The Conservatives launch their manifesto, with David Cameron declaring “we are the party of working people”
They promise an extension of the right-to-buy scheme and 30 hours free childcare a week
The Green Party’s manifesto launch calls for action against climate change
It also promises steps to “restore and extend our public services”
There are 23 days left until polling day
Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics
The Daily Politics is touring the UK, calling in on voters at 18 sites to ask their views on the general election - and Tuesday's stop was in Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire. Reporter Giles Dilnot spoke to Will Lowe, Branny Drinkhall and Allison Steed, who work at a blacksmiths, about what the parties have to offer to earn their vote at the general election. Watch the film
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
Phil Brown, Lowestoft:
I am really getting turned off by the election campaign. Why oh why are we being subjected to the constant barrage of “good news”? Surely pretty well all of these “pledges” could have been delivered policy over the last five years? Anyway I no longer believe politicians' rhetoric, it is all about their own futures not about the country's future. A small committee of intelligent, non partisan, individuals could almost certainly make better decisions than 650 expensive, self- interested MPs.
Image source, European Photopress AgencyIt’s been a day dominated by manifesto launches, with David Cameron offering a brighter, more positive message from the Conservatives to voters. This is Alex Stevenson and Victoria King signing off for the day – we’ll be back for more from 6am tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a recap of the day so far:
Image source, Francis Bashir / UKIPUKIP is enjoying the spiritual assistance of a Christian church in Lahore, Pakistan. Pastor Francis Bashir has revealed pictures of his congregation holding up a UKIP poster stating that “God made you successful”. Their enthusiasm for "Nigel Farag" – as his name is spelled on the poster – is clear. Pastor Bashir wants UKIP to win the election “because the party stands up for Christian culture and values and people from the Commonwealth”. Pakistani Christians are among the most persecuted in the world, UKIP points out.
Image source, WittWoo PhotographyWestminster feels rather a long way from Penrith and the Borders, the seat held by Conservative Rory Stewart in the last parliament. That distance is in the mind as much as it is physical, as Today programme reporter Matthew Price has been discovering. His report is the latest in Today’s 100 seats in 100 days series.
@jameskirkup
Quote MessageCan you tell the Conservative and Labour 2015 election manifestos apart? | via @Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11535111/Can-you-tell-the-Conservative-and-Labour-2015-election-manifestos-apart.html …
As the day goes on, other policies - beyond the headline-grabbers - in the Conservative manifesto are coming to light. The party wants to change the rules on industrial action so a strike could only go ahead "based on a ballot in which half the workforce has voted". And public sector workers would only be able to go out on strike if it was directly supported by 40% of people entitled to take part. The manifesto states: "We will protect you from disruptive and undemocratic strike action."
The proposal has angered the unions with the GMB General Secretary Paul Kenny calling the Conservatives "class warriors" seeking to "shackle workers".
Quote MessageWe will soon see the double standards in operation as if the Tories are returned again they will have no hesitation in forming a Government while not securing 40% support from the electorate. Yet they propose to use that power to impose a 40% threshold on trade union members voting for strike action.
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
Paul Barrett Brown:
Right to buy seems to have dominated media reporting. Whatever happened to EU membership, controlling immigration and the fact that population growth has exacerbated health, education, welfare, housing pressures? It seems that some of the most important issues confronting the electorate have been deliberately sidelined by most parties and that the media has helped to keep these matters off the table.
No-one, it’s fair to assume, told Miriam Gonzalez Durantez that being a politician’s wife would involve making edible pigs. But carefully crafting these objects out of chocolate digestives, fondant and cream eggs, as well as assisting in the preparation of lava lamps (pictured above), is exactly what Nick Clegg’s missus has been up to on a visit to a local Girl Guides hut. She’s been in Hazel Grove, Stockport, helping Lib Dem candidate Lisa Smart's bid to hold the seat. “It's obviously a very close campaign for everybody,” says Ms Gonzalez Durantez. “Nobody's going to have an outright majority and that makes it quite interesting." That’s one way of putting it…
Image source, AFP/Getty ImagesLabour's deputy leader Harriet Harman delivers her verdict on today's Conservative party manifesto launch:
Quote MessageThe Conservative Party have not and will not stand up for working families. It is working people who have paid the price of the last five years, with higher taxes and wages down £1,600. Yesterday Labour showed that it was the party of change and the party of responsibility with a fully funded manifesto that does not require any extra borrowing. The Conservative manifesto today shows once again that working people can’t afford five more years of the Tories.”
Independent candidate Ronnie Carroll's death, external brought into focus the need for rules to govern what happens in such an event. BBC political analyst Will Wearmouth sums up the relevant electoral law:
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Delving into his elephant-like memory, our political correspondent Chris Mason reminds us that a plan to extend right-to-buy to tenants of housing associations appeared in the Conservative manifesto ahead of the 2005 general election. On page 22, to be precise.
Remember this?
@nedsimons
tweets a link to an interview with former minister Alistair Burt: , external
Quote MessageCameron downgrades his immigration target to an ambition. Ex-minister says without migration UK would 'fall apart'"
Image source, PABoris Johnson might not be such a big fan of today’s right-to-buy announcement, if comments from him in mayor’s question time just a couple of weeks ago are anything to go by. The comments, which can be found here at 17.30 in, have been flagged up by Liberal Democrats. Here’s what Mr Johnson had to say when pressed on extending the policy to housing association tenants:
Quote Message“If I may say so, obviously one of the issues with extