BBC Radio 4 Today

In 2010 the Conservatives had to form a coalition because Britain was "on the brink", Ruth Davidson says. She singles out Lib Dem Danny Alexander for praise. But she says "we've come a really long way" over the last five years. Now though, she suggests, minority government could work for the Conservatives in Westminster just as it did for the SNP in Holyrood in 2007. "I don't think this should be a surprise for your listeners," she says - because as a Tory voter she wants to see Conservative ministers in power. Would a minority be her preference, then? "If the numbers work then yes, probably it would."

BBC Breakfast

"I think that 12 months is too long - we've listened to people," Ed Miliband tells Breakfast on why he's tightened up Labour's policy on zero-hours contracts. He says he couldn't live on such a contract, adding: "If it's not good enough for us, I don't think it's good enough for the people of Britain." He says he doesn't believe the policy will put businesses off hiring.

BBC Radio 4 Today

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"I think there will be SNP gains at this election," Ruth Davidson says. Not many prizes for political analysis there, perhaps, although it is significant that she's not denying it. But the other parties are looking to build, too, the Scottish Conservative leader adds. "We are the most pro-union party," she says.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson is now being interviewed on the Today programme. "If you look at the way the polls are now you're still seeing the ripples of the referendum," she says. The SNP did well last year and they're going to do well this time round too. "45% is enough to win you an awful lot of seats."

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The Tories aren’t particularly impressed with Labour’s plans to force employers to give workers on zero-hours contracts a full contract after just 12 weeks of work. They account for just one in 50 jobs in the economy and the government has already banned the abusive ones, a spokesperson says. “Tony Blair even promised to ban them entirely as far as back as 1995 and then did nothing. The fact is that three quarters of the new jobs since this government came to office are full time - these are families across the country getting into work with the security of a regular pay packet.”

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This morning's front pages are all about business, the economy and the big battle between the Conservatives and Labour. But there are some striking other stories, too - check them out here .

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This week sees the introduction of shared parental leave across the UK, a measure the Liberal Democrats are keen to take the credit for. Today the coalition’s junior party will be announcing their plan to take it even further by increasing paternity leave from two weeks to six. "For too long, mums have been told their place is at home with their child, while dads return to work,” Nick Clegg says. "I want parents to choose for themselves how to balance work and family." He’ll be campaigning in equality minister Jo Swinson’s East Dunbartonshire - a seat under serious threat, like everywhere else in Scotland, from the SNP.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna is in downplaying mode as he sizes up the letter from 100 senior business figures backing the “Conservative-led” government’s economic strategy. "No one will be surprised that some business people are calling for low taxes for big businesses,” he says. “That's nothing new and under Labour, Britain will have the most competitive corporation tax rate in the G7. But whilst the recovery may have reached some firms it hasn't reached many others which is why we will prioritise tax cuts for the smallest firms with an immediate cut in business rates for 1.5 million small business premises.” The letter comes on the day corporation tax falls to 20% - Labour have said they'd put it back to 21%.

There’s going to be a lot of attention paid to Scotland today. The Today programme features interviews with the Scottish Conservatives’ Ruth Davidson and Scottish Labour’s Jim Murphy, while Ed Balls and Nick Clegg are both heading north of the border later for campaigning - here’s a preview of the policies they’ll be pushing. It follows polling from ComRes/ITV News last night in the 40 seats being defended by Labour - which gave the SNP a six-point lead.

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Labour is making a big move on zero hours contracts today - so employees who are given a regular pattern of work would have a legal right to a full contract after just 12 weeks, rather than 12 months as the party said previously. It’s a strategy which is expected to attract criticism from some businesses - already the CBI has warned Ed Miliband against demonising flexible working arrangements - but Labour will be hoping to persuade voters they're on the side of the workers in the days to come. “We've seen an epidemic of zero hours contracts in our country and we’ve got to act against them,” Ed Miliband says. “The trouble is for some businesses it’s become the primary way they employ people. And I don¹t think it’s right for our country.”

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Business chiefs have given the Conservative Party a major boost by backing their approach to the economy. The 100 or so figures who’ve signed the letter appearing in today’sTelegraph, external largely overlook the fact the deficit reduction approach was a coalition strategy, praising the “Conservative-led government” and singling out “David Cameron and George Osborne’s flagship policy of progressively lowering corporation tax to 20%” for special praise. The big signatories include Duncan Bannatyne, Sir Stuart Rose, Karren Brady and Bloomberg chairman Peter Grauer. Here's our story.