Summary

  • Labour previews its manifesto launch, promising no "additional borrowing" to fund pledges

  • The Conservatives unveil plans to cut inheritance tax on family homes

  • The Lib Dems set out plans to eliminate the deficit by 2017/18, while the Greens say they would introduce a top tax rate of 60%

  • Catch-up: Guests on the Andrew Marr Show were George Osborne, Harriet Harman and Natalie Bennett

  • Catch-up: Sunday Politics Scotland featured a debate between Scotland's main party leaders

  • There are 25 days left until the general election

  1. Economic growthpublished at 11:23

    Andrew Neil asks David Gauke if the Conservatives would junk many of their policies if the UK entered another recession, as the plans are contingent on continued growth. Mr Gauke says the government is working on the basis of independent growth forecasts.

  2. Personal... but 'factual'published at 11:20

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Conservative Treasury Minister Priti Patel tells 5Live's Pienaar's Politics that she doesn't like personal attacks in political campaigns.

    John Pienaar suggests that the Conservatives' attack on Ed Miliband last week was pretty personal.

    Ms Patel argues that "it's factual as well", given Ed Miliband's leadership contest with his brother.

    She concedes that campaigns can get "divisive and hostile" which can put people off.

  3. Action on inheritance tax neededpublished at 11:18

    David Gauke

    Conservative Financial Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke says the next few years will see a doubling of the proportion of households "dragged into inheritance tax" unless the government takes action. He doesn't accept that the policy announcement implies the Conservatives are the party of the rich - he says his party believes inheritance tax has become much broader than it was ever supposed to be.

  4. Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor, The Timespublished at 11:15

    @SamCoatesTimes

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    On #bbcsp now - Danny Alexander doesn't say concretely he would block IHT [inheritance tax] plan from Osborne. Can only imagine Lib Dem sighs

  5. Greater government efficienciespublished at 11:13

    Danny Alexander

    Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander tells the Sunday Politics that £10bn of the further £12bn in government cuts his party would need to make in order to eliminate the deficit by 2017/18 would mostly fall from lowering the running costs of government, rather than more trimming of specific departmental budgets.

  6. Joey Essex 'not to meet David Cameron'published at 11:08

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Reality TV star Joey Essex, who has been filming a documentary series for ITV where he meets various politicians, has said he won't get to meet the prime minister. "It's a shame - I'm not meeting David Cameron. I've met everyone else, out of the MPs. I did really want to meet him, but it's not happening... I am a bit gutted." However, he adds: "I can't say he's not reem." Earlier in the interview he had explained: "'Reem' just means nice, beautiful, everything good in one word."

  7. Where will the knife fall?published at 11:02

    Nick Clegg is asked from where the departmental cuts of £12bn over the next two years under his party's plans would come. He says this is actually less drastic than that which has already happened, as it is doing over two years what has already been done in one. Asked also why voters should trust him given that he broke his previous promise on tuition fees, he says that voters should look at the balance of Lib Dem 2010 manifesto policies that have been enacted under this coalition.

  8. Is one party 'less wrong'?published at 11:00

    Nick Clegg is asked whether recent promises from Labour and the Conservatives - which he has criticised - make him believe one is more economically literate and a better coalition partner. But he sidesteps it by saying "just because both of them are wrong on the economy doesn't mean that one of them is less wrong that the other." Does he support the Conservatives' plan to cut inheritance tax? No - and according to him it shows that the Tories are a party in panic, having realised "they're not going to win".

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  9. Paul Waugh, editor of PoliticsHome.compublished at 11:00

    @paulwaugh

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    @JoeyEssex_ reveals David Cameron is only party leader to have turned down interview. "I’ve only just found out today… I’m a bit gutted"

  10. Tory: £8bn for NHS 'can be done'published at 10:58

    Nurse performs diabetes testImage source, PA

    There is a perceived problem with pledging to pour money into the NHS while continuing to slash public sector spending elsewhere, Conservative transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin is challenged. "We've done it over the past five years, that's what I would point out," Mr McLoughlin tells John Pienaar. "We've also cut departmental spending over the past five years, apart from the protected departments... being the health, being education schools budgets. So yes, it can be done."

