The Conservatives promise to create two million new jobs if re-elected
Labour say they will help small firms by cutting business rates by an average of £400
Plaid Cymru launch their election manifesto with a call to end austerity
Lib Dems promise to spend billions more on mental health
There are 37 days until the general election
@faisalislam
Quote MessageChancellor got these better GDP figures day early, normal ONS procedure, same thing happened under Labour. Still a small tactical advantage."
Image source, Getty
Reality Check
Remember Real Household Disposable Income (RHDI) per head? No? That was the indicator that Chancellor George Osborne described in his Budget speech as the most comprehensive and up-to-date measure of standards of living. Well, the latest figures are out this morning as part of the ONS Economic Wellbeing release, external. Mr Osborne said that by the end of 2015, RHDI per head would be above the levels it had been in 2010. Well, the good news for him is that the figures for the last three months of 2014 were just a touch above the figures for the second three months of 2010 (which was when the election was). But they’re still below the levels they were in the previous four quarters.
The Reality Check team will be looking at the limitations of this indicator and what some of the other standard of living indicators say during the day.
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BBC News website reader:
After the financial chaos Labour left the country in 5 yrs ago, they would be wise to keep quiet on financial matters!
@BBCMarkEaston
Quote MessageSpend spend spend! UK households spent highest ever last Xmas- £263.9bn in Q4 2014 exceeding previous high in Q4 2007. @ONS"
Image source, PAThe UK economy grew by 0.6% in the final quarter of last year, revised up from 0.5%, according to official figures. For 2014 as a whole, the UK economy grew 2.8%, external, revised up from a previous estimate of 2.6%, and the biggest expansion since 2006.
Carole Walker
Campaign correspondent
David Cameron, fresh from his round of morning interviews, has travelled over to the new digital centre at Sainsbury's London HQ. It's announced 480 new jobs - a first step towards the Conservatives' promise of two million new jobs by 2020.
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
David Baxendale, Hinckley: I am tired and frustrated of being 'represented' by somebody who doesn't represent this area... How can an MP or candidate stand for election in a constituency where they have never lived and have no intention of doing so, when I am obliged to vote only where I live when I would rather transfer my vote to somewhere it might actually count? I live in a 'safe seat' and because I do not support that particular party I feel that my vote will always be wasted unless I move. Isn't it about time we had proportional representation?
@nick_clegg
Quote MessageFollowing this morning's press conf on NHS-mental health funding, off to Watford now to campaign with the wonderful @DorothyThornhll
@DavidHansonMP
Quote Message@LabourHistory -my fav bit of memorabilia from 1966 election _an unused ballot paper with Wilson& lord sutch £1ebay !
Image source, Twitter / David HansonEd Miliband's ability to continue tackling the deficit from within Downing Street - even at a slower pace than the Conservatives - could be endangered by a group of up to 40 left-leaning backbenchers. That's today's big Times story, external on the Labour party, based on claims from Labour candidate John McDonnell - the leader of the Socialist Campaign Group. Credit should also go to the New Statesman, external though who had the original interview with Mr McDonnell.
Image source, EPAAnother party leader who’s been on the airwaves this morning is Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon. Interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland this morning, she said Trident was a "red line" for the SNP and that the nationalists would “do everything in our power to not renew” it. The final decision on renewing Trident was delayed by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition until 2016.
Quote Message"Trident is a red line. We will never ever vote for Trident. We would not support anything that was around the renewal of Trident."
Nicola Sturgeon
@bbclaurak
Quote MessagePM on bullish form this morning - most common phrase in interview, 'I don't accept that'
BBC Radio 4 Today
US satirist PJ O’Rourke has been giving his take on the British election. Here’s a few of his observations:
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
Graeme Lowe: The idea of a Tory pact with UKIP is quite ridiculous because UKIP is highly unlikely to have more than a couple of MPs. It is simply an attempt to deflect attention from the far more likely 'disaster' to use Jon Trickett's words, of an alliance between Labour and the SNP.
@nick_clegg
tweets:, external .@JoeyEssex_, external Really nice to meet you this morning. Sorry about the early start! Hope the programme goes well!
Image source, @nick_clegg
The Guardian
There is no escaping the fact that, yep, there really is a general election on, because according to Zoe Williams, at the Guardian, external some of the undeniable symptoms have appeared. From open-mic gaffes to awkward photos with youths, she's been listing the signs that Britain is going to the polls.
Labour candidate Andy Botham, speaking at a hustings in the Derbyshire Dales seat, told his audience: "Yes, I do want to ignore the deficit."
"Yes I do want to ignore it if it means I am putting people into food banks. I do want to ignore it if it means I'm leaving people in rural poverty and rural isolation. Yes, I do want to ignore it if it means that I am making people go into the NHS much quicker than they need to because we can't provide social care. Yes, I do want to ignore if it means I've got to cut bus services, I've got to cut childcare and I've got to cut Sure Start."
Image source, PAListening intently, the aforementioned Joey Essex.
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
P Goodyer, Suffolk: In any economy or business its all about living within your means and gradual continious improvement. We are seeing that improvement now, being positive about the future is a key message.