Election Live - 9 April

1. The Conservatives say their manifesto will have a commitment to build four new nuclear missile-armed submarines
2. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon accuses Labour of using the Trident replacement as a "bargaining chip" with the SNP
3. Ed Miliband says Mr Fallon had "demeaned himself and his office" after being described as a backstabber by Mr Fallon
4. Nicola Sturgeon says the SNP will not agree any formal power-sharing deal with Labour unless it drops plans to renew Trident
5. Labour proposes a new fund to provide one-to-one careers advice for school pupils in England
6. There are 28 days until the general election

Recap of today's events:

• The Conservatives are standing by an attack on Ed Miliband over claims he could do a deal with the SNP on Trident nuclear weapons that Labour said had dragged politics "into the gutter"
• Prime Minister David Cameron has welcomed announcements of 16,000 new apprenticeships , saying he wants the qualifications to be "level pegging" with university degrees
• Labour said teenagers will be guaranteed face-to-face individual careers advice if they form the next government
• Meanwhile, UKIP has admitted it is "lagging" behind with women voters and that the party sometimes resembles a "rugby club on tour"
• The Lib Dem campaign bus made the news after it arrived in Poole, Dorset, and accidentally killed a pigeon
• Later in the day, UKIP candidate Patricia Culligan was forced to apologise after she appeared to question the cost to the NHS of treating British people who are HIV positive

That's it for tonight folks, see you at 06:00 BST tomorrow.

Daily Express front page

Express

Coming up on This Week

In a rare move, neither Diane Abbott or Michael Portillo are sitting on the This Week sofas tonight. Andrew Neil will be reviewing the political week with Louise Mensch, Lord Falconer and Miranda Green. Grant Woods who has worked for Barclays Private Bank and Coutts as a portfolio manager advising non-doms talks about Labour's bid to get rid of the tax status. The Guardian's Nick Watt rounds up the political week in a film, and is seen pictured with a sheep. And singer-songwriter Pixie Lott looks at how difficult it is for political parties to control their message, and how much effort goes into controlling the image of a successful pop star. They will be live on BBC1 from 23:45 BST.

BBC

Question Time - Blair's Europe speech

"If Tony Blair advises against something, it's probably something we should be doing," quips journalist Tim Stanley in response to a question on Tony Blair's speech this week on Europe. On Tuesday Mr Blair made the case for staying in the EU and urged against a referendum on the subject.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat Vince Cable tells the audience he believes that Tony Blair is right on Europe. He says "on this particular issue I think he is talking sense and people should listen".

The Independent front page

Independent

The Times front page

Times

Non-doms

The Green Party's MP Caroline Lucas gets a round of applause when she says that Labour have "got it right" on their plans to abolish tax breaks for non-doms - that's UK residents whose permanent home, for tax purposes, is abroad.

She says it's about "fairness and justice". Labour's Douglas Alexander claims the Tories cut short a quote from an interview by Ed Balls when he was reported to have said that scrapping the "whole non-dom status" could cause problems for the Treasury.

Then, arguing against Labour's pledge, Conservative Elizabeth Truss quotes the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) saying that the 20% richest had paid the most, in terms of deficit reduction.

Meanwhile, journalist Tim Stanley says driving away "wealth creators" - which he implies would happen if non-dom status was scrapped - would also cause problems. He adds: "If you chase people away by hounding them like this you will hurt the poor as well."

Question Time - Trident and Miliband attack

"There is a serious issue at stake here," says Elizabeth Truss, the Conservative Environment Secretary on the issue of trident, and her colleague Michael Fallon's attack on Ed Miliband. "It's right to highlight somebody's character," she argues, if he may later be asked to do a deal with the SNP.

Meanwhile, Tim Stanley from the Daily Telegraph, gets a smattering of laughs by saying: "Ed Miliband did not stab his brother in the back, he stabbed him in the front." And Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable simply brands Fallon's comments as "vulgar and nasty".

Gauke on Miliband personal attack

Newsnight

Conservative Financial Secretary David Gauke is still talking about the Labour leader's character. He says: "I have no particular complaints about Ed Miliband generally... but I do have to say that his approach in terms of running for the leadership... the idea that people should be shocked at the suggestion that he stabbed his brother in the back is rather surprising. I do not resile from the word backstabber at all."

Polls raise heat in campaign

A flurry of five polls have been released tonight that may raise the campaign temperature a little. Four indicate Labour leads. YouGov puts the gap at one point, while TNS says three points, Survation four and Panelbase six. Survation also reported “Miliband ahead of Cameron in net Leader approval” for the first time.

By contrast, a ComRes telephone poll suggested a one point Conservative lead (albeit down from a four points in the company's previous poll). Lib Dem support hovers around 8% (although ComRes gives them 12% - their highest rating since December 2014) whereas UKIP’s support ranges between 12-19% and the Greens around 5%.

(Update 10 April: The above reflects data that includes a YouGov poll of 7-8 April. A new YouGov poll was subsequently published on 9 April showing a one point lead for the Conservative party)

Peter Northridge, Derby

By using phrases such as “why shouldn’t non-doms pay tax like the rest of us”, Miliband has successfully misled a large proportion of the electorate into believing that non-doms don’t pay ANY tax at all.

So they will like his policy. Is this the way for a prospective PM to act?

Financial Times front page

FT

Telegraph front page

Telegraph

'Disgusting and deeply offensive'

The Liberal Democrats have responded to a UKIP candidate's apology for appearing to question the cost to the NHS of treating British people who are HIV positive. Patricia Culligan claimed a Liberal Democrat standing in another seat "deliberately became HIV positive", writing in a tweet: "yet free NHS care v costly".

A Lib Dem spokesman said: "Once again, a UKIP candidate has revealed the party’s true colours. Patricia Culligan’s comment was disgusting and deeply offensive. The Liberal Democrats will always stand up for the liberal British values of tolerance, generosity and decency."

Attack 'deliberate but risky'

The Conservatives' strategy to attack Ed Miliband was "completely deliberate", according to BBC deputy political editor James Landale, summing up "the day the election got personal" for BBC Radio 4 . However, he says, it's a risky tactic.

Labour ahead in second poll

Another poll today by Panelbase shows Labour climbing to 37% support, while the Conservatives dropped to 31%. The company had placed the two main parties neck-and-neck on 33% last week. UKIP dropped one point to 16%, the Lib Dems rose one to 8% and the Greens dropped one to 4%.

Question Time

Coming up tonight is one of the BBC's flagship political programmes Question Time. On the panel are Conservative Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss, Labour's shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander, Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable, former leader of the Green Party Caroline Lucas and Daily Telegraph blogger and leader writer Tim Stanley. The programme starts at 22:45 BST on BBC One.

'Under orders'

"He will have been told by Tory high command to do this. He was acting under orders," journalist Peter Oborne tells BBC News as he analyses Tory Defence Secretary Michael Fallon's attack on Ed Miliband.

UKIP apology over HIV tweet

PA

UKIP's candidate in a key general election seat has been forced to apologise after she appeared to question the cost to the NHS of treating British people who are HIV positive. In a tweet, Eastleigh candidate Patricia Culligan claimed a Liberal Democrat standing in another seat "deliberately became HIV positive yet free NHS care v costly". Get the full story here.

The Ed Miliband personal attacks continue

Conservative Education Secretary Nicky Morgan is unapologetic about her colleague Michael Fallon's personal attack on Ed Miliband earlier. She tells LBC: "When you ask people about Ed Miliband, the thing that most people know about him is the way that he did stab his brother in the back. That goes to the judgment people make about him letting the country down."

