it was a drenching for the Prime Minister and he was clearly determined to persevere actually because i think they think, his team, that it displays a message about his strong willingness to make some tough decisions. ,. ,. ,. , decisions. There is a lot of choreography decisions. There is a lot of choreography here. Decisions. There is a lot of choreography here. We i decisions. There is a lot of| choreography here. We had decisions. There is a lot of choreography here. We had the decisions. There is a lot of choreography here. We had the rain, there was also noise from protesters just at the end of Downing Street. Pro eu protest is blaring out things can only get better which is the anthem last time there was a change from conservative to labour in 1997, it is the new labour anthem. The truth is that here in Downing Street, if you are watching one of the speeches, you can often not here very well even if there is not a Boom Box Blaring out dzream. But the question for the Prime Minister and his team is how it would go over to the General Public, and they had thought quite heavily about how they portrayed him. The first few minutes were reminding the public how they became aware of rishi sunak, the Prime Minister, i think they wanted to remind people that he was mr furlough before trying to persuade people to give him another five years in Downing Street. 50 people to give him another five years in Downing Street. So what do ou think years in Downing Street. So what do you think the years in Downing Street. So what do you think the Campaign Years in Downing Street. So what do you think the campaign will years in Downing Street. So what do you think the campaign will focus i years in Downing Street. So what do j you think the campaign will focus on they really want to hammer home their view that he has got a better plan than sir keir starmer. Stronger lan plan than sir keir starmer. Stronger [an was plan than sir keir starmer. Stronger plan was in plan than sir keir starmer. Stronger plan was in everything plan than sir keir starmer. Stronger plan was in everything he plan than sir keir starmer. Stronger plan was in everything he said plan was in everything he said yesterday here and the mini rally he did in east london later, they want to make this a president ial campaign, thats where you are interviewing him, its quite unusual to have the leader of the Campaign Interviewing on the first day. They want to make this a president ial style contest, he said it in his speech, either him or keir starmer will be Prime Minister onjuly five and that is what they are Campaigning On. And that is what they are Campaigning On. And that is what they are camaiaunin on. , ~ Campaigning On. This sounds like it will be quite Campaigning On. This sounds like it will be quite personal, Campaigning On. This sounds like it will be quite personal, is Campaigning On. This sounds like it will be quite personal, is that Campaigning On. This sounds like it will be quite personal, is that you | will be quite personal, is that you are your impression . I will be quite personal, is that you are your impression . Will be quite personal, is that you are your impression . I think youll be uuite are your impression . I think youll be quite personal. Are your impression . I think youll be quite personal. Both are your impression . I think youll be quite personal. Both of are your impression . I think youll be quite personal. Both of the be quite personal. Both of the leaders, rishi sunak and sir keir starmer will take direct props at each other, that often happens in a General Election but it will happen here because the stakes are very high for both parties. Rishi sunak is trying to keep the conservatives in office after ia years. They want a fifth term, if they won it, it will be the first time a Political Party has ever done that in britains democratic history. For sir keir starmer the stakes are massive because labour have lost four times in a drop. Massive because labour have lost four times in a drop. What about the ke issues four times in a drop. What about the key issues that four times in a drop. What about the key issues that really four times in a drop. What about the key issues that really hit four times in a drop. What about the key issues that really hit home four times in a drop. What about the key issues that really hit home for l key issues that really hit home for people with make the economy, household budgets, the nhs, what about those big issues . In household budgets, the nhs, what about those big issues . About those big issues . In the first few da s about those big issues . In the first few days of about those big issues . In the first few days of a about those big issues . In the first few days of a general about those big issues . In the first few days of a General Election few days of a general Election Campaign you get both campaign 2a in the campaign. Within a few days as the campaign. Within a few days as the General Public and the voters as we all now are, tune in, they want to know how things will affect their lives. Rishi sunak, speaking to his team yesterday, they are adamant they have policies to offer that the public has not