Labour say they would end non-domicile tax status
But a video emerges of Ed Balls saying the policy would cost the country money
The Tories say the plans are "a shambles"
Pupils who fail their Sats tests will have to resit under a future Conservative government
There are 29 days until the general election
Nick Robinson
Political editor
Image source, AFP/Getty ImagesOur Political Editor haswritten a blogon this morning's non-dom story - in which he sees some striking parallels with the US.
Quote MessageThe non-doms have been selected by Ed Miliband and Ed Balls as a symbol of what is wrong with Britain today and a symbol of their intention to break with their own past."
Nick Robinson, BBC Political Editor
Image source, PAYesterday’s speech from ex-PM Tony Blair has left right-wing figures commentating. “What the blithering flip was he thinking?” writes Tory MEP Daniel Hannan in the Mail, external. “How did Tony Blair imagine that it would help Ed Miliband if he were to pop up mid-election and remind us that Labour is too disdainful of ordinary voters to ask their opinion on EU membership?” In the Telegraph, Mary Riddell offers a rather more cautious approach, external. “Mr Cameron has more to fear from the Blair resurrection,” she writes. “In a country looking for the assurance of better and kinder days to come, the apex predator is yesterday’s big beast.”
@jimwaterson
Quote MessageWe need 100 journalists to sign this letter calling for an instant ban on 100 people signing letters. RT = signature.
Carole Walker
Conservative campaign correspondent
Image source, GettyDavid Cameron is on his way to a school in the North West to highlight the Tory plan for resit tests for any pupil who does not achieve a good pass in English and Maths in the Sats they take before leaving primary school. He’ll say the policy will mean “more discipline, more rigour, zero tolerance of failure and mediocrity.”
As you would expect, the Tories’ opponents have been swift to criticise, with Labour’s shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt describing it as “a desperate attempt by the Tories to try to overshadow their failures on school standards.“ The Liberal Democrat David Laws said the Conservatives plans for cuts show they have “no credibility on school standards” - an interesting comment from the minister with responsibility for schools, at least for the next few weeks.
Back in 2010, education was a significant issue in David Cameron’s campaign with his drive to create free schools, outside the control of local authorities. Today’s launch is hardly going to create the same waves and is likely to be over-shadowed by the Labour drive to tackle non-doms.
The Conservatives say they have already committed to another 500 free schools in the next parliament. They point out that as almost every job requires English and Maths, this is about giving every child a decent start in life.
@johnestevens
Quote MessageOn non-doms Farage says: "We need to find out if it's a good thing or a bad thing for the country. We have to assess it carefully"
BBC Radio 5 Live
If you missed what went on yesterday in the campaign, or just need it all explained a bit better, you can always download the 5 live Election Report podcast. Chief political correspondent John Pienaar will take you through day nine as it happened, including reaction to former prime minister, Tony Blair being part of Labour's campaign. Plus, hear from correspondents around the UK who are following the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, UKIP and Labour.
BBC News Channel
Nicky Morgan has been quizzed twice in the last hour on Labour’s non-doms announcement. On the Today programme earlier she appeared to briefly indicate her support for the complete abolition of non-dom tax status but clarified that by the end of the interview, stating: “Non-doms are now paying more in this parliament as a result of the Conservative-led government. I think that’s the right thing to happen.” Appearing on the BBC News Channel just now, she attacked Labour’s “fudged announcement” and said Ed Miliband’s party was “potentially tinkering around the edges of the rules”.
@MaryRiddell
The Daily Telegraph
Quote MessageSmart move by Labour to end non-dom tax status in the name of the common good. How will the Tories respond?
@JohnRentoul
Quote MessageAbolishing non-dom status. Talk about wonders and never ceasing. Labour comes up with a sensible policy."