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman responds that these salvos are a "concerted, malicious" tactic that "really brings our politics down".

'Tell no one'

Freelance journalist Susie Boniface - aka Fleet Street Fox - offers the BBC News Channel's Election Tonight programme an unusual option in terms of nuclear armaments.

She says the UK's four nuclear submarines each carry 16 Trident missiles, each with eight warheads. "We are armed to the teeth as far as nuclear weapons are concerned," she says.

BBC

Frankly, they could decommission them all tomorrow and just not tell us and none of us would know - the terrorists wouldn't know."

Michael Bloomberg, former New York Mayor

tweets:

Rumor is PM @David_Cameron is too posh for hot dogs - this #TBT [throwback Thursday] should set the record straight

Twitter

SNP 'has no power'

Financial Times political correspondent Kiran Stacey reckons an SNP-backed Labour government wouldn't have to give in to demands to scrap Trident. "The SNP doesn't have the power that Michael Fallon and the Tories are claiming," he tells the BBC News Channel's Election Tonight.

Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond have both said 'we will prop up a Labour government. We will not do anything to let the Tories into power'. Given that, they have given away their one trump negotiating card."

'Shocking' comments on HIV migrants

LBC

UKIP's Diane James says she stands by Nigel Farage's recent controversial suggestions that migrants should be stopped from using the NHS for HIV treatment costing £25,000 per year. "Difficult and shocking" is how Liberal Democrat Lynne Featherstone described her views.

What to do with the NHS?

LBC

Labour's Harriet Harman says the NHS needs an "injection of cash" and "more working together with social care so that elderly people don't end up in hospital" because they have nowhere else to go. But Conservative Nicky Morgan says that - under the coalition government - £12bn has been pumped into the NHS, which has resulted in more doctors and 6,900 more nurses.

Women in politics

"It's a very women-friendly party," says Lynne Featherstone about the Lib Dems, despite only seven of its 57 MPs being women. She says about 50% of the party's members are women. "It is my dearest wish to see more women in parliament," she added. Meanwhile, Labour's Harriet Harman says all-woman shortlists are important to prevent politics becoming a "men-only business".

Thirsty work

PA

The day's campaigning almost over, Nick Clegg has been winding down with a Lib Dem-themed cocktail in what's left of Southampton's evening sun. No alcohol, mind you - this mango, pineapple and bitter lemon concoction was mixed by Port Hamble Marina's Banana Wharf Bar.

'Babes in the wood'

LBC

"We were babes in the wood," says Lynne Featherstone in answering a question on the Lib Dems notorious broken promise to scrap tuition fees. "We felt terrible, we felt awful about it," she adds. "We fought to make it the best policy that we could... we turned it effectively into a graduate tax."

The human face of immigration

On the subject of immigration, BBC News met four immigrants who are part of a new campaign to try to "humanise the rhetoric" politicians use when debating immigrants.

BBC

UKIP on Trident

UKIP MEP Mike Hookem, who's the party's defence spokesman, tells the BBC News Channel he believes Ed Miliband would bow to SNP demands over Trident to stay in power.

"If he wants to be prime minister of the country and he needs the SNP as a dealbreaker, that would be part of the deal - that they would get rid of Trident," he says.

BBC

Using the same words Michael Fallon used? This is politics, I don't believe we need to go into personal attacks."

UKIP's James pressed on Immigration

"We want people here that will contribute," says Diane James of UKIP in answer to a question on immigration. she says UKIP would reduce "the scale of unskilled immigration in this country". Tory Nicky Morgan says the country needs people to come here to contribute and pay taxes. She adds: "UKIP are all over the place in immigration policy. Diane sits here tonight and sounds incredibly reasonable, but I don't think she speaks for the rest of her party."

Iraq war riposte

LBC

"You are talking out the back of your head," exclaims Harriet Harman in response to an accusation from UKIP's Diane James that Tony Blair is trying to repress the publication of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war. "Let's try and keep our politics sane," Ms Harman adds.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Tweets: Leaving the EU would make it possible to scrap the "very unfair" VAT on sanitary products, UKIP's @DianeJamesMEP tells #Drive#GE2015

The Islamic State question

LBC

Labour's Harriet Harman says "parents and teachers are in the frontline" when it comes to protecting children from the "grooming" of the Islamic State. However, UKIP's Diane James says the issue for her emanates from a "mulitcultural agenda". She says that communities from abroad have settled in the UK but remained "insular" she says the that successive governments have "not taken the steps to fully integrate them".

Top female politicians to debate tonight

LBC

Four of the most senior female politicians in the country will do battle in a 90-minute debate on LBC Radio tonight from 19:00 BST.

Radicalisation threat

The PM is asked about the case of two Dewsbury teenagers who are feared to have travelled to Syria to join Islamic State, and how his party intends to tackle the problem of youngsters becoming radicalised.

"Previous governments have tried to separate violence on one hand and poisonous extremism on the other," says Mr Cameron, arguing that they are both part of the same problem.

'Proper' jobs?

Mr Cameron is pressed about whether apprenticeships are "proper jobs", and offered the example of current employees at Morrison's supermarket being placed on an in-work scheme. He replies: "[They] are increasing your capacity to earn more money and have a better life."

He adds: "Don't undersell apprenticeships," before repeating the Conservatives' pledge of creating three million new placements.

A day as a carer?

Host Harry Gration invites Mr Cameron to spend a day working with a Yorkshire carer. Mr Cameron says if he can find the time, he will.

PM on 'living wage'

David Cameron is speaking on the BBC's regional news programme in Yorkshire, Look North. Asked about providing the "living wage" for health care workers, the PM says: "Where [employers] can pay the living wage, they should."

The Treasury and pizza

Struggling to get your head around public spending cuts that might be implemented after the election?

It's simple - just think about pizza.

BBC

Tim Harford, from the BBC's More or Less team explains the spending dilemmas facing the next government to BBC Radio 4's PM programme in terms of a quattro stagioni.

"The NHS is the mushrooms, the defence budget the ham..."

'Tampon tax' tackled

The BBC's Newsbeat has been looking into the background of that UKIP pledge to scrap VAT on tampons - provided the UK leaves the European Union, of course.

Chuckling chancellor

Who says politics has to be hard work? Chancellor George Osborne seems to have had plenty of fun on the campaign trail today.

Various

Jeremy Crick

tweets:

#Miliband accuses #Fallon of demeaning the office of Defence Sec – and then calls him Cameron's lackey. Which is not in the least demeaning.

David Cameron

tweets:

We want apprenticeships to be level-pegging with a university degree to give young people the skills and opportunities they need to succeed.

'Kamikaze mission'

Journalist and human rights campaigner Trevor Phillips has told BBC News that Defence Secretary Michael Fallon's personal attack on Ed Miliband earlier today is an example of "disreputable politics". He added that he thought Fallon was on a "kamikaze mission".

Toby Young, journalist

tweets:

@steverichards14 £100bn for the renewal of Trident also way off. Even the Greens’ wildly pessimistic estimate is £36bn

Labour lead in new poll

A new poll has given Labour a four-point lead over the Conservatives and - for the first time in the campaign to date - respondents said Ed Miliband was doing a better job than the prime minister. The Survation poll for the Daily Mirror sampled 1,111 adults yesterday and today, and the results were weighted. Labour gained two points on last week to reach 35%, while the Conservatives dropped one to 31%.

