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Reported Speech

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Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

Exercises on reported speech.

If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.

When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:

• present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
• place and time expressions
• tenses (backshift)

→ more on statements in reported speech

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

Also note that you have to:

• transform the question into an indirect question
• use the interrogative or if / whether

→ more on questions in reported speech

→ more on requests in reported speech

Additional Information and Exeptions

Apart from the above mentioned basic rules, there are further aspects that you should keep in mind, for example:

• main clauses connected with and / but
• tense of the introductory clause
• reported speech for difficult tenses
• exeptions for backshift
• requests with must , should , ought to and let’s

→ more on additional information and exeptions in reported speech

Statements in Reported Speech

• no backshift – change of pronouns
• no backshift – change of pronouns and places
• with backshift
• with backshift and change of place and time expressions

Questions in Reported Speech

Requests in reported speech.

• Exercise 1 – requests (positive)
• Exercise 2 – requests (negative)
• Exercise 3 – requests (mixed)

Mixed Exercises on Reported Speech

• Exercise on reported speech with and without backshift

Grammar in Texts

• „ The Canterville Ghost “ (highlight direct speech and reported speech)

English Grammar Online Exercises and Downloadable Worksheets

Online exercises.

• Reported Speech

Levels of Difficulty : Elementary Intermediate Advanced

• RS012 - Reported Speech Intermediate
• RS011 - Reported Speech Intermediate
• RS010 - Reporting Verbs Advanced
• RS009 - Reporting Verbs Advanced
• RS008 - Reporting Verbs Advanced
• RS007 - Reporting Verbs Intermediate
• RS006 - Reported Speech Intermediate
• RS005 - Reported Speech - Introductory Verbs Advanced
• RS004 - Reported Speech Intermediate
• RS003 - Reporting Verbs Intermediate
• RS002 - Reported Speech Intermediate
• RS001 - Reported Speech Intermediate
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• Definite and Indefinite Articles
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• Missing Word Cloze
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• Multiple Choice Cloze
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• Key Word Transformation
• Editing - One Word Too Many
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Reported Speech – Free Exercise

Write the following sentences in indirect speech. Pay attention to backshift and the changes to pronouns, time, and place.

• Two weeks ago, he said, “I visited this museum last week.” → Two weeks ago, he said that   . I → he|simple past → past perfect|this → that|last …→ the … before
• She claimed, “I am the best for this job.” → She claimed that   . I → she|simple present→ simple past|this→ that
• Last year, the minister said, “The crisis will be overcome next year.” → Last year, the minister said that   . will → would|next …→ the following …
• My riding teacher said, “Nobody has ever fallen off a horse here.” → My riding teacher said that   . present perfect → past perfect|here→ there
• Last month, the boss explained, “None of my co-workers has to work overtime now.” → Last month, the boss explained that   . my → his/her|simple present→ simple past|now→ then

Rewrite the question sentences in indirect speech.

• She asked, “What did he say?” → She asked   . The subject comes directly after the question word.|simple past → past perfect
• He asked her, “Do you want to dance?” → He asked her   . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you → she|simple present → simple past
• I asked him, “How old are you?” → I asked him   . The subject comes directly after the question word + the corresponding adjective (how old)|you→ he|simple present → simple past
• The tourists asked me, “Can you show us the way?” → The tourists asked me   . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you→ I|us→ them
• The shop assistant asked the woman, “Which jacket have you already tried on?” → The shop assistant asked the woman   . The subject comes directly after the question word|you→ she|present perfect → past perfect

Rewrite the demands/requests in indirect speech.

• The passenger requested the taxi driver, “Stop the car.” → The passenger requested the taxi driver   . to + same wording as in direct speech
• The mother told her son, “Don’t be so loud.” → The mother told her son   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
• The policeman told us, “Please keep moving.” → The policeman told us   . to + same wording as in direct speech ( please can be left off)
• She told me, “Don’t worry.” → She told me   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
• The zookeeper told the children, “Don’t feed the animals.” → The zookeeper told the children   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t

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Transformation of Sentence: Direct & Indirect Speech

A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let’s have an example first.

