The Conservatives say their manifesto will have a commitment to build four new nuclear missile-armed submarines
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon accuses Labour of using the Trident replacement as a "bargaining chip" with the SNP
Ed Miliband says Mr Fallon had "demeaned himself and his office" after being described as a backstabber by Mr Fallon
Nicola Sturgeon says the SNP will not agree any formal power-sharing deal with Labour unless it drops plans to renew Trident
Labour proposes a new fund to provide one-to-one careers advice for school pupils in England
There are 28 days until the general election
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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.
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
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.
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...
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
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.
Image source, AFP/GettyUKIP'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:
Quote MessageI 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.”
The Spectator
Columnist Dan Hodges claims in the Spectator, external 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.
Quote MessageSpeak 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."
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A. Belmont. London:
Tell it as it is! Milliband would sell his mother to get into Number 10. Millions of us know it.
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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!
Natalie Bennett has waded into this morning's Trident row. The Green party leader has issued a statement which says:
Quote MessageThis 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.
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.
Quote MessageWhat 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."
@wesstreeting
Quote MessageThis Trident nonsense shows how desperate the Tories are. Now just making stuff up on huge national security issues to scaremonger. Low.
BBC Radio 4 Today
Image source, PATristram 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.
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”.
@TessaRamsay
Quote MessageMichael Fallon seems to have developed a bit of a tin ear since becoming Defence Sec. The presentation of this is abysmal. #Election2015
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.
Labour says its plan will include information about high-quality apprenticeships and technical degrees
@steve_hawkes
Quote MessageWomen problem? Tories neck and neck with Labour as they field record no of women candidates at the Election http://sunpl.us/60104VBQ
@rafaelbehr
Quote MessageCon 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.
@faisalislam
Quote MessageLabour have used the words minimum cost nuclear deterrent before.. Which is a reference to 3/4 submarine choice... #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.
Quote MessageThis 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."
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."