John Stevens, Daily Mail political reporter

tweets:

Nigel Farage beginning to manage Ukip expectations ahead of general election... now talking about poll as "springboard for future gains"

Bus v bird

It might be called a battle bus, but did anyone expect the Lib Dem's campaign coach to draw blood?

Getty Images

Nick Clegg's arrival in Poole, Dorset, coincided with an untimely end for an unfortunate pigeon who came into contact with the luxury vehicle. It hasn't stopped the wags on Twitter enjoying a joke at the poor bird's expense, as Mike Hills reports.

Where have the leaders been?

According to the PA news agency, David Cameron has notched up the most seat visits of the campaign so far. The prime minister has been to 18 constituencies, two ahead of Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg's 16.

Ed Miliband was next on 10 visits, four ahead of Nigel Farage on six. David Cameron is the only leader to have been to all four UK nations. Ed Miliband has concentrated most of his visits in the north of England, while few candidates have visited constituencies in the South East.

Tim Montgomerie, Times columnist

tweets:

Miliband more likely to sell his principles in coalition talks than Cameron (45% to 34%) - @YouGov for @TimesRedBox http://www.thetimes.co.uk/redbox/

Philip Webster, Assistant Editor (Politics) of The Times

tweets:

See Red Box PM update. 64 per cent say Ed Miliband was right to take on brother David YouGov snap poll

UKIP 'holding firm'

Nigel Farage says his party has held firm in the polls since the recent televised debates. He tells reporters: "Support this week for UKIP has rallied. Since the debates last week there is a very clear firming of the polls on UKIP and I think the longer the argument goes on about who is the NHS for - is it for British people or the whole world? - all the while that argument continues, UKIP will be firm in the polls."

More on the election nominations

UKIP is looking to stand in 620 seats, up from 572 last time out, while the Greens will contest up to 95% of English and Welsh seats, and 31 out of 59 constituencies in Scotland. The British National Party said it is putting forward only "a handful" of candidates, fewer than the 338 who stood in 2010.

Boris rallies support for Tories

Boris Johnson has been on a whistle-stop tour of south London to bolster support for three Conservative parliamentary candidates. The London mayor spent all morning in the Liberal Democrat seats of Kingston and Surbiton, and Sutton and Cheam before ending up in the Tory-held marginal Croydon Central.

PA

Boris Johnson with Conservative candidate for Kingston and Surbiton James Berry meeting a member of the public

Mr Johnson also features in our gallery of today's best pictures from the election campaign.

Isabel Hardman, Assistant editor, The Spectator

tweets:

Tony Blair gave a speech at Labour HQ this afternoon, I understand. Details here http://specc.ie/1aa1ssl

Nominations for the election close

Nominations have officially closed for the general election, with the largest ever slate of candidates.

Parliamentary hopefuls had until 16:00 BST to hand in their nomination papers, with the total number standing across the UK expected to outstrip the record of 4,150 candidates who competed in 2010.

The three major parties were expecting to be represented in all 632 seats in England, Scotland and Wales - apart from the Speaker's Buckingham constituency - and the Conservatives are also running in 16 of the 18 seats in Northern Ireland.

Liberty leader: I am an Islamo-realist

Andrew Neil

Daily and Sunday Politics

A party leader who made a video declaring "I am a racist" was asked about the claim on the Daily Politics, and described himself as an "Islamo-realist". Liberty GB chairman Paul Weston told Andrew Neil that police and council staff in Rochdale and Rotherham overlooked child abuse "because they were terrified of being called racist" about Muslims. And he explained his opposition to Muslims holding public office, as the party puts forward three candidates at the general election who aim to halt immigration to the UK. Watch the interview

BBC

Joe Churcher, Press Association Chief Political Correspondent

tweets:

Ukip's @SuzanneEvans1 has lost her voice so being replaced by @DianeUKIP on the @LBC women's debate

Add to the debate

George, Edinburgh:

I hope the public don't forget that the Tories have done a very good job, and don't just remember Lynton Crosby's Karl Rove-esque campaign style. Bad politics from him, the most likely person to lose the Conservatives the election.

UKIP candidate's x-rated job

One of the more quirky political stories gaining interest today features a UKIP council candidate who says he is "not ashamed" of his sideline as a porn star. John Langley, who's representing the party in Bristol's Stockwood ward, says he's worked in the adult entertainment industry for 40 years. UKIP encouraged him to be "open and honest" about his career, he adds. Get the full story here .

Guido Fawkes

tweets:

That's it. Nominations are closed. No pulling out now, or putting up new candidates. *Goes to that folder marked wronguns*

How to make the cut with voters

Andrew Neil

Daily and Sunday Politics

The Daily Politics is touring the UK, calling in on voters at 18 locations and asking for their views on the general election. Today's stop is in Somerset. Reporter Giles Dilnot spoke to Barry Leiper, Paul Roddan, Paige Manvill and Kyle Makowski, who work at Wells Cathedral Stonemasons in Cheddar. They told him who might be getting their vote on 7 May - and the issues that may sway them. Watch the film and group interview

BBC

'Really damaging'

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett also chips in over the personal attacks being leveled at the Labour's Ed Miliband. She said: "This kind of personalised attack is the kind of Punch and Judy politics that is really damaging our political fabric."

Paul Waugh, editor of politicshome.com

Tweets : Interesting. @TBIJfinds LibDems top list of donations in 20 most marginal seats, Lab 2nd. Tories 3rd.

Miliband attack 'very personal' - Farage

Getty Images

On the news that Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Ed Miliband had "stabbed his own brother in the back" to lead Labour, UKIP's Nigel Farage has now waded into the debate. Speaking on a visit to Broadstairs in Kent, he said: "The attack on Ed Miliband was very, very personal, calling him a backstabber. "I just fear that we have an election campaign that is turning into an American, negative, shouting match between two parties, and I don't think the public like it. "I certainly don't."

IDS on Miliband: 'A man that cannot be trusted'

BBC

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has joined the row over Ed Miliband and Trident, saying the Labour leader had shown he would "climb over broken glass to get to the leadership of the party".

Mr Duncan Smith said he was "totally in support" of Michael Fallon who called Mr Miliband a backstabber.

Iain Duncan Smith said he understood Mr Miliband advised his brother, David not to stand against Gordon Brown "because he'd be able to do that after the election and then promptly stood against him.

"This is what the defence secretary is pointing out - a man that cannot be trusted and therefore cannot be trusted not to do a deal with Nicola Sturgeon about defence, that is the key point."

Add to the debate

Saffy Casper:

I am neither a Conservative or Labour voter. But the more and more I hear the negative comments of the Conservative Party, the more I am turned off by this election. We want to hear about policy and NOT petty mud slinging. Every time the Tories are threatened by an announcement or comment their negative machine along with the Daily Torygraph go into over drive. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ben Glaze, @DailyMirror political correspondent

tweets:

The @libdemvoice Twitter feed is advertising "the funniest dinner you'll ever have". Will #pigeon be on the menu? #GE2015

George Eaton, Political Editor, New Statesman

tweets:

Labour has just held Clause V meeting to agree manifesto contents ahead of launch on Monday.

Clegg keen to join challengers debate

PA

Lib Dem leader NIck Clegg has said he would love to be included in the so-called challengers' debate, alongside Ed Miliband and the leaders of UKIP, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party.