Image source, Science Photo LibraryYesterday an especially enlightened voter in the Bridgwater and West Somerset called for a computer to run the government. “There wouldn’t be no argument,” one Mr Webber told the Today programme while waiting for his bus. “We wouldn’t have all this fighting and bickering. If a computer could control it, it would be fair.”
So now the Today programme asks: Is this a possibility? “No,” says Andrew Martin, secretary of the Society for the study of Artificial Intelligence (AISB). Excellent. The problem is robots just aren’t there yet in terms of sophistication. Nor may they ever be, he adds. “The problem is any computer is only as good as what you tell it to do,” technology writer Kate Bevan explains. “It depends as much as anything on what you tell the political computer to be.” How, for example, do you tell it to discount bias, when all human knowledge is bias? This is all getting rather philosophical - it sounds like we’re going to have to go ahead with the general election as planned after all.
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
Caroline:
As a 25 year old I have felt disappointed in the government since 2008 and have given up on false promises. In 2008 I had a great apprenticeship, my own home and a job but since then a lot of apprentices were laid off. Getting back to where I was then is now more difficult and to me impossible. I'm living with my parents and stuck in a zero hour contract.
BBC Radio 5 Live
5 live Daily from 10am is in Dewsbury where the Conservatives currently hold power with a small majority, Labour are keen to get it back but the rise in UKIP could split the vote. You can listen using the live coverage tab above on a desktop. Presenter Peter Allen will also talk to representatives from the four biggest political parties - Labour's Mary Creagh, Conservative Kris Hopkins, Lib Dem Greg Mulholland and for UKIP, Owais Rajput.
Nicky Morgan and Tristram Hunt have been on the Today programme and BBC Breakfast simultaneously, making opposite cases about improving school standards. The shadow education secretary isn’t keen on Sats resits for struggling year sevens, saying Labour doesn’t think “yet another examination in the English education system is necessarily the way forward”. He calls the Sats announcement “a startling admission of failure”, saying it’s the quality of teaching in primary schools that is really key to children’s achievement, not testing. And he talks a lot about the need to reduce the number of underqualified teachers in England - there are currently 17,100 of them, or 3% of the total. Ms Morgan rebuffs that argument on Today, saying: “The issue of class sizes and qualification of teachers are important, but that is not relevant to the issues we are discussing today.”
Norman Smith
Assistant political editor
Yesterday we had a big personality dominating the campaign - Tony Blair - and today we've got a big policy.
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
Rob Blaney:
It is refreshing the tax evasion, tax avoidance and Non-Dom issue is being given airtime since the HSBC was found to have fostered tax avoidance. Another question to all political parties fighting the election on this issue: Will all politicians in the UK election agree to the proposal that no Member of Parliament, Civil Servant, Peer, or in contract with any government or local government body shall hold a foreign bank account in their own name or make any arrangement to hide holding such a foreign bank account? Ask the politician; will they sign up to this proposal?
@jimwaterson
Quote MessageOpening paragraphs of the Conservative/Lib Dem statements on nom-doms are pretty similar. Coalition's over, guys.
@paulwaugh
Quote MessageHere's @JolyonMaugham blog that @edballsmp namechecked on 'Today', suggesting Lab cd raise £1bn from non-dom policy. http://waitingfortax.com/
BBC News Channel
David Wooding, from the Sun on Sunday, says Labour is trying to steal a march on the Conservatives on tax, but doing so runs the risk of further alienating the business community. Helen Lewis, from the New Statesman, says it's tricky for George Osborne to respond to this policy, especially as one of the "toxic problems" for the Tories is the perception of them as representing the rich. Mr Osborne can try to steal the policy idea or kill it and it looks like he's going for the latter, she adds.
BBC News Channel
Quote MessageThis is a radical reform that shows very strong leadership by Ed Miliband."
Tristram Hunt, Shadow education secretary
@simonjacktoday
Quote MessageLabour not abolishing non doms - paying to protect yourself from UK tax after years of residence is. Could still be non dom for <3-5 years.