Matt Chorley, Mail Online political editorpublished at 17:42 British Summer Time 4 April 2015
@MattChorley
Quote MessageThis is what we've come to: "PA: Ben Elton took a swipe at Myleene Klass over her criticism of Labour's mansion tax plans"
Summary
Nicola Sturgeon denies a newspaper claim she told a French diplomat she would prefer David Cameron in No 10
The Daily Telegraph says a memo details Ms Sturgeon privately saying Labour's leader wasn't PM material
Ed Miliband is unveiling a Labour plan to encourage banks to fund 125,000 new homes for first time-buyers in England
The Lib Dems set out plans for a £2.5bn healthcare fund to reduce pressure on hospitals in England
The Conservatives unveil plans to prevent children from viewing pornographic websites
There are 33 days until the general election
Matt Chorley, Mail Online political editorpublished at 17:42 British Summer Time 4 April 2015
Peter Hunt, BBC Labour campaign correspondentpublished at 17:32
@BBCPeterHunt
Image source, Press AssociationQuote Message“I have to wear this lipstick,” Eddie Izzard told the crowd, “because it’s the Labour Party’s colours”. The comedian, who described himself as “straight transgender”, was one of the warm up acts at a rally for the faithful. In a long election campaign, like this one, these are the moments when the supporters are fired up and reminded of the messages they need to repeat on the doorstep. The loudest cheers were when Ed Miliband spoke about zero hours contracts and the NHS. There was a more muted response when he talked of the need for controls on immigration. Mr Miliband called the Liberal Democrat leader, “Calamity Clegg”; and the Conservative Party “the political wing of the hedge fund industry”. He also used this gathering of about a thousand people in Warrington to outline Labour’s plans to build new homes if elected. Over Easter, the man who wants to be prime minister will largely disappear from view. Politicians know that we, the electorate, have our limits.
Political Interviewing 101, with Jeremy Paxmanpublished at 17:10
Image caption, Jeremy Paxman looking unimpressed on his old turf at BBC Newsnight
Jeremy Paxman's decades-long tenure at Newsnight produced some of the most memorable - and YouTube-worthy, external - moments in recent political history, and his return to the interviewing game at the Channel 4/Sky News leaders' Q&A two weeks ago was eagerly anticipated. In the Times today (behind a paywall),, externalthe veteran broadcaster offers an answer to a question we're sure he's wrestled with for years: how do you get a politician to tell the truth?
Some of Mr Paxman's finest moments can also be found at the BBC's Election 2015 Timeliner, external - where you can also watch some gems from the previous doyen of the political interview, Robin Day.
Meanwhile, on Twitter...published at 17:00
Image source, AFP/Getty ImagesGeorge Galloway, the Respect candidate in Bradford West has been in something of a Twitter spat with Bradford Brewery, a bar, pie shop and - of course - brewery in Yorkshire. The company tweeted, external asking the famously bullish Mr Galloway if he was "still a thing", and relations deteriorated from there. Now, he's vowed to return to the matter, external after the election.
Leak inquiry - morepublished at 16:47
Sir Jeremy Heywood said he had been asked to:
Quote MessageInvestigate issues relating to the apparent leak of a Scotland Office memo that forms the basis of this morning's Daily Telegraph story. I can confirm that earlier today I instigated a Cabinet Office-led leak inquiry to establish how extracts from this document may have got into the public domain. Until that inquiry is complete I will not be making any further comment either on the document or the inquiry."
'Leak' inquiry announcedpublished at 16:43
BreakingThe head of the Civil Service, Sir Jeremy Heywood, has launched an inquiry into the alleged leak of a Civil Service internal report to a newspaper. The report - of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's private meeting with the French ambassador - purportedly says that Ms Sturgeon told the ambassador she would prefer to see David Cameron as prime minister , rather than Ed Miliband - something she has denied saying.
Thanet Beer Festivalpublished at 16:37
Image source, PAUKIP leader Nigel Farage has been sampling the ales at a beer festival in Thanet.
'Call on me'published at 16:11
Sunday Times deputy political editor James Lyons is the first - of many, we're sure - on our Twitter feed to note, external that the passionate rhetoric of 'call on me' in Ed Miliband's speech - advocating leadership and responsibility - shares the refrain of Eric Prydz's 2004 dance song 'Call On Me'. If the music doesn't immediately leap to mind, perhaps the renowned video will jog your memory, external (YouTube link).
Miliband speechpublished at 15:48
Ed Miliband is on the stage. He starts by thanking his celebrity guests and inviting a round of applause for local Labour candidates. Now he's on to familiar Labour talking points: workers are too poorly paid, zero-hours contracts need to be ended - and the "Promise of Britain" needs to be restored. He vows to fight for the British people against "powerful, vested interests".
Joey againpublished at 15:41
The BBC's Peter Hunt has spotted, external another celebrity in the audience in Warrington today - reality TV star Joey Essex (centre) is sat next to Guardian columnist Owen Jones.
Essex, who is fronting an ITV programme about the election and has been popping up a fair amount during the first week of campaigning, described, external Ed Miliband as his "bezzie" after meeting the Labour leader last year.
'One rule for the rich' wrongpublished at 15:40
Another famous face preceding Ed Miliband behind the podium at Labour's Warrington event today. The actress Sally Lindsay - Shelley Unwin on Coronation Street - says she's voting Labour as she doesn't want her two young sons to grow up in a society where there's "one rule for the rich" and another for everyone else. She wants the NHS expanded too - because it's the "jewel in the crown" of our public services.
Other parties' housing planspublished at 15:38
UKIP has pledged to change planning rules to make it easier to build on brownfield sites as a means of increasing housing and protecting the green belt.
The party has also said houses on brownfield sites would be exempt from stamp duty on their first sale and that it would relax VAT for the redevelopment of brownfield sites.
The Green Party has pledged to build 500,000 social rented homes by 2020.
It also wants to bring empty homes back into use, cap rent and introduce longer tenancies to provide greater protection for renters.
'A British-European transvestite'published at 15:35
Eddie Izzard declares his support for the UK's EU membership and describes himself as a "British-European transvestite": "I'm passionate about Europe - we have to learn to work together in some shape or form." Europe is not perfect, he says, with too much bureaucracy - but UKIP's "simplistic politics" is about running and hiding, rather than working to try to solve problems.
Recap on housing planspublished at 15:32
Ahead of Ed Miliband's speech, a quick recap on Labour's housing proposals. Labour has said it intends to encourage banks to use the funds in first-time buyer ISAs to invest in new housing developments in England. The £5bn it would generate would help Labour reach its target of building 200,000 new homes a year by 2020, the party has said.
The ISAs were announced by George Osborne in the March Budget and sees the government top up money people save towards a deposit to buy their first house.
The Conservatives have pledged that 200,000 homes will be made available to first-time buyers in England by 2020 if they win the election, and have branded the Labour plan "ill thought-through".
The Lib Dems have pledged to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder through a "rent-to-own homes" scheme, in which young people in England would make monthly payments equivalent to rent to build up a share in their home, without requiring a deposit.
Celeb endorsementspublished at 15:29
Ed Miliband's party isn't the only one showing celebrity endorsement today - former England defender Sol Campbell has been snapped, external campaigning for the Conservatives.
Peter Hunt, BBC Labour campaign correspondentpublished at 15:27 British Summer Time 4 April 2015
@BBCPeterHunt
Quote MessageEddie Izard at Labour Warrington party: I have to wear this lipstick because it's the Labour Party colours.
Eddie Izzard on stagepublished at 15:24
Eddie Izzard is the third celebrity at the Labour rally, following Ben Elton and an appearance on screen from Martin Freeman - who has made an election campaign video for Labour, external.
Elton back on the road for Labourpublished at 15:16
Ben Elton opens Labour's Warrington rally.
The writer and comedian reminds people he was "very active" in Labour in the 1980s and 1990s, with Red Wedge - a collective of musicians and others backing Labour.
He says, in the 1987 election campaign, he and Bill Bragg played gigs in "six important marginals - and lost the lot".
Striking a serious note, he claims that many young people today feel they have been "born into a country where the dice have been loaded against them" - which he calls "a criminal waste of British potential".
'Why I heckled David Cameron'published at 15:08
The Guardian
Image source, Press AssociationYesterday BBC Radio 5 Live heard from Victoria Prosser, the woman who heckled David Cameron during Thursday's leaders' debate. In The Guardian, she has expanded on her motivation, external - explaining just why she couldn't keep quiet while the prime minister made his case.
'L'affaire Sturgeon' - what next?published at 15:05 British Summer Time 4 April 2015
The Spectator
Image source, Getty ImagesAt The Spectator, former Labour spin doctor Damian McBride - himself no stranger to back-room intrigue - lays out some of the possible explanations, external for what he's calling "l'affaire Sturgeon", and poses some questions that - if answered - might shine some light on what's really behind today's controversy.