:00:08. > :00:09.We're live in Paris this evening, where the polls will close
:00:10. > :00:13.within the next couple of hours, as millions of French voters decide
:00:14. > :00:19.For the centrist Emanuel Macron, a strong supporter
:00:20. > :00:21.of the European Union, victory would mean his first
:00:22. > :00:27.experience of elected office, at the age of 39.
:00:28. > :00:30.And for Marine Le Pen, a win for the hard right
:00:31. > :00:33.would signal a dramatic new direction for France, with much
:00:34. > :00:38.And also on the programme this evening:
:00:39. > :00:41.An election pledge from Labour, if it wins on June the 8th it
:00:42. > :00:47.won't raise income tax for anyone earning less than ?80,000 a year.
:00:48. > :00:50.The Conservatives focus on mental health, promising to recruit another
:00:51. > :00:54.10,000 staff in England if they're re-elected.
:00:55. > :00:59.But as long as you live for other people's opinions you'll never
:01:00. > :01:06.How the poet Kate Tempest is at the helm of this
:01:07. > :01:27.Good evening from Paris, where the polls will close
:01:28. > :01:31.within the next couple of hours, and the people of France
:01:32. > :01:35.will discover who their next president will be.
:01:36. > :01:38.Tens of millions of voters have been visiting the polling stations today,
:01:39. > :01:42.after a deeply divisive campaign, with Emmanuel Macron
:01:43. > :01:44.and Marine Le Pen offering radically different visions,
:01:45. > :01:52.Tonight's result will also have a direct impact on the future
:01:53. > :01:54.direction of the European Union, in the years ahead,
:01:55. > :01:57.as the Brexit process unfolds, so the relevance of the outcome,
:01:58. > :02:02.to France's neighbours, is very clear.
:02:03. > :02:06.This report on polling day in France, is by our Europe
:02:07. > :02:15.There is some flash photography coming up.
:02:16. > :02:22.A cheer this morning for the man promising optimism for France.
:02:23. > :02:25.He's just 39 years old, a nervous moment, hovering
:02:26. > :02:28.Emmanuel Macron's is an extraordinary political story.
:02:29. > :02:35.The collapse of France's main parties and his message
:02:36. > :02:38.open internationalists, pro-EU have propelled his rise.
:02:39. > :02:54.France's election has exposed the same fault lines that have riven
:02:55. > :02:57.On one side, there's comfortable with globalisation.
:02:58. > :02:59.On the other, there's anxious, angry, faced by a changing world.
:03:00. > :03:01.His rival, Marine Le Pen appeals to them.
:03:02. > :03:03.This was another shock of this election.
:03:04. > :03:08.France's far right leader in the final run-off.
:03:09. > :03:13.She's anti-EU, wants to ditch the euro, reinstate border controls
:03:14. > :03:17.and painted her campaign as another fight against out of touch elites.
:03:18. > :03:23.A win for her would plunge Europe into new political uncertainty.
:03:24. > :03:29.Mr Macron headed for Paris this afternoon.
:03:30. > :03:31.He's a former banker and briefly economy minister.
:03:32. > :03:37.The reason many may decline to vote for him.
:03:38. > :03:40.The two candidates have radically different views
:03:41. > :03:44.on questions of identity, immigration, openness to the world.
:03:45. > :03:47.So this election will be highly consequential, not just for France
:03:48. > :03:53.Will this be the next domino to fall, or will it mark
:03:54. > :03:59.And there were signs today the turnout was down,
:04:00. > :04:02.compared to the first round of these elections.
:04:03. > :04:05.I just voted for the candidate I thought was less
:04:06. > :04:12.But I think I had to do it because the other one for me was not
:04:13. > :04:22.We know what happened in the US, Brexit as well, so it's very,
:04:23. > :04:30.Sorry, my heart is actually beating really fast now.
:04:31. > :04:36.A Macron win would be a trying for Europe's centrists,
:04:37. > :04:55.Some have reported down out -- turnout was down. Will that
:04:56. > :04:59.translate into the result? In a moment we'll speak
:05:00. > :05:02.to our Europe editor Katya Adler, following the Macron campaign,
:05:03. > :05:04.but first to our Europe correspondent James Reynolds,
:05:05. > :05:15.who is with the Le Pen campaign. James, your sense of the mood in the
:05:16. > :05:20.Le Pen campaign this evening? It is quiet so far, her supporters are
:05:21. > :05:24.arriving. The final polls on Friday had had behind Emmanuel Macron.
