Summary

  • The general election campaign is officially under way

  • Parliament has dissolved and MPs have officially reverted to being members of the public

  • David Cameron urged voters to keep him in power to finish the job of turning the economy around

  • Ed Miliband launched his party's business manifesto and warns of the risks of an EU referendum

  • Nick Clegg would not say if his party would block an EU referendum if it entered another coalition with the Tories

  • There are 38 days until the general election

  1. Tamara Cohen, Daily Mail political correspondentpublished at 14:03 British Summer Time 30 March 2015

    @tamcohen

    tweets:, external Lord Ashdown says he's an expert in 'cruel and unusual punishments' and they will be used on any lib dem who talks about a 2nd coalition

  2. 'Desperate and made up'published at 14:02

    BBC Radio 4

    Also on the World at One, Labour Treasury spokesman Chris Leslie says Paul Johnson's assessment of the £3,000 number "put the nail in the coffin of these totally desperate and made up figures" from the Conservatives.

    Chris LeslieImage source, PA
  3. Shapps defends Conservatives' sumspublished at 13:57

    BBC Radio 4

    Grant ShappsImage source, Getty

    Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps defended the £3,000 figure a short time ago on the World at One, after IFS head Paul Johnson said the calculation made the assumption - which Labour denies - that Ed Miliband would balance the current budget by 2017 and raise half the money needed to do that through tax rises. "We've already been told by Labour that they subscribe to £30 billion of consolidation over the next two years," Mr Shapps says. He adds:"All we're saying is this is how it would fall on working people."

  4. James Chapman, Daily Mail political editorpublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 30 March 2015

    @jameschappers

    tweets:, external@NicolaSturgeon, external 's net approval rating across UK is +7, compared to Cameron -5, Miliband -39, Clegg -47. Will she win Thursday's debate?

  5. Brown speechpublished at 13:50

    Gordon BrownImage source, Press Association

    From a distance it could be 2010 all over again... Gordon Brown gave a speech a short time ago in Glasgow. He announced that Labour would spend an extra £800 million in Scotland on the NHS, tackling poverty and creating jobs if they're elected.

  6. About the £3,000 figurepublished at 13:45

    Anthony Reuben
    Head of statistics

    More on the Conservatives' claim that under a Labour government, taxes would have to rise by £3,000 per working household in Britain. Well, the figure has been repeated in a Tory graphic and also in David Cameron's speech. And it's become more specific - it's now £3,028 per working family, which puts the total raised by 11.2 million households at £33.9bn. Now, the Conservatives say that Labour has committed to save £30bn a year - half through tax rises and half through spending cuts. Labour denies this and says the figures are made up. If they aren't made up, £3,028 per working household would raise considerably more than the half of £30bn that the Conservatives say they need.

  7. Kamal Ahmed, BBC business editorpublished at 13:35 British Summer Time 30 March 2015

    @bbckamal

    tweets:, external Two of the businesses quoted in FT advert - SCM Direct and Redbus - tell @markabroad, external they were happy to be quoted and back Labour on EU

  8. Miliband protestpublished at 13:32

    Protesters outside Labour event

    This was the welcome Ed Miliband and Ed Balls received earlier in the City. Protesters dressed as Alex Salmond, criticising any possible government involving Labour and the SNP.

  9. 'Unhelpful' tax claimpublished at 13:30

    BBC Radio 4

    Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, has examined the Conservatives' claim that households would pay £3,000 more in tax under a Labour government. He tells BBC Radio 4's the World at One that the total figure is not an annual one but a figure over four years, which has been divided by the number of working households, rather than all households. "If you simply say it's a £3,000 increase in taxes, I think that's unhelpful," he adds.

  10. Ross Hawkins, BBC political correspondentpublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 30 March 2015

    @rosschawkins

    tweets:, external (Fair enough for Labour to highlight worried businesses, but must have known we'd do a ring round)

  11. Kellogg's 'concerned' about Labour adpublished at 13:17

    Kamal Ahmed, BBC Business Editor

    Kellogg's has joined Siemens in voicing disquiet about Labour's advertisement in the FT. A spokesman said: "We were told about this on Sunday afternoon and we were really clear that we are not party political. We were concerned about it." The spokesman said that "eyebrows were raised internally" about the use of the quote. It appears that the company was told about the advert when it was too late to remove the quote, which is from a speech by Jonathan Myers, head of Kellogg's UK and EU operations, made in Manchester in March 2014.

  12. In Picturespublished at 13:15

    Here's a gallery of some of the images from the fledgling election campaign for you to enjoy over lunch. Ed Miliband, David Cameron, Nigel Farage and some cute animals all feature.

  13. Siemens boss on Labourpublished at 13:07

    Siemens UK chief executive Juergen Maier spoke to the BBC a short time ago. "I was informed that there was going to be comments and quotes about the position of the Labour Party and the EU and as you know I am very supportive of Britain remaining in the EU," he said. "I'm not saying that they've overstepped the mark. What I'm saying is that we don't want to see our comments attributed to specifically to any one political party."

  14. 'Deal breaker'published at 13:01

    Daily Politics
    Live on BBC Two

    Stewart Hosie

    If Labour continued to fund the UK's Trident weapons system this would be "a deal breaker on any sort of long-term arrangement" says SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie, on the BBC 2's Daily Politics.

  15. 'Simply quoted public statements'published at 12:53

    Ed MilibandImage source, AP

    Ed Miliband has defended Labour's use of quotes from six of Britain's biggest business leaders to warn about the risks of leaving the European Union. The boss of Siemens has said the party "overstepped the mark". Speaking at Labour's business manifesto launch, Mr Miliband said: "We've simply quoted public statements by these businesses about the place of Britain in the European Union. And I think lots of businesses all around this country are not necessarily going to be supporting Labour or the Conservatives but they do have a very strong view about our place in the EU."

  16. More on referendum riskpublished at 12:43

    Iain Watson
    Political correspondent

    Quote Message

    The boss of Siemens, Juergen Maier, told me he knew in advance that Labour would include the company in their FT advert. He says he doesn't feel comfortable about being used for political purposes, but does agree with the sentiment about the risk of an EU referendum.

  17. Referendum riskpublished at 12:36

    Daily Politics
    Live on BBC Two

    Labour's Pat McFadden faced questions a few moments ago on BBC 2's Daily Politics on the subject of Europe. "Exit from the EU places a major question mark over our trade and jobs," he said. That, of course, ties in with Ed Miliband's message this morning on the threat of a referendum to business. Read more here.

  18. Labour 'chaos'published at 12:30

    “This election takes place when the world is dangerous and uncertain. We need strong leadership to safeguard our national and our economic security,” says David Cameron. He adds that after the election it will either be himself or Ed Miliband who will be prime minister and voting for the latter would spell “chaos”.

  19. PM speechpublished at 12:26

    “Britain is back on her feet again,” says the prime minister outside No 10.

    David Cameron
  20. Cameron speakspublished at 12:24

    "Together we are turning our country around. We must see this thorugh together," David Cameron says.