  11. Post-deficit spendingpublished at 10:54

    The deficit has been such a familiar topic of political discussion in the last five years - but David Laws has a promise for that period: "Once the deficit has been cleared, we will allow public spending to grow in line with the economy."

  12. 'Demonstrably fair' spending planspublished at 10:50

    David Laws

    For the £27bn of additional "fiscal tightening" needed to eliminate the deficit by 2017/18 after taking into account Lib Dem spending plans, David Laws outlines the following:

    1. Changes to the tax system leading to £5bn in additional revenue and £7bn in money gained from cracking down on tax avoidance
    2. Changes to the welfare system lead to £3bn in savings
    3. Reductions in departmental expenditure of £12bn by 2017/18 - a target he says they can meet while still protecting health, education, and foreign aid

  13. Harry Cole, Political commentatorpublished at 10:46

    @MrHarryCole

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    Tory message this weekend. Our plan is working, don't stray from the plan. But if you don't believe us, have a few billion here and there.

  14. John Pienaar, Chief Political Correspondent, BBC Radio 5 livepublished at 10:42

    @JPonpolitics

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    I've never done a selfie before but I'm making an exception for @JoeyEssex_ who is joining me now on @bbc5live

    The BBC's John Pienaar with reality TV star Joey Essex - 12 April 2015Image source, Twitter
  15. 'Top tax rate was lower under Labour'published at 10:41

    The Conservative Party is portrayed by Labour as just catering to the needs of the rich, Conservative transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin tells John Pienaar on Radio 5 live, but: "the simple fact is, they [Labour] were in government for 156 months, thirteen years... In that 156 months, the top rate of tax was 40%. It went up for one month to 50%.We've had a higher [top] rate of tax over our period of government."

  16. Clegg: Next two years 'won't be easy'published at 10:38

    Nick Clegg says: "I can't promise you that the next two years will be easy. I wish I could." But, he adds, there is still a job to finish. You've heard the next part before: "The only way to continue the balanced approach that the coalition has taken is to put the Liberal Democrats back into government." The Lib Dems would cut less than the Tories, and borrow less than Labour. Up next: David Laws will spell out more of the detail on the party's plans.

  17. Louise Stewart, BBC South East political editorpublished at 10:33

    @BBCLouise

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    Nick Clegg says there is no way the Tories can cut further £12 billion from benefits without hurting children and the disabled

  18. Tory promises 'would make Gordon Brown shudder'published at 10:30

    In what many Conservatives must think of as the ultimate insult, Nick Clegg says his coalition partner's pledges on public spending are unfunded to such a degree that they would "make Gordon Brown shudder". The Lib Dem leader then turns his attention to Labour, who he says have been vague on their financial plans, and have refused to take responsibility for what he alleges were the previous government's failures in economic policy. He has a line for them too: Labour would "play Russian roulette your family's future".

  19. 'UK can afford inheritance tax cut'published at 10:26

    left to right) Managing Director of Northern Rail Alex Hynes, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and the Chancellor of the Exchequer George OsborneImage source, PA
    Image caption,

    The UK can afford to cut inheritance tax, Conservative transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin (centre), tells John Pienaar on Radio 5 live.

    Quote Message

    What we are laying out is we can do this, we have a growing economy, and that we can afford to do this. We've been very specific about where this is coming from. This is being done by stopping people who are earning over £150,000 relieving the tax relief as to what they can pay into their pension."

    Patrick McLoughlin, Transport Secretary

  20. Clegg: New spending commitmentspublished at 10:22

    Nick Clegg says that "because money is tight", his party will announce only three new public spending commitments before the deficit is cleared in 2017/18 (on current plans). These are:

    1. To continue to raise the personal allowance for income tax
    2. To increase NHS spending
    3. To reform the spare bedroom subsidy (a.k.a. the bedroom tax) so existing social tenants will not lose any housing benefit unless they've been offered reasonable alternative accommodation and refused to take it.