:05:25. > :05:31.Eddie Bate was criticised in the week. They define success in a
:05:32. > :05:37.different way. This is a movement which measures its progress over
:05:38. > :05:40.decades. For years this was a fringe movement on the Marine Le Pen's
:05:41. > :05:47.father, ignored or boycotted by much of France, but that has changed. If
:05:48. > :05:53.Marine Le Pen gets 40% of the vote, she establishes the party as a
:05:54. > :06:04.lasting, political force. Ranking very much. One hour and 20 minutes
:06:05. > :06:12.before the polls close, what is your sense of things there? There is a
:06:13. > :06:18.lot of excitement and anticipation amongst Macron supporters. They have
:06:19. > :06:21.not been allowed in yet, but Macron president is what they like to shout
:06:22. > :06:26.because that is what they have been led to believe by the opinion polls
:06:27. > :06:31.and before these elections. They are waiting for their man, this
:06:32. > :06:34.39-year-old relative political novice, his political party is only
:06:35. > :06:39.one-year-old, to bring change to this change hungry nation. Even if
:06:40. > :06:43.he does win the election, Emmanuel Macron would have to win over the
:06:44. > :06:47.French people. Not just the supporters of Marine Le Pen. We know
:06:48. > :06:54.many who have voted Macron today did not vote because they are convinced
:06:55. > :06:58.of him to stop his far right rival. Thank you both.
:06:59. > :07:00.There'll be live coverage of the presidential results
:07:01. > :07:06.as they come in from 6.30 this evening on the BBC News Channel
:07:07. > :07:09.and we'll be back here on BBC One with the outcome
:07:10. > :07:12.and all the reaction, at 10:00pm tonight.
:07:13. > :07:15.But for now let's join Mishal for the day's other main news.
:07:16. > :07:18.Labour says it will not raise income tax for anyone earning less
:07:19. > :07:21.than ?80,000 a year as part of an election pledge
:07:22. > :07:25.The Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, said those earning
:07:26. > :07:29.over the ?80,000 threshold would be asked to pay "a bit more" to help
:07:30. > :07:35.The Conservatives say they have no plan to raise income tax but have
:07:36. > :07:38.so far refused to completely rule it out.
:07:39. > :07:44.Our political correspondent Ben Wright reports.
:07:45. > :07:46.It was a slogan used by Tony Blair, now revived
:07:47. > :07:51.Setting out what he called a big deal to upgrade the economy,
:07:52. > :07:54.John McDonnell promised not to raise VAT or national insurance
:07:55. > :07:58.for anyone, but said the top 5% of earners would pay more.
:07:59. > :08:03.If Labour is elected next month, we will guarantee for the next five
:08:04. > :08:07.years, there will be no income tax rises, for all those earning less
:08:08. > :08:18.Labour is now the party of low taxes for middle and lower earners.
:08:19. > :08:21.Mr MacDonnell said people earning more than ?80,000 a year would pay
:08:22. > :08:24.a modest amount more but the rates and details would have
:08:25. > :08:35.The Conservatives have promised not to raise VAT but have so far made no
:08:36. > :08:37.matching pledge on national insurance or income tax.
:08:38. > :08:40.Today, the Tories said Labour was going back to the past.
:08:41. > :08:44.They want to raise taxes, they want to penalise business,
:08:45. > :08:47.they want to penalise wealth creation and I think they will end
:08:48. > :08:49.up wrecking the economy as they have done in the past.
:08:50. > :08:53.The total amount of income tax raised in 2016 is
:08:54. > :09:04.The top 5% of UK earners, Labour's target group paid
:09:05. > :09:07.just over 47% of that, close to ?80 billion.
:09:08. > :09:10.You cannot make a really big change to the amount of money
:09:11. > :09:14.that is available just by focusing on people over 80,000 the year,
:09:15. > :09:18.that is available just by focusing on people over 80,000 a year,
:09:19. > :09:21.partly because they already pay an awful lot of tax and a lot more
:09:22. > :09:24.than they did a few years ago, but partly because if you really
:09:25. > :09:26.want significant amounts of money, you have to do something
:09:27. > :09:29.the politicians don't like doing, which is hit the majority of people,
:09:30. > :09:32.which is where VAT and the national insurance and a lot of income
:09:33. > :09:36.You are pledging to increase tax on high earners have to pay
:09:37. > :09:38.for public services and borrow billions for infrastructure,
:09:39. > :09:42.but that has been Labour's message since Jeremy Corbyn became leader.
:09:43. > :09:46.Why do you think it can turn things around for Labour in the last four
:09:47. > :09:48.weeks of this general election campaign when it seems it
:09:49. > :09:54.I think there is an opportunity now in the general election campaign
:09:55. > :09:58.which we have not had before Jeremy Corbyn was leader.
:09:59. > :10:02.I think we can turn the polls around and I genuinely think we can secure
:10:03. > :10:07.Many of the bankers and financiers who work here would pay more income
:10:08. > :10:11.tax under Labour's plan and this is the first general
:10:12. > :10:15.election for many years, when there is a stark choice
:10:16. > :10:18.developing between Labour and the Conservatives with how
:10:19. > :10:24.the economy should be run and how money should be raised and spent.
:10:25. > :10:26.The Conservatives say reforming mental health legislation in England
:10:27. > :10:28.and Wales will be a priority if they win the election.
:10:29. > :10:31.Theresa May said a new law would tackle discrimination
:10:32. > :10:32.and the unnecessary detention of vulnerable people.