He told reporters on his battle bus earlier: "I wish there were more leaders' debates, to be honest. I enjoy them ... they get people excited but also from my point of view ... there's no great vested interest in the British press that is gagging to tell the Liberal Democrat story for us, never has been and no doubt never will be.

"I would love to be part of this so-called challengers' debate. I can't opt in. The broadcasters told us it was not an option ... because we are in government. We asked them constantly. I've done, my team have done it, of course I would."

Add to the debate

Justin Stone, Leicester:

As someone with right of centre views I find today’s Trident debate so dispiriting. We are not a big power any more, we cannot use them without American say-so, they are a waste of money.

What is frustrating is that I imagine that a large proportion of the electorate are not fussed on this issue, yet the Tories have latched onto it to launch a personal attack on Milliband.

I don’t believe that it’s not because they have no policies but they lack the conviction to argue for what they believe in – a smaller state.

They should have the nerve to rise above the inevitable ott reaction that would come from this point of view and make the case. As it is, today is the day that Cameron lost the election

Ben Riley Smith, political correspondent at The Telegraph

tweets:

The Lib Dem battle bus has just killed a pigeon.

Nick Boles twitter fail?

But it didn't stop the public continuing to pile in. This tweet is possibly our favourite reply. It comes from Rob Delaney who tweets :

A beautiful horse who can explain his dreams to him?

Nick Boles twitter fail?

In fairness to Mr Boles he did answer his own question with this tweet :

Answer: the man who abandoned the Syrians to their fate and the woman who wants to scrap our nuclear deterrent.

Nick Boles twitter fail?

and then tweeted :

@NickBolesMP H from Steps, maybe?

Nick Boles twitter fail?

And another response from David Whitley who tweeted first:

@NickBolesMP Is it Martin Clunes?

Nick Boles twitter fail?

Twitter reacted in what some might consider to be predictable fashion.

WelshRacer tweeted :

@NickBolesMP Vladimir Putin

Nick Boles twitter fail?

Pity poor old Nick Boles, the incumbent Conservative candidate for Grantham and Stamford. In trying to defend the comments of his colleague Defence Secretary Michael Fallon he took to twitter to ask the following .

Ask yourself this. Who does Vladimir Putin want to see running Britain after 7th May?

Tim Montgomerie, The Times

tweets:

0% chance Fallon wld have written attack without No10's approval.This is deliberate attempt by Tories to spotlight Labour leader's character

'Hideous weapons'

BBC Radio 5 Live

Reuters

We're opposed to the renewal of trident, we want to get rid of Britain's nuclear weapons, that of course is the long term Green Party position. Replacing Trident, would cost over its lifetime a £100bn, of course there's better things that we could spend that money on. But there's also the broader philosophical point that these are hideous weapons of mass destruction, Britain should not have them. We're signatories to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, we should be working towards getting rid of these weapons around the world."

Galloway in Bradford West hustings row

AFP/Getty Images

BBC Trending has this morning been following a different story from the constituency of Bradford West where George Galloway is defending a majority of just over 10,000.

At a hustings on Wednesday where that voters were promised would be about the issues and not personality it got pretty personal pretty quickly it seems.

The Respect candidate attacked his Labour opponent Naz Shah saying she tried to join his party as recently as February and that she had lied about being forced into marriage at the age of 15.

Ms Shah was forced to admit that she had campaigned for Mr Galloway in the 2012 by-election he won and that she voted for him at the time. She claimed she had joked about wanting to join Respect after having been selected as Labour's candidate.

With full details and the reaction from a surprising contingent on Twitter are here.

Send us your comments

Robert Smith:

I find it quite wrong that Ed Milliband should state to the UK electorate he will reduce university education fees from 9K to 6K without addressing free university education in Scotland. If he states a policy, it should be for the entire UK population. It would be far fairer to say let's have 6K for everyone.

Tories 'have nothing to say'

BBC Radio 4

BBC

“This is absolutely desperate stuff from a Conservative party that has nothing positive to say in this election,” says Labour campaign strategist Lucy Powell on World at One.

Ms Powell says Labour has been absolutely clear about its policy on Trident.

"I am actually embarrassed that the defence secretary of my country has made these comments," she adds.

Martin O'Neill

tweets:

#Fallon calls #Miliband backstabber for standing against his brother seems to me more someone who will stand up for something he believes in

Fox: Labour 'not fit' to protect UK

BBC Radio 4

Asked if he agreed with the "stab in the back" phrase used by Michael Fallon, Liam Fox told World at One:

"I think that unless we get absolute clarity from the Labour Party, and we're absolutely sure where they would be, then we have to assume that they are not fit to protect this country by having a continuous nuclear deterrent and in a very dangerous world that's a very dangerous position for any party to have."

To buy: Thatcher's 'armoured bus'

A bus that transported Margaret Thatcher and government figures around Northern Ireland in 1983 is up for sale. In a Daily Politics film, Adam Fleming spoke to Todd Chamberlain of Tanks A Lot about the disguised security features on the military vehicle - which bore the name of a fake company. Watch their interview on the bus in a Northamptonshire field

BBC

Patrick Wintour, political editor, The Guardian

tweets:

Def Sect Liam Fox told MPs Nov 2010 cost of delaying maingate Trident decision to 2016 was £1.4bn. Delay cause ? A Tory deal with Lib Dems.

Cable: Appalling way to run an election

BBC Radio 4

"It’s an appalling way to run an election campaign... we need to have a serious debate about Trident," says Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable on the World at One.

If George Osborne’s spending reductions are put through it would lead to a 25% reduction in defence spending, he says.

"It would leave the armed forces with not much more than a ceremonial role,” Mr Cable adds.

He says politicians “can get some short term advantage from negative campaigns” but that they “tend to turn off voters”.

Do negative campaigns work?

PA

Turning to negative campaigns, YouGov's Peter Kellner says there are two examples of negative campaigns, one which worked and another which failed rather dismally.

The first against Neil Kinnock in 1987 saw the Conservatives attack the former Labour leader for historic links to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) at a time when the UK was still in the grip of the Cold War. Mr Kinnock lost that election to Margaret Thatcher, who secured her third term in office.

The second campaign - which failed - in 1997 was conceived when the Tories hoped a poster showing Mr Blair with demon eyes would put people off the young Labour leader. The poster backfired and Mr Blair was elected with a landslide Labour majority.

But if the Conservatives can give the public the impression that Ed Miliband isn’t up to the job of being prime minister "then they might land one or two blows", Mr Kellner says

Two main parties still neck and neck

BBC Radio 4

“It’s been nip and tuck between the two parties since the last conference season” the head of pollsters YouGov Peter Kellner tells World at One. He adds “unless it [the polls] breaks [for one party] in the next couple of weeks" we’re going to have a hung parliament.

Add to the debate

Min:

The tampon tax.

VAT rates are set by member states. While the EU may have decided that sanitary items attract VAT, our own government could set the rate at 0% if it so wished.

If UKIP think women will vote for them because we might save 5p each month, they are delusional.

Tory jitters? cont...

Laura Kuenssberg

Newsnight Chief Correspondent

Why the worries? Many Conservatives have long been unhappy at the campaigns tight focus on the economy and Ed Miliband himself.

But the latest polling suggests Labour's ground operation in closely fought English marginals is making more headway than their better financed one.

As for that manifesto, one source told me drafts have had some "batty" ideas and been badly put together and poorly written. In such a close race, slamming the character of your opponent is unlikely to be a substitute for attractive and carefully worked out plans.