• Tina said to me, “Are you busy now?” [direct speech]
• Tina asked me whether I was busy then. [indirect speech]

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

• Look, if the reporting verb in direct speech (said) is in past tense, the reporting verb in indirect speech (asked) would also be in past tense. ‘Whether’ is the linker added here as it is a ‘yes-no’ type question (Refer to list 1 below).
• ‘Are’ changes to ‘was’. As the reporting verb was in past tense, the verb in the reported speech will also be in past. (Refer to list 2 below)
• ‘Now’ has become ‘then’. Time and place expressions change if the reporting verb is in past tense. (Refer to list 3 below)
• The question mark (?) has changed to a full stop(.).
• Another important thing, the format of question (v + s + o) has changed to the format of a statement (s + v + o). In indirect speech the pattern always comes to subject + verb + object.

List of Reporting verbs and linkers (list 1)

Verbs of Reported speech (if the reporting verb is in past tense) (list 2) Direct speech → Indirect speech Am / is / are →  was / were Was / were → had been Has / have → had Had → had had Shall / will → would Can → could May → might Must, should → must, should Verb1 → verb2 Verb2 → had + verb3

Change of time and place expressions in past tense (list 3) now → then ago → before today → that day yesterday → the previous day tomorrow → the next day last night → the previous night here → there this → that these → those

Narration change of Assertive sentence

• Robin said, “I went to Delhi yesterday.” – Robin said that he had gone to Delhi the previous day .
• She said to her husband, “I want to go with you.” – She told her husband that she wanted to go with him.

Narration change of Interrogative sentence

• He said to me, “Do you know English?” – He asked me whether I knew English.
• She said to me, “Did you go there?” – She wanted to know whether I had gone there.
• I said to him, “What are you doing?” – I asked him what he was doing.
• Rahul said to his mother, “How do you do all these things together?” – Rahul asked his mother how she did all those things together.

Narration change of Imperative sentence

• He said to me, “Go there right now.” – He ordered me to go there right then.
• My teacher said to me, “Obey your parents.” – My teacher asked me to obey my parents.
• She said to me, “Please don’t go there.” – She requested me not to go there.
• He said to her, “Let’s go home.” – He suggested her that they should go home.
• His mother said, “Let him eat whatever he likes.” – His mother suggested that he might be allowed to eat whatever he liked.

Narration change of Optative sentence

• He said to the boy, “May god bless you.” – He prayed that God might bless the boy.
• The girl said, “Had I the wings of a dove.” – The girl wished that she had the wings of a dove.

Narration change of Exclamatory sentence

• “How happy we are here!” said the children. – The children exclaimed in joy that they were very happy there.
• The children said, “How happy we were there!” – The children exclaimed in sorrow that they had been very happy there.
• He said to me, “Good bye!” – He bade me good bye.
• She said to me, “Good evening!”—She wished me good evening.

Narration change of Vocatives

• Teacher said, “ Robin , stand up.” – Teacher asked Robin to stand up.
• The Bishop said to the convict, “Always remember, my son , that the poor body is the temple of the living God.” – The Bishop addressed the convict as his son and advised him to always remember that the poor body is the temple of the living God.

Narration change of question tag

• He said to me, “You went to Kolkata, didn’t you?” – He asked me whether I had gone to Kolkata and assumed that I had.
• I said to him, “Tina didn’t tell a lie, did she?” – I asked him if Tina had told a lie and assumed that she had not.

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Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

Word of the Day

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an occasion when a driver in a motor race stops in the pits (= area where cars are repaired)

Apples and oranges (Talking about differences, Part 2)

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• Direct & Indirect Speech

Reported Speech Tenses

Reported speech tenses will change from that of the direct speech in most cases.

This is known as backshifting in reported speech , with the basic rule that a tense is shifted back to its past tense form.

This is because we are usually talking about something in the past. 

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

Backshifting in Reported Speech

Here are some examples of backshifting, with tenses going back from present to past:

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Below is a reported speech tense change chart with the rules for backshifting for each tense and for modal verbs.

You will see reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change. 

If you are tested on this, though, these are the changes you need to make.

Exceptions to the rules

This is a useful starting point. However, it is a simplification as we may not always decide or need to shift the tense back. 

For instance, if the circumstances we are reporting on  have not changed  since they were directly said, then the tense would not need to be changed. For example:

Direct Speech

• I  am  happy 
• (present simple)

Reported Speech

• She said she is happy 

So if we want to convey that the situation is still true then we may keep the tense the same.