heard from him in government that they want a direct mandate for. Keir starmer almost felt like an Election Campaign launch last year where he had his six first steps will change, one of them was about the nhs, one about schools, anti social behaviour, those six steps they think are where the public are in terms of what their priority are. To the public are in terms of what their priority are. The public are in terms of what their priority are. To 30 seconds to tell people their priority are. To 30 seconds to tell people what their priority are. To 30 seconds to tell people what happens their priority are. To 30 seconds to tell people What Happens Next, their priority are. To 30 seconds to i tell people What Happens Next, What Happens Next . Bath tell people What Happens Next, What Happens Next . Happens next . Both leaders will cam aiun happens next . Both leaders will Campaign Today happens next . Both leaders will Campaign Today and happens next . Both leaders will Campaign Today and i happens next . Both leaders will Campaign Today and i think happens next . Both leaders will Campaign Today and i think we l happens next . Both leaders will. Campaign today and i think we will get more of a sense of what their messages are. Sir keir starmer� s messages are. Sir keir starmer� s message was very striking, one word, change. That is labours slogan for the election, that was on the lectern yesterday, that is the slogan, one word slogan. I dont think we have seen that before. We are going to get a lot of that from the labour party today. You are going to get a lot of that from the labour party today. The labour party today. You will hel me the labour party today. You will help me have the labour party today. You will help me have a the labour party today. You will help me have a little the labour party today. You will help me have a little look the labour party today. You will help me have a little look at the labour party today. You willj help me have a little look at the papers and the who is making what of the situation. Papers and the who is making what of the situation the situation. Every newspaper icture the situation. Every newspaper Picture Editor the situation. Every newspaper Picture Editor has the situation. Every newspaper Picture Editor has chosen the situation. Every newspaper Picture Editor has chosen the l the situation. Every newspaper Picture Editor has chosen the rishi sunak drenched. The Picture Editor has chosen the rishi sunak drenched. Sunak drenched. The Soaked Shoulders sunak drenched. The Soaked Shoulders. Irresistible, sunak drenched. The Soaked Shoulders. Irresistible, obviously, every newspaper shoulders. Irresistible, obviously, every newspaper will shoulders. Irresistible, obviously, every newspaper will have shoulders. Irresistible, obviously, every newspaper will have it. Shoulders. Irresistible, obviously, every newspaper will have it. Bet| every newspaper will have it. Bet the house is right, that is an accurate sense of how it looks. Speaking to conservative mps yesterday, shocked, it was a real gamble. Even rishi sunak� s team acknowledge it was a gamble. You could have gone untiljanuary 2025. Lets have a look at the next one. The daily mirror, the panel on the front page. The daily mirror, the panel on the front page front page. Pretty good, a lot of eole front page. Pretty good, a lot of people were front page. Pretty good, a lot of people were copying front page. Pretty good, a lot of people were copying each front page. Pretty good, a lot of people were copying each other| front page. Pretty good, a lot of people were copying each other with the things can only get wetter pun, but the mirror had drown and out. This is a staunchly labour paper and keir starmer has an article inside, expect them to campaign particularly on the nhs. find expect them to campaign particularly on the nhs. � expect them to campaign particularly on the nhs. ,. ,. , on the nhs. And the guardian, sunaks big on the nhs. And the guardian, sunaks big gamble. On the nhs. And the guardian, sunaks big gamble. That on the nhs. And the guardian, sunaks big gamble. That is on the nhs. And the guardian, l sunaks big gamble. That is what on the nhs. And the guardian, sunaks big gamble. That is what it is. Some rumblings sunaks big gamble. That is what it is. Some rumblings today sunaks big gamble. That is what it is. Some rumblings today about. Is. Some rumblings today about Whether Conservative Mps will try to sort of, you know, try and stop rishi sunak calling the election, i should say, thats not possible, thats not going to happen. There are voices that thats not going to happen. There are voices that are thats not going to happen. There are voices that are not thats not going to happen. There are voices that are not happy thats not going to happen. There are voices that are not happy about the timing, is that right . Definitely, i bumped into a senior Government Minister yesterday as i was trying to dry off on my walk back from Downing Street, and they were absolutely furious. They said they had no idea why richey simic had done this. Rishi sunak at done this. He said, if you are going to remind people that you are mr covid, why