We've still got more than four hours to go before the debate begins but party leaders have started to arrive at the Media City studios. Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood spared a few minutes for reporters on the way in

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Brian Gare, Norfolk:

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Politics Live reader:

For those who don't think SNP or Plaid Cymru should be on the debate tonight - have you considered that their policies may well become very relevant to the English voters when we have a hung parliament and the main parties are scraping together a coalition at any cost.

Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two

A Tory-led government thinking of leaving Europe, or an SNP involvement in a Labour coalition. These election outcomes would be "most disruptive for the markets in general", according to Ewen Cameron Watt, from Blackrock Investment. He told the Daily Politics the UK and Europe were used to coalition governments, which would not upset the market, but that "uncertainty and extremes" would. Watch the interview

Reality Check

In the US, primary debates, where political parties choose their presidential candidate, regularly feature seven or more participants. As the discussion heats up it becomes increasingly important for the moderator to give equal time to each, but does this end up being the case?

University of Minnesota research shows that it’s not. One seven-way Republican debate in 2011 saw Mitt Romney speaking for a total of 17 minutes 22 seconds. Newt Gingrich on the other hand spoke for only eight minutes 23 seconds. That’s around twice the amount of time to promote policy and engage with viewers.

Some in the US believe the media deliberately favours the frontrunners. Indeed, Romney spoke for the longest amount of time in six of the nine monitored debates and went on to win the nomination.

Reg, Fife:

All these party leaders on one stage sounds too chaotic. They should just turn it into an election edition of ''Pointless''.

Over at the Spectator, political editor James Forsyth says the emphasis being put on a hung parliament after 7 May could change the way people vote. He cites figures from the British Election Study which suggest that if voters think no one will win an overall majority at the election, there’ll be more support for the minor parties. Read more of what he has to say here., external

Wayne, Bishops Stortford:

Debate question. I'd like to know why rail companies are allowed to sponge money for investment from the taxpayer and passengers when traditionally private sector investment comes from selling shares.

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Daily Politics
BBC Two

The Community Party of Britain dates back to 1920 and is fielding nine general election candidates. General Secretary Rob Griffiths spoke to Jo Coburn about the party's view of Ed Miliband, and past Labour leaders, and links between the largest political parties and business. He said the party was the inheritor of the "original communist tradition", how it opposed the Common Market and EU, was against Nato, but it backed devolved parliaments for Scotland and Wales. Watch the interview

tweets, external : Sky News asks Nick Clegg if he can revive Cleggmania tonight. 'I doubt it,' he replies mournfully

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There's plenty of attention on Nick Clegg as he visits first aid charity Millie's Trust in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire.

The Huffington Post

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What odds on this happening later? The Huffington Post has been inspired, external by David Cameron joking with schoolchildren about using jiu-jitsu during the TV debate. For the record. the PM said there would be "no bodily contact".

Politics Live viewer:

Blimey the debate is the Weakest Link! Where's Anne Robinson?

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Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has dismissed as "utter nonsense" Labour's claims the Conservatives would close 1,000 Sure Start centres.

Labour education spokesman Tristram Hunt told BBC Radio 4's World at One that 760 Sure Start centres had closed since 2010, and more were under threat of future spending cuts planned by the Conseratives.

But Mr Pickles retorted that Labour had its figures wrong, and that the government had invested more money in childcare.

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Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics

Andrew Neil looks forward to the televised debate between seven political leaders in Salford. Ahead of the two-hour debate, most the key campaign figures are in northern England. David Cameron and Ed Miliband were talking tax and business, while Nick Clegg was in the news over a poll suggesting he was at risk of losing his Sheffield seat. Nigel Farage was was taking questions on immigration targets from BBC Radio 4. Watch the Daily Politics presenter's daily film on the key figures' activities, and the day's political headlines.

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