Tory jitters?

Laura Kuenssberg

Newsnight Chief Correspondent

Whatever you think about Trident, whatever you think about Ed Miliband running against his brother to become the Labour leader, the level of Michael Fallon's attack on him suggests one thing.

There are nerves in the Conservative party, significant nerves, about its failure to make headway in the campaign so far.

For months they have been waiting to break ahead, maintaining their line that Ed Miliband was not a strong leader and he would cause havoc with the economy. This sudden twist that he is so ruthless as to have stabbed his brother in the back, and might do the same to the country, gives a sense that the party is jittery, and just days away from its manifesto launch, searching around for messages, even unusually personal attacks that might land.

Jake Clegg

tweets:

I've heard more talked about Trident in the last 72 hours than I have in the past 30 years. #Election2015

Greens confront UKIP on immigration

BBC

The Green party's Shahrar Ali has a question for UKIP's Patrick O'Flynn. On the Daily Politics, he asks: "Do you not realise what you are doing to race relations in this country?" Mr O'Flynn tells him that he is trying to "improve race relations" by reducing the number of unskilled workers coming in the UK.

Green Party: 'standing up for migrants'

BBC

The deputy leader of the Green Party, Shahrar Ali, says all the mainstream political parties are trying to "out-UKIP" UKIP on immigration. He tells the Daily Politics that the long-term aspiration of the Greens was to reduce immigration controls. He says: "We are in favour of free movement," adding that the UK "could cope" with 500,000 people coming into the country.

Michael Crick, Channel 4 News political correspondent

tweets:

Pembrokeshire Council tell me they're sending out first postal ballots on Mon. So postal voters there can cast votes on Tues, maybe sooner

Get involved

Phil Brown, Lowestoft:

Labour can only get into Downing Street on the back of SNP support? How do the Conservatives think they might get into Downing Street and whose back would that be on? About time we got some positive campaigning, I don’t want any party telling me what would happen if I don’t vote for them, I want them to tell me what will happen if I do.

Labour's campaign so far

Iain Watson

Political correspondent

The venue for Labour's first big announcement of the campaign - the near-elimination of zero-hours contracts - had to change at short notice when a big Asda in Leeds was going to insist, for health and safety reasons, that the putative PM might have to wear a hair net. So the much more prime ministerial backdrop of a defence contractor was chosen instead. There may have been chopping and changing of venues, but not of the core message. Labour insiders will admit they still have a challenge in motivating their supporters to go out and vote. So we've had policies on employment rights, the NHS - and taxing the rich - repeated in town after town."

#BBCdebate

Thursday 16 April will see the leaders of the main opposition parties go head-to-head in #BBCdebate hosted by David Dimbleby.

Click here to find out how you can get involved.

Anne Mcelvoy, Economist public policy editor

tweets:

Vintage @LiambyrneMP elex trail hyperbole on being "in glorious Plymouth" . Next stop "ravishing Sunderland" and "stunning Slough"

'Important to challenge'

Norman Smith

Assistant political editor

BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith tells Michael Fallon that his attack on Ed Miliband reminds him of personal attacks by the Conservatives on former Labour leader Neil Kinnock.

"It was equally important then for people to remember what Neil Kinnock's leanings were," Mr Fallon responds, adding that Mr Kinnock had been a member of CND.

"It's important to respect one's opponents but its important to challenge them on policy," the defence secretary adds.

'Rugby club on tour'

BBC

As UKIP pledged to reduce the costs of childcare, affirmed its commitment to current maternity entitlements and fund 3,000 more midwives, one of its MEPs, Patrick O’Flynn, accepted the party needed to do more to improve its image with women.

He told a party press conference:

Nigel himself has said sometimes UKIP has resembled a rugby club on tour. We need to work harder and there still are occasions when men in the party who should know better have resorted to boorishness or chauvinism.”

Add to the debate

Norman Robson, Durham:

In reply to the text from Richard, London.

Miliband called Cameron dodgy immediately after Cameron had called Miliband despicable.

I'll leave you to fathom out which was worse.

Send us your views

LB:

Andrew Neil needs to calm down after today's prog if he is gonna get thru the election campaign.

Personal attacks

Daily Politics

Live on BBC Two

For those who like to keep score of these things Andrew Neil asked Phillip Hammond whether he believed Labour leader Ed Miliband was a man who would "backstab" the UK, at least six times by our count - it might have been seven.

Not quite a Paxoing alla Micahel Howard on Newsnight '94 - that was 15 times for younger readers - but notably certainly.

Ming on Trident

BBC

Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell tells the BBC News channel: "A wider debate about Trident should be on the agenda but it's not helped by the kind of extravagant language that we've heard today."

He says he believes nuclear weapons are needed "in an uncertain world" but "the threat is rather different than it was at the height of the Cold War".

He says the SNP has changed position, as its pledge to vote against renewal in the next Parliament is different to its former insistence that "Trident had to be out of Scottish waters".

He thinks that a Labour-SNP post-election deal is"much less likely than it was perhaps in the last fortnight or so".

Foreign Secretary: Trident an 'emotional issue'

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has refused to echo the strong, personal language used by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon about Ed Miliband - that he would "stab the United Kingdom in the back" on Trident. Appearing on the Daily Politics, Mr Hammond was repeatedly asked if he agreed with Mr Fallon. And Mr Hammond, repeatedly, would not use the same words. He called Trident "an emotional issue" but said Mr Miliband's personality was, nevertheless, important.

BBC

Joe Murphy, political editor at the London Evening Standard

tweets:

Exclusive. Labour turns guns on PM’s election guru Lynton Crosby over tax affairs. See @eveningstandard http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/labour-launches-attack-on-pms-election-guru-lynton-crosby-over-tax-affairs-10164743.html …

Ian Dunt, editor of Politics.co.uk

tweets:

Two good days for Miliband - one on policy, other on hapless Tory response. Both campaigns feel dull, but Tory one more mean and chaotic.

Martin Kelsey

tweets:

Watching @daily_politics. Leading Tories clearly already treating #Fallon speech like...er... nuclear waste.

Add to the debate

H. Hudson:

I quite agree with Kath from Liverpool -- what has happened to Alec Salmond? A deafening silence seems to have descended on the great man, who is normally very voluble, Especially strange since Sturgeon's alleged remarks about apparently preferring to see Cameron in No. 10.

Reach for the stars...

Schools should encourage girls to see maths and science as route to career in engineering as well as medicine, says David Cameron. They could be nuclear scientists, car designers or even astronauts, suggests the PM. He has been fielding questions from National Grid workers about apprenticeships, the minimum wage and first time voters among other things.

BBC

'Eye-catching' policy

Daily Politics

Live on BBC Two

UKIP spokesman, Patrick O'Flynn tells the BBC's Daily Politics that scrapping VAT on sanitary products - the "tampon tax" - is the "top eye-catching policy of the day".

'Fallon is right'

BBC

David Cameron is taking questions from National Grid workers in the East Midlands - but the Daily Mail has sneaked in a question about Michael Fallon's comments about Ed Miliband stabbing his brother in the back. The PM says Fallon was right to highlight the way Labour are "playing fast and loose with the security of our nation" by refusing to "really commit" to Trident. "Michael Fallon is absolutely right to raise it and, yes, raise it in a pretty frank way," he adds.