Alternatively, the tense could even forward shift. An example would be in relation to a film or book. In this case, the person may use the past tense to say that the film was good, but the present or past tense could be used when you convey that to someone else:

Direct Speech:

• The film  was  really good!
• (past simple)

Reported Speech:

• He said that the film  was  very good!
• (past simple) Or
• He said that the film  is  very good!

As you can see, either reported speech tenses would be ok if you wanted to pass the information on to somebody else. The person said the film was good, and it is still good (it hasn't gone away).

So there are some general rules for reported speech tense changes but it can depend on the context. There may be no need to change it or you may be able to choose either tense.

Click the ' reported speech: practice forming indirect speech ' link below to practice changing tenses. 

More on Reported Speech:

Reported Speech Imperatives: Reporting commands in indirect speech

Reported speech imperatives, also known as reported commands, follow a slightly different structure to normal indirect speech. We use imperatives to give orders, advice, or make requests.

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.

Direct and Indirect Speech: The differences explained

Direct and indirect speech are different because in direct speech the exact words said are spoken, but in indirect or reported speech, we are reporting what was said, usually using the past tense.

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Time and Place in Reported Speech

When we report something, we may need to make changes to:

• time (now, tomorrow)
• place (here, this room)

If we report something around the same time, then we probably do not need to make any changes to time words . But if we report something at a different time, we need to change time words. Look at these example sentences:

• He said: "It was hot yesterday ." → He said that it had been hot the day before .
• He said: "We are going to swim tomorrow ." → He said they were going to swim the next day .

Here is a list of common time words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Place words

If we are in the same place when we report something, then we do not need to make any changes to place words . But if we are in a different place when we report something, then we need to change the place words. Look at these example sentences:

• He said: "It is cold in here ." → He said that it was cold in there .
• He said: "How much is this book ?" → He asked how much the book was.

Here are some common place words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

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1.  Direct: He said to me, “What are you doing?”

Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.

2.  Direct: Rama said to Arjun, “Go away”

Indirect: Rama ordered Arjun to go away.

3.  Direct: He said , ” I am unwell”

Indirect: He said that he was unwell.

4.  Direct: He said, “My master is writing letters “

Indirect: He said that his master was writing letters.

5.  Direct: ‘ I know her address ‘ said Gopi

Indirect: Gopi said that he know her address.

6.  Direct: He said that ‘ I have passed the examination.’

Indirect: He said that he had passed the examination.

7.  Direct: He said,’ The horse died in the night.’

Indirect: He said that the horse had died in the night.

8.  Direct: The teacher said that ‘ The earth goes around the sun.’

Indirect: The teacher said that the earth goes/went around the sun.’

9.  Direct: He said to me, ‘ I don’t believe you.’

Indirect: He said to me he did not believe me.

10.  Direct: He says, ‘I am glad to be here this evening.’

Indirect: He says that he is glad to be here this evening.

11.  Direct: He said to him, ‘ Please wait here till I return.’

Indirect: He requested him to wait there till he returned.

12.  Direct: ‘ Call the first witness,’ said the judge.

Indirect: The judge commanded them to call the first witness.

13.  Direct: He said,’ Alas! I am undone.’

Indirect: He exclaimed sadly that he was undone.

14.  Direct: ‘ Where do you live?’ asked the stranger

Indirect: The stranger enquired where I lived.

15.  Direct: He shouted, ‘ Let me go.’

Indirect: He shouted to them to let him go.

16.  Direct: He said,’ Be quiet and listen to my words.’

Indirect: He urged them to be quiet and listen to his words.

17.  Direct: Alice said, ‘How clever I am!’

Indirect: Alice exclaimed that she was very clear.

18.  Direct: They wrote,’ It is time we thought about settling this matter.’

Indirect: They wrote that it was time they thought about settling that matter.

19.  Direct: He enquired,” When do you intend to pay me.’

Indirect: He enquired when did I intend to pay him.

20.  Direct: He said to me,’ I have often told you not to play with fire.’

Indirect: He told me that he had often told me not to play with fire.

21.  Direct: ‘ Are you coming home with me?’ he asked.

Indirect: He asked if I was coming home with him.

22.  Direct: ‘ Bring me a glass of milk,’ said the Swami to the villagers.

Indirect: The swami asked the villagers to bring him a glass of milk.

23.  Direct: The teacher said to him,’ Do not read so fast.’

Indirect: The teacher asked him not to read so fast.

24.  Direct: He said to me, ‘Wait until I come.’

Indirect: He asked me to wait until he came.

25.  Direct: ‘ Sit down boys’ said the teacher.

Indirect: The teacher asked the boys to sit down.

26.  Direct: ‘ Hurry up’ he said to his servant ‘Do not waste time.’

Indirect: He asked his servant to hurry and not to waste time.

27.  Direct: ‘Run away children,’ said their mother.

Indirect: Their mother asked them to run away.

28.  Direct: ‘Do you really come from China?’ said the prince.

Indirect: The prince enquired if I really come from China.

29.  Direct: ‘ Do you write in a good hand?’ he said.

Indirect: He asked her if she wrote in a good hand.

30.  Direct: He said,’ I am glad to be here this evening.’

Indirect: He said that he was glad to be there that evening.

40.  Direct: ‘ Don’t you know the way home?’ asked I.

Indirect: I enquired if he didn’t know the way home.

41.  Direct: ‘ Take off your hat,’ the king said to the Hatter.

Indirect: The king asked the hatter to take off his hat.

42.  Direct: He said,’ Daughter, take my golden jug, and fetch me some water from the

Indirect: He asked his daughter to take his golden jug and fetch him some water

from the well.

43.  Direct: ‘ Go down to the bazaar and bring me a lump of ice.’ ordered his master.

Indirect: The master ordered his servant to go down the bazaar and bring him a

lump of ice.

44.  Direct: ‘ What a stupid fellow you are!’ he angrily remarked.

Indirect: He angrily exclaimed that he was a stupid fellow.

45.  Direct: He said, ‘ My God! I am ruined.’

Indirect: He called upon God and said he was ruined.

46.  Direct: He said, ‘ Alas! our foes are too strong.’

Indirect: He exclaimed sadly that their foes were too strong.

47.  Direct: ‘ How smart you are!’ she said

Indirect: She exclaimed that he was very smart.

48.  Direct: He said, ‘ I am tired and wish to go to bed.’

Indirect: He said that he was tired and wished to go to bed.

49.  Direct: An old mouse said, ‘Who will bell the cat?’

Indirect: An old mouse asked who would bell the cat.

50.  Direct: The stranger said to Alice,’ Where do you live?’

Indirect: The stranger asked Alice where she lived.

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General election latest: Second minister of day announces they're stepping down - as new football law falls victim to election

Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer and other party leaders have kicked off campaigning after the prime minister called a general election for 4 July. Follow the latest here in the Politics Hub - and listen to the latest Electoral Dysfunction podcast as you scroll.

Thursday 23 May 2024 17:10, UK

General election announced

• Coming up on Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge at 7pm
• Sunak claims his plan 'working' | Starmer hails 'power of vote'
• Other campaign launches: Lib Dems | SNP | Reform
• Two ministers stand down on first full day of campaigning
• 'Ready-made' football law among victims of parliament ending
• Live reporting by Ben Bloch and (earlier) Faith Ridler

Expert analysis

• Sam Coates: PM is setting himself up as the underdog
• Beth Rigby: 4 July will be a record-breaking battle for No 10
• Tamara Cohen: Many Tories think PM walking into the gunfire

Election essentials

• Trackers: Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Subscribe to Sky's politics podcasts: Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more: What happens next? | Which MPs are standing down? | Key seats to watch | How to register to vote | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency's changing | Sky's coverage plans

Ask a question or make a comment

Rishi Sunak's announcement of a 4 July general election caught plenty of people off-guard.

So, you probably have plenty of questions...

Why did the PM choose now? Can the Tories possibly win? What does Keir Starmer's Labour need to secure a big majority?

Our team of expert correspondents and reporters will be on hand to answer your burning queries tomorrow - and you can start submitting them now above the key points, just scroll up a little.

We'll be accepting questions until 8pm tonight, and answering them tomorrow.

We've just had a response from the Conservative Party to the Liberal Democrat campaign launch, at which Sir Ed Davey appealed to voters to back his party to get rid of the Tories ( more here ).

But Richard Holden, the Tory party chair, said in a statement that a vote for the Lib Dems "cannot deliver anything apart from a Keir Starmer-led Labour government".

That, he said, would see an "increase taxes on hard-working families by £2,094, taking us back to square one".

He went on: "Sir Keir Starmer wants people to vote for the Liberal Democrats because he knows this means more seats for Labour in Parliament.