:10:33. > :10:35.There would also be a boost to the number of mental health
:10:36. > :10:43.The Liberal Democrats said they would raise more money per health
:10:44. > :10:45.and social care by putting an extra penny on income tax.
:10:46. > :10:49.Theresa May has already talked of transforming the way mental
:10:50. > :10:56.health problems are dealt with across society.
:10:57. > :10:59.Now there are more details of what she wants to do if she gets
:11:00. > :11:04.The Conservatives said there are concerns that individuals,
:11:05. > :11:06.including young people, are detained unnecessarily
:11:07. > :11:09.in police cells and secure mental health wards,
:11:10. > :11:12.so the Mental Health Act, which dates back more than 30 years,
:11:13. > :11:21.If you have a child that has severe mental health problems
:11:22. > :11:23.and you find that child, instead of being treated by the NHS,
:11:24. > :11:27.actually ends up in a police cell, it's a terrible thing for the child,
:11:28. > :11:29.probably make their condition worse, but it's also very bad
:11:30. > :11:36.But the Liberal Democrats criticised the Conservative government's
:11:37. > :11:42.When I come across families who are waiting desperately
:11:43. > :11:44.for their children to receive the care they need, they feel badly
:11:45. > :11:51.So for me, it's empty rhetoric at the moment.
:11:52. > :11:53.The Conservatives also said they want to increase staffing
:11:54. > :11:57.levels in all areas of mental health care in England, with 10,000
:11:58. > :12:05.Currently, there are 200,000 in a variety of roles,
:12:06. > :12:08.but according to government figures, the number of mental health nurses
:12:09. > :12:16.Mental health charities welcome the aims, but are doubtful
:12:17. > :12:23.We've got to resource the front line so that there are enough beds
:12:24. > :12:27.and enough people and we wonder if the 10,000 people promised
:12:28. > :12:32.will be trained by 2020, will be sufficient to meet such demand.
:12:33. > :12:35.Labour said there appeared to be no extra funding and warm words
:12:36. > :12:38.from Conservatives wouldn't help tackle the injustice of unequal
:12:39. > :12:49.More than 80 Nigerian schoolgirls, freed in a prisoner swap,
:12:50. > :12:52.have met with the country's President in the capital.
:12:53. > :12:54.The girls from Chibok were among more than 200 kidnapped three years
:12:55. > :12:57.ago by the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram.
:12:58. > :12:59.The government says they'll be given medical checks before being reunited
:13:00. > :13:06.Over 100 are still being held by militants.
:13:07. > :13:10.She's an artist and a poet, and now Kate Tempest is at the helm
:13:11. > :13:12.of the Brighton Festival, the largest curated multi arts
:13:13. > :13:17.This year the festival's theme celebrates what she calls
:13:18. > :13:19.the "Everyday Epic" and encourages the audience to take a walk
:13:20. > :13:32.Our Arts Editor Will Gompertz has been speaking to her.
:13:33. > :13:40.A warm welcome in Brighton for Kate Tempest. Your age is told in months.
:13:41. > :13:47.There's things I hope you will learn, things I am sure I learned
:13:48. > :13:54.once. The poets, performer and for this year only, guest director at
:13:55. > :13:58.the annual three-week's Festival. Outside is busy, people are excited.
:13:59. > :14:04.You have three weeks of this. What do you want people to take from it?
:14:05. > :14:09.I hope what happens is, this is what happens to me and it is the thing of
:14:10. > :14:14.what I like the most of what the arts can do, you leave the theatre,
:14:15. > :14:17.the cinema, the gallery or the community centre, where ever you
:14:18. > :14:22.have been watching the performance and you go back out into the street
:14:23. > :14:28.and suddenly, everything is a bit brighter. You are looking at faces
:14:29. > :14:34.more clearly and allowing yourself to connect with experience a bit
:14:35. > :14:43.more openly. It just reaches your senses a little bit.
:14:44. > :14:53.A central theme is arts, access for all. We are hopefully coming to the
:14:54. > :14:58.end of a time when ideas about high culture and low culture are very
:14:59. > :15:09.much ingrained in ideas about class, and I hope we are coming out of that
:15:10. > :15:12.now. The truth has lost its way... I think what is important is to
:15:13. > :15:19.remember that creativity is an extremely valuable and necessary
:15:20. > :15:24.part of our mental health. It makes us human. It is, for me, one of the
:15:25. > :15:30.humanising principles and as life becomes increasingly synthetic, it
:15:31. > :15:35.is probably one of our most important vehicles and cultivators
:15:36. > :15:41.of empathy and connection, connection to ourselves and also to
:15:42. > :15:47.each other. A sentiment shared by this appreciative audience.
:15:48. > :15:49.Earlier, Liverpool missed a penalty as they were held to a goalless
:15:50. > :15:55.In the later game taking place right now, Arsenal lead
:15:56. > :15:58.England striker Danny Welbeck scoring the second goal
:15:59. > :16:04.That's it, we are back with the late News at Ten o'clock,
:16:05. > :16:06.now on BBC One its time for the news where you are.