UKIP would scrap 'tampon tax'

UKIP has been outlining policies to appeal to women voters. Along with committing to current maternity rights and cutting the cost of childcare, UKIP would like to see VAT - currently 5% - removed from sanitary products. UKIP's head of policy Suzanne Evans told a press conference: "You might grin at this one but it's something that I feel very strongly about."

She blamed the European Union for classifying sanitary products as non-essential luxury item, adding: "This shows not only how ridiculous EU legislation is, but how very wrong it is that we've given our tax sovereignty over to a bunch of faceless - and mostly male - EU Commissioners who simply don't understand real life, let alone real life for women.”

Take part in the debate

T. Holland:

We are never going to be able to have a big enough army, navy and air force to be able to take on Russia or China so it makes sense to concentrate our finite resources on a nuclear deterrent instead. Nicola Sturgen is a dangerous Utopian living in a fantasy world. But I approve of Labour's property tax plans.

Andrew Neil's Thursday campaign report

Andrew Neil

Daily and Sunday Politics

BBC

A collapsing stage at the UKIP conference, accusations that politicians are backstabbers, and a 'boy band' in a party election broadcast feature in Andrew Neil's morning report. The Daily Politics presenter is making a daily film throughout the election campaign on what key figures are up to, and what's behind the political headlines of the day. On Thursday, he reports on a spat between Conservative Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and Labour leader Ed Miliband, asks UKIP about its poll ratings, and sees how the Greens are trying to make their voice heard. Watch his campaign report

Sturgeon on Trident

PA

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has said her party will not agree any formal power-sharing deal with Labour unless Ed Miliband drops plans to renew the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Appearing in Midlothian following last night's leader's debates, Ms Sturgeon made clear that this would include a confidence and supply agreement as well as a coalition.

She told BBC Scotland the SNP could still work with a minority Labour government on an issue-by-issue basis but would not vote for anything that supported Trident renewal.

Asked specifically if this would mean voting down a Queen's speech, she declined to confirm that it would.

Ian Dunt, politics.co.uk editor

Twitter

tweets:

Telegraph goes out of its way to ensure readers know the school girl wasn't bored, she was "just having a giggle".

'Price to pay' for Ed Miliband-SNP coalition

BBC

"There would be a price to pay for an Ed Miliband-SNP coalition," Prime Minister David Cameron says.

"A price of higher borrowing, more taxes, more spending, more out-of-control welfare and weaker defence. The only way to stop that is a majority Conservative government."

He argues that Labour is in chaos and confusion about Trident, as on many other issues.

"One minute they say they will have three submarines, the next minute its four. And Ed Miliband is not ruling out trying to get into Downing Street on the back of SNP support.

"Only the Conservatives are absolutely guaranteeing a full replacement for Trident" with four submarines at sea, he says, adding: "It is important that in a dangerous and insecure world we have that ultimate insurance policy."

James Chapman, Daily Mail political editor

tweets:

Con manifesto launch, due Mon, pushed back 24 hours after Lab chose same day. Source: 'After non-dom debacle we want uninterrupted scrutiny'

Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror associate editor

tweets:

Cons delaying Monday's manifesto launch until Tuesday after Labour went for Monday too would have Corporal Jones shouting "Don't panic!"

Clegg: Osborne 'a very dangerous man'

GQ Magazine

Just in case today hasn't got personal enough, Nick Clegg shares his views on his colleagues in the coalition government, among others.

George Osborne is "a very dangerous man with a very dangerous plan and I will do everything in my power to stop it", says the Lib Dem leader in an interview with men's magazine GQ.

Mr Clegg also tells the magazine that David Cameron is "very much a Tory, and in that tradition he is not too much about grand vision".

He adds: "Cameron would tell you himself, he is a classic traditional shire Tory, and I can live with that."

Of Labour leader Ed Miliband he says: "I think of a number of crucial occasions where I thought to myself, 'Ed Miliband, you can jump and do something big here and surprise us all, or do the small tactical thing'. Every time he has done the latter."

BBC story: Sturgeon says only 'material change' could spark Scots referendum

Peter comments on this story:

Let's have one big vote with options. Do you want to be in the EU? Do you want to be in an independent Scotland? Then we get a computer to draw boundaries to keep the maximum number of people happy.

Stokevvn says:

I like her comment that they would only have a referendum if there was "Material Change", like the date or the wind then.If the politicians want independence, then let the English be included in the referendum, it effects us as well.

Get involved

Richard, London:

If Ed Miliband thinks Michael Fallon demeaned himself then Ed Miliband demeaned himself too when he described David Cameron as "dodgy". If you can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen!

Today on BBC Parliament

You can watch Labour's education announcement on BBC Parliament .

Following that, you can see UKIP's news conference from 11:00 BST and Election 2015 Campaign Highlights from 11:30 BST.

Send us your comments

Jon, Nottingham:

I agree with Fallon, I could not say at the age of 20 what would happen today. I'm 60+.

Labour education announcement

ITN pool

Announcing Labour's careers advice policy at the London offices of Microsoft, Ed Miliband accuses the government of "narrowing horizons in schools when they should have been widening them".

He also accuses the Conservatives of having "a plan to cut back education in the next five years when we should be investing". He says Labour would protect education funding in England "in real terms".

The Labour leader argues that young people have often been told to choose either an academic or vocational route.

Labour is proposing "a £50m fund to provide personalised, integrated, independent advice that brings together all the options available to young people", Mr Miliband says.

Chris Ship, ITV News deputy political editor

tweets:

So is EdMili weak or strong? Does his ruthlessness over brother mean he got backbone or desperate for power? Will he stand up to SNP or not?

Michael Savage, chief political correspondent, The Times

tweets:

Would love to know what @LordAshcroft makes of the Fallon attack. In 2010, he thought too much time was spent attacking Gordon Brown #GE2015

Kay Burley, Sky News

tweets:

Launching into personal attack against other campaigning politician is so American. Not the British Way. Wd an apology make a difference?

Milband: Fallon has demeaned himself

Norman Smith

Assistant political editor

The Labour leader has hit back at Michael Fallon over his personal criticism of him.

Mr Miliband said the defence secretary had "demeaned himself and his office."

He said national security is too important to play politics with and accused the Tories of running a campaign baased on "deceit and lies."

Asked if he was hurt by such attacks he said he had got used to it and was resilient enough to withstand it.

He said the British people deserved better and "decent conservatives" would be as upset by the tone of the criticism

Austerity band

Victoria Derbyshire

BBC

"If you think of most party political broadcasts, how many are memorable? Frankly, the earnestness....your eyes glaze over.This one is quite funny," the BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith tells the Victoria Derbyshire programme.

"I hope actually that more parties maybe copy their example and move away from the sort of po-faced, very, very serious party political broadcasts," he adds.

"All credit to them for trying to do something different, although I have no doubt they will get the micky taken out of them."

The Greens' party political broadcast imagines the leaders of the Conservatives, Labour, the Lib Dems and UKIP as a boy band.

The results are... different.

You can see the full video here.

Fallon attacks Miliband and Sturgeon

Michael Fallon renews his attack on the Labour leader, telling his central London audience: "Imagine Ed Miliband limping into office, aided by the crutch of the SNP."

He accuses SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon of making a statement "as arrogant as it was terrifying" in last night's leaders' debate, by "offering to make Ed Miliband prime minister".

He claims the SNP has a "naive world view" on nuclear weapons, which would "play into the hands of our enemies".