"The choice at the election is clear: stick with the plan in an increasingly uncertain world by choosing bold action for a safer, more secure and more prosperous future with Rishi Sunak, or go back to square one with Sir Keir Starmer and the same old Labour."

With Westminster still reeling from the prime minister's decision to call a general election on the 4 July, Beth, Jess and Ruth lift the curtain on what was going on in parliament as rumours started to swirl.

Who decided to call an election now? Why did Rishi Sunak not have an umbrella? And what kind of campaign will the parties run over the next six weeks?

Plus, a listener wants to know if her MP will still be working on her case during the election campaign.

👉 Listen above then tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at [email protected], post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

On Monday, the prime minister made a historic apology in parliament for the infected blood scandal after the damning public inquiry report found failures throughout the public sector for decades, leading to vast suffering.

The government announced a compensation scheme on Tuesday - but when the election was called yesterday, there were fears the required legislation would not get through parliament before it is dissolved for the campaign.

But a minister in the House of Lords confirmed the Victims and Prisoners bill - which includes measures to establish a compensation body for victims of the scandal - will receive Royal Assent, having now cleared the Lords.

Rishi Sunak has landed in Scotland for the third leg of his UK campaign tour.

After visiting locations in both England and Wales, he will be campaigning in the Scottish Highlands.

We will bring you updates as soon as we can from our deputy political editor Sam Coates , who is travelling with the PM.

There is a trip to Northern Ireland scheduled for Friday.

In the last few moments, a second minister has said they will be leaving parliament at this election.

Huw Merriman, the rail minister, has announced that after nine years in parliament, he will step down as the MP for Bexhill and Battle.

He said in a statement that he has "loved being an MP" and quits with "a heavy heart".

But he did not give a reason for choosing to stand down.

He has a majority of 26,059 votes, winning over 63.6% at the 2019 election.

Mr Merriman's announcement comes after Jo Churchill, a work and pensions minister, announced that she will be leaving parliament at this election for "family reasons" ( see post at 11.03 ).

We've got three key dates for your diary from the Electoral Commission should you need to register to vote in the general election.

18 June: This is the deadline to register, which you can do online at gov.uk/register-to-vote .

19 June: This is the deadline to apply for a postal vote, should you not be around when polling stations open on 4 July.

26 June: This is the deadline to apply for a proxy vote, which allows someone to vote on your behalf, and also to apply for a Voter ID certificate should you not have another valid form of identification.

This is the first general election where ID is needed to vote - find out more about registration here:

Our weeknight politics show  Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge  will be live on Sky News from 7pm.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Sophy will be joined tonight by government minister Andrew Griffith , Labour frontbencher Nick Thomas-Symonds and Reform UK leader Richard Tice after the first full day of general election campaigning.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

Our presenter Sarah-Jane Mee has just been speaking to Transport Secretary Mark Harper about the Conservatives' plan the country. 

The transport secretary appeared to confirm the general election was called yesterday due to the inflation figures - which revealed inflation was close to Rishi Sunak's target of 2% (although still somewhat higher than had been expected). 

Sarah-Jane, who has been speaking to residents in Grimsby, said people have told her they aren't yet feeling the effect of that in their pockets. 

Mr Harper said he accepts one piece of data is not "the only thing" but there have also been eight months of wages rising.

He added that while there is "further to go", the choice for voters is about "do we have a plan and is it working?". 

Asked for the party's top three priorities, he said it was stopping illegal migration, the economy, and security. 

But Sarah-Jane said when she spoke to members of the public, their priorities were housing, the cost of living and the NHS. The fourth priority was schools. 

Pressed on these "not matching up", Mr Harper said his party had delivered a "big increase" in the quality of education, including students' abilities to read and write and their numeracy levels. 

Just like when Stranger Things gave Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill a chart boost, the launch of the UK's 2024 general election has helped D:Ream's Things Can Only Get Better back to prominence.

The official anthem of Sir Tony Blair's Labour landslide in 1997 was the unfortunate backdrop to Rishi Sunak's announcement yesterday, as a protester played it from a loudspeaker just outside Downing Street.

Since then, it's surged up the iTunes music chart - hitting number five.

We'll have to wait a few more days to see if it's made its way on to the UK's official music charts, but in the meantime, you can get the inside story on its return to public consciousness below:

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