Over 50 of Britain's leading business figures and entrepreneurs - including the founder of Ebookers, Dinesh Dhamija, co-founder of Innocent Drinks Richard Reed and businesswoman Nicola Horlick - have backed the Liberal Democrats today as the only UK party campaigning to stay in single market.

In a letter to The Times, the business figures write that leaving the single market would be "destructive to the British economy," and that the Liberal Democrats are "the only party speaking for business and the majority of Britons on the key issue at this election."

The Liberal Democrats have launched their manifesto plans today for a brighter future, with pledges to reverse Conservative cuts and increase funding for the NHS, schools and police.

The Party’s landmark policy would give the people the final say on the Brexit deal which would include the option to remain in the EU.

The Liberal Democrats would put a penny on income tax for health and care, which would raise £58m for the NHS in Dorset, enough to fund 345 more nurses.

An additional £26m of funding for schools in Bournemouth, paid for in part by reversing Conservative cuts to corporation tax, would be enough to pay for 145 more teachers.

Meanwhile an additional £2.4m funding for Dorset Police would pay for 48 more officers, helping to cut crime and ensure a stronger police presence in the area.

Today, Tim Farron launched the Liberal Democrat Manifesto:

Today, as the Lib Dem leader, I am immensely proud to launch our 2017 manifesto: Change Britain’s Future.

Over the past few weeks we’ve been working tirelessly – speaking to the public, analysing costs, fine-tuning our priorities – to bring you a single blueprint for a better Britain.

This momentous new manifesto sets out our hopes and plans for an open, tolerant and united country. From defending our place in Europe, to protecting universal human rights, to building a greener economy, it encapsulates our positive vision for the future.

Read the full manifesto

The Liberal Democrats have announced plans to address the housing shortage in Bournemouth and build more affordable homes.

There are currently 4,481 families in Bournemouth on a waiting list for council homes, up from 3,782 last year.

In addition, official figures show 673 homes in Bournemouth have been empty for over six months.

Lib Dem candidates for Bournemouth East and West, Jon Nicholas and Phil Dunn, recently wrote to the Bournemouth Echo regarding UKIP's endorsement of the Conservative candidate for Bournemouth West, Conor Burns. 

The full text of the letter is as follows: 

The Liberal Democrats have announced they will invest £26.3 million more in schools and colleges in Bournemouth over the next parliament.

The funding for Bournemouth would reverse cuts to frontline school and college budgets, protect per pupil funding in real terms and ensure no school loses out from changes to funding arrangements.

The Liberal Democrats have announced they would plug funding gaps for the NHS and social care by putting a penny on income tax, in their first major manifesto commitment of the election campaign.

The tax would raise an additional £65.2 million for Bournemouth and Dorset, with £58 million for Dorset NHS and £7.2 million for social care in Bournemouth each year. 
 

Liberal Democrats accross the country have responded to reports that the Conservatives are to bow to massive Liberal Democrat and backbench pressure and abandon their proposed shake-up of school funding.

 Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson John Pugh said:
 
“Finally, the Conservatives have been forced to re-think their deeply flawed funding formula, which would see savage cuts to schools in most areas of the country. Their proposals were utterly cynical, taking from some areas to give to others, rather than committing to give all schools the additional funding they need.

Responding to a Guardian article by Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Rachael Maskell in support of giving the people a vote on the final Brexit deal, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Brake said:

"It's good to see Clive Lewis and Rachael Maskell backing our position, but this doesn't change the fact that Labour has given Theresa May a blank cheque for a hard Brexit and are refusing to give the British people the final say.