Mark Craven, senior editor @CitizenGame

tweets:

I've heard more talked about Trident in the last 72 hours than I have in the past 30 years. #Election2015

Andrew Connell

tweets:

Watching Michael #Fallon speech, why can't parties focus on what they will do, not what the opposition might do? Stuff of playground games

James Chapman, Daily Mail political editor

tweets:

Fallon doubles down on Miliband: he'll 'do anything to get into Downing St'; refusal to rule out SNP deal 'speaks volumes about the man'

'Ultimate insurance policy'

BBC

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is speaking in central London about the Conservatives' Trident policy, describing nuclear weapons as the "ultimate insurance policy".

He says Russia is modernising its nuclear arsenal, including "eight new ballistic missile submarines", while North Korea and other "unstable states" have or are seeking nuclear weapons.

We do not know "what nuclear threats may emerge in the 2030s, 2040s, and 2050s", he says, adding: "For those who argue that no nuclear threats will emerge, I ask: how can you be certain?"

Add to the debate

Kath Liverpool:

I am not worried about Nicola Sturgeon, she is not running for Westminster in the election. I am far more worried by the apparent disappearance of Alex Salmon who, is running for Westminster.

Send us your comments

Sara Brewer:

Disagree Michael Fallon was getting too personal about Ed Miliband.

At almost the 11th hour he did stand against his brother for the Labour Party leadership.

Subsequently on his own admittance he has said it has taken time to "heal" their relationship.

UKIP collapse

There was a bit of excitement ahead of UKIP's press conference this morning involving the backdrop. Here's a pic capturing the drama of the moment...

BBC

Add to the debate

Dave, North Devon:

The personal attacks on Miliband by the Conservatives are getting worse, (e.g. Fallon’s latest), which seems to be an increasing sign of desperation. There is no need for them and the Tories are gradually dissolving their credibility, particularly as Miliband continues to maintain his dignity.

UKIP poll decline

AFP/Getty

UKIP's economic spokesman Patrick O’Flynn has been defending his party's polling numbers this morning. At a morning press conference he was pressed by BBC Daily Politics presenter Andrew Neil about the apparent fall in support for UKIP from 20% a year ago to 10%, according to a current poll.

Mr Neil asked: "Isn’t the truth that, as people realise this contest is between Mr Miliband and Mr Cameron, you are fast becoming an irrelevance?”

Mr O’Flynn replied:

I don’t think we were ever on a poll-of-polls for 20%. I don’t know where you got that from. "One of our key strategic goals is to get clear good second places in over a hundred seats, as a basis for 2020, the other of course is to win a good number of seats so how we poll as an average nationwide – we pol at 15% - that’s pretty good.”

Ed Miliband 'could still win'

The Spectator

Columnist Dan Hodges claims in the Spectator that an Ed Miliband victory in the election "is still seen, especially by those on the right, as a near-impossibility - an event so improbable as to defy the laws of political gravity. But then again, we’re three weeks away from the general election and still the Conservatives still haven’t managed to establish a convincing lead. He might yet defy the bookies. And what then?"

He tries to imagine what Mr Miliband would be like as Prime Minister.

Speak to anyone who has worked at any level in Labour’s operation and they will praise their leader’s intellectual inquisitiveness, his empathy and his inclusiveness. But there is one other thing they all agree on: his congenital indecisiveness."

Get involved

A. Belmont. London:

Tell it as it is! Milliband would sell his mother to get into Number 10. Millions of us know it.

Send us your views

Selwyn, Cardiff:

Re Scotland, Sturgeon wants any EU referendum to fail if any of the countries, such as Scotland, vote against. If that were to be the case, then the same principle should stand for any future Scottish independence vote. As a minimum they should win every constituency to get independence. After all, it would be fair, wouldn't it!

'Cold war relic'

BBC

Natalie Bennett has waded into this morning's Trident row. The Green party leader has issued a statement which says:

This latest round of Tory speculation doesn't conceal the fact that the Labour Party is committed to renewing our multi-billion pound nuclear weapons system. The truth is that the Labour leadership has made it clear that they will prioritise spending £100bn on a cold war relic - rather than investing in the schools and hospitals that this country so desperately needs.

Highly political reforms

BBC Radio 4 Today

Tristram Hunt says Labour would not reverse some of the coalition government’s education reforms in England, specifically reforms around breaking the link between vocational qualifications and GCSEs.

He says the reason for this is that he believes there needs to be some structural and curriculum stability in the English education system.

He says he has a number of reservations about the government’s reforms, calling them “highly political, highly partisan”. He says the government focused on the wrong issues.

What we need to focus on is the quality of teaching in the classroom and the relentless tinkering we’ve seen with curriculum, assessment and examinations gets in the way."

Wes Streeting, Labour candidate for Ilford North

tweets:

This Trident nonsense shows how desperate the Tories are. Now just making stuff up on huge national security issues to scaremonger. Low.

Using 'public purse more effectively'

BBC Radio 4 Today

PA

Tristram Hunt says a Labour government will give young people face-to-face careers advice, which he says is essential. Labour would pay for it by shifting £700m from university outreach funding to schools instead.

The funding fulfils the same purpose, Mr Hunt says, but instead of universities using the money to speak to sixth-formers, the money is used to fund independent face to face careers advice.

“It’s using every pound in the public purse more effectively,” he adds.

'Destruction of careers advice'

BBC Radio 4 Today

Labour shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt tells the Today programme that the government has presided over “the total destruction of careers advice”.

He says young people are not getting the advice they need to apply to the right university or get information on the right apprenticeship “and we think this is holding our country back and we need more young people to pursue technical or vocational skills”.

Theresa Ramsey, blogger

tweets:

Michael Fallon seems to have developed a bit of a tin ear since becoming Defence Sec. The presentation of this is abysmal. #Election2015

Labour careers advice pledge

More on Labour's careers advice proposal, which the party says is about making sure all young people reach their potential. Trained careers advisers would give one-to-one advice to pupils from the age of 11 if Labour forms the next government.

It is part of a broader appeal to voters on fairness in education, including guaranteed apprenticeships for some school-leavers and reducing annual university tuition fees to £6,000. Careers advice in schools has been criticised in recent years, after the responsibility passed to schools from local councils in 2012.

Last year, Conservative Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said a new company would be set up to provide careers advice for teenagers in England. The Lib Dems argue their pupil premium money for children on free school meals will do the most to increase fair access to opportunities.

BBC

Labour says its plan will include information about high-quality apprenticeships and technical degrees

Steve Hawkes, Deputy Political Editor, The Sun

tweets:

Women problem? Tories neck and neck with Labour as they field record no of women candidates at the Election http://sunpl.us/60104VBQ

Rafael Behr, Guardian columnist

tweets:

Con campaign has same flaw as 2010. Tories united behind Cam thinking he could win. But cos they don't like him, can't say why he should.

Faisal Islam, Sky News Political Editor

Tweets:

Labour have used the words minimum cost nuclear deterrent before.. Which is a reference to 3/4 submarine choice... #trident

Labour support for Trident

BBC Radio 4 Today

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander tells Today "it would be bad enough" to have insults from the chairman of the Conservative party but Michael Fallon is supposed to be the defence secretary. He says Labour supports the renewal of Trident.

This is not up for negotiation with the SNP or with any other party. I don’t know how I can say it more plainly than that."

'A ridiculous proposal'

BBC Radio 4 Today

Michael Fallon also tells Today that the Liberal Democrat's proposal for Trident replacement is "ridiculous".

