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Not sure what's going on here. Possibly something to do with a long-term economic plan.

The Daily Telegraph

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Neither Labour nor the Conservatives have managed to "fix their core problems", Ian Birrell writes in the Telegraph, external. Where Labour are ignoring their “well-earned reputation for economic incompetence”, the Tories face a “toxic image problem” which Mr Birrell says is making seats like Hove - where George Osborne was yesterday - marginal. “The Tory problem remains a perceived attitude towards public services and a need to reassure a wary electorate,” he writes. “It is too late to change now as the battle for Britain begins, but this is why candidates end up bemoaning the failure of economic success to cut through to ungrateful voters.” The net result is a “dreary, negative and uninspiring campaign”. Excellent… follow all the latest developments here!

The shadow chancellor says people in Scotland don't feel like there's a recovery for them, personally. Nor are they answering 'yes' to that basic question of whether they're better off now than they were five years ago. Ed Balls says disappointing tax revenues are the reason why Labour will "inherit" a bleak situation as he mounts a sustained attack on the Tories' preference for sticking with spending cuts. They are behaving "doggedly" as well as "dogmatically", he adds.

"The only consensus now on offer to voters in Scotland is the consensus between the SNP and the Conservatives that no new investment is required in Scotland," the shadow chancellor says. He says the "economic and electoral logic" requires a Labour vote in Scotland.

Ed Balls is now speaking in Glasgow. He's promising to attack both the Conservatives and the SNP. We wouldn't expect anything less...

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“If you’ve had a government that’s been successful in cutting welfare, if that government stays in power that government can carry on with the process of reform,” Michael Gove tells Shaun Ley on The World At One. So why won’t the Tories offer more detail on where exactly those £12bn in welfare cuts will be coming from? Conservatives have offered more detail than ever before, Mr Gove replies.

Chris, Yorkshire:

Brian, Norfolk:

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Business warnings that they might stop employing workers approaching Labour’s proposed 12-week limit on zero-hour contracts should be ignored, shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves says. “Some people said if you did that with agency workers people would employ an agency worker for 11 weeks and then lay them off,” she tells The World at One. “We didn’t see that happen in practice because that would involve lots of training and recruitment costs for the firm.” Earlier (see 12.29 post) her shadow cabinet colleague Chris Leslie suggested Labour could legislate to ensure staff are not let go after 11 weeks of work.

Peter Mason:

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And here’s another line from Vince Cable, who was asked earlier his thoughts about the Sheffield Hallam poll suggesting Nick Clegg is in danger of losing to Labour. "I'm absolutely certain Nick Clegg will win his seat and return as leader of the Liberal Democrats," he said. "One of the problems with the Lord Ashcroft polls is they don't actually name the candidates. I think when the full position is revealed he will be back and he will return as our party leader, I have no doubt about it.”

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Vince Cable is asked to confirm the expectation that the Lib Dems will give the party which gets the largest number of seats first dibs at a coalition in the event of a hung parliament. “That’s not the Liberal Democrat view, that’s a basic constitutional principle,” he says, apparently ignoring the removal of a footnote to the cabinet manual citing Nick Clegg’s 2010 approach. “We will act in the national interest and we will act as a force in moderation for sense and stability,” he tells The World at One.

With 1 April landing in the middle of the first official week of campaigning, political spoofs were inevitable. We've rounded up a few of the best ones here, including Ed Miliband's makeover, Nick Clegg chasing the gay vote, and a new Spare Womb tax.

Image source, The Sun

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Vince Cable is now on The World at One, where he refuses to play the same game as his Conservative colleagues in government. “I’m not naming companies, it’s not relevant,” he says when asked to list some Lib Dem business supporters. “I’ve actually been a business secretary and in that capacity I’ve helped deliver the recovery that we’ve had. The Tories choose not to mention that - that’s their politics.”