The Lib Dems favour cutting the number of submarines from four to three, with former defence minister Sir Nick Harvey saying he doesn't "see the need for us to be patrolling the seas 24/7 when we have no nuclear adversary".

But Mr Fallon says: "You can't have it part-time. That's a ridiculous proposal."

Get involved

I assume Michael Fallon feels that John Major put this country at risk during his premiership. After all, his record with regards to personal trust was much worse than Millibands?

Ron Murray, Politics live reader

Former London mayor, Ken Livingstone

tweets : We should stick pompous Michael Fallon on the end of a nuclear missile and fire it off into space. The world would be a happier place

BBC Newsnight's Laura Kuenssberg

tweets: Blimey things are getting pretty personal... Fallon suggesting Ed M was shabby + backstabbing to stand against his brother

'Politics of the gutter'

BBC Radio 4 Today

PA

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander tells the Today programme Labour has made it “crystal clear that keeping the country safe is not and will never be a matter of negotiation".

The embarrassing interview we’ve just had to listen to says a lot more about the state of the Tory election campaign than the state of our national security. "This is desperate stuff from a rattled campaign that spent yesterday defending tax avoidance and is now descending into the politics of the gutter."

'Issue of trust'

BBC Radio 4 Today

PA

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon defends the tone of his attack on Ed Miliband over Trident.

"This is an issue of trust and an issue of leadership," he says.

He rejects the suggestion that his attack on the Labour leader was "too personal".

"You can't be sure what kind of backstairs deal he is likely to do with the SNP" in order to get into Number 10, Mr Fallon claims.

Times columnist, Tim Montgomerie

tweets: Embarrassing: Way too personal from Michael Fallon against Ed Miliband via @SamCoatesTimes

Labour careers advice pledge

All teenagers in England would be guaranteed one-to-one careers advice under Labour proposals, to be published today. The party argues it will help make sure children know more about vocational courses and apprenticeships as well as university. The £50m cost each year would be taken from money universities currently use for bursaries and outreach work in schools.

'No circumstances we can see'

BBC Radio 4 Today

SNP chairman Derek Mackay repeats party leader Nicola Sturgeon's insistence that Trident renewal is a "red line".

It's an absolute red line issue. The people of Scotland don’t want Trident and there are no circumstances we can see in which we would vote for the renewal or the continuation of Trident.

UKIP leader NIgel Farage

tweets: "Tory Hypocrisy: hitting out at Labour over SNP when they went into coalition with Trident-opposed Lib Dems in 2010 #voteUKIP #defence."

100 seats in 100 days: Great Yarmouth

BBC Radio 4 Today

Today is visiting 100 constituencies ahead of polling day on 7 May.

Few marginal seats illustrate the challenge for the "older" parties more clearly than the Norfolk constituency of Great Yarmouth.

Tom Bateman reports from the coastal town.

Norman Smith, BBC News assistant political editor

tweets : Boss of @ifs Paul Johnson says spending per head in Scotland is £1,000 higher than rest of UK @BBCr4today

Lib Dems on Trident

BBC Radio 4 Today

Former Liberal Democrat Defence Minister Sir Nick Harvey speaks to Today about his party's position on renewing Trident.

"I think it is worth retaining the capability but I don't see the need for us to be patrolling the seas 24/7 when we have no nuclear adversary," he says. The UK could talk to the other Nato nuclear powers, the US and France, on a "pattern of patrolling that the three of us take", he argues.

He says that new submarines are needed but not a full replacement of the existing four. The cost saving would be about £4bn to have three submarines or £8bn with two, but he claims it is not about that but about whether "we want to be sailing the high seas waving nuclear weapons at the rest of the world".

Full fiscal autonomy

It is astonishing to see a political party press for full fiscal autonomy when it will have a negative impact on the people, due to less money for public services. Goes to show the SNP will chip away at every element of the constitution and political dynamics to achieve independence at all costs!

The very people misguided by the SNP will be the very people to be impacted by a reduction in the public purse!

Worrying times to see every day people support such a political party.

Mr Munro, Edinburgh

Labour slightly ahead in latest poll

In case you missed it overnight, the latest opinion poll data from YouGov delivered a one point lead to Labour, with 35% versus 34% for the Conservatives. UKIP were on 13%, the Lib Dems 8% and the Greens 5%.

Murphy rejects autonomy

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy told Nicola Sturgeon during last night's debate that he would "absolutely not" vote for full fiscal autonomy.

"This is the idea that we cut ourselves off from sources of taxation across the UK," he said.

"After the difficult time that Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland have been through, the idea that we voluntarily give up the pooling and sharing of resources, the ability to transfer money across these islands - I don't think it makes sense."

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: "Full fiscal autonomy, right now if we vote for it next year, would mean that we had billions of pounds less in Scotland to spend on welfare."

BBC

The panel consisted of (clockwise from top left) Willie Rennie, Nicola Sturgeon, Patrick Harvie, Ruth Davidson, Jim Murphy and David Coburn

'Fiscal autonomy' for Scotland?

BBC Radio 4 Today

Also in last night's leaders' debate in Aberdeen, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed she would introduce full fiscal autonomy for Scotland within a year if given a chance.

Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies(IFS)  tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that full fiscal autonomy means Scotland having full responsibility for raising taxes and controlling spending "plus, presumably, remitting some of that to the UK" to pay for UK-wide provision such as defence.

He says that public spending in Scotland is more than £1000 per head higher than the rest of the UK, while incomes are very similar.

He claims that, if Scotland moves away from the Barnett formula for distributing spending around the UK and autonomy did not involve any additional block grant, "you would leave Scotland with a much more substantial fiscal deficit".

Trident 'a red line'

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon told the audience at last night's Scottish leaders' debate in Aberdeen that her party was SNP committed to voting against a replacement for Trident - and it was a "red line" in negotiations with other parties.

Ms Sturgeon said: "It is often asked of me: is Trident a red line? Well here's your answer - you'd better believe it's a red line."

She added: "There is no circumstances under which SNP MPs will vote for the renewal of Trident."

But she did not say the SNP would bring down a minority government if it lost a Commons vote on Trident.

BBC

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says the Conservatives' manifesto will have a commitment to build four new nuclear missile-armed submarines.

He accused Labour of using the nuclear deterrent as a "bargaining chip" with the SNP, which would vote to scrap it.

But Labour's Chris Leslie called his comments "ridiculous" and said Labour was "totally committed" to a continuous, at-sea nuclear deterrent.

He said his party "would not do deals" on defence with the SNP or anyone else.

Fallon attacks Miliband

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has launched a personal attack on the Labour leader in today's Times , accusing him of“playing fast and loose” over the UK’s nuclear weapons.

"Ed Miliband Stabbed his brother in the back to become Labour leader," Mr Fallon writes. "Now he is willing to stab the United Kingdom in the back to become prime minister."

Your views

Also don't forget you can get in touch with us and share your views on the latest political developments of this election via email at [e-mail] and on twitter @bbcpolitics

Good morning

Matthew West

Politics Reporter

Morning folks. So far today we've had Defence Secretary Michael Fallon commit a future Conservative government to maintaining the UK's nuclear deterrent while accusing Labour of being willing to use the subject as a bargaining chip with the SNP. Meanwhile, Labour and the SNP traded blows last night in another leaders' debate. Plenty more to come today. We'll bring you the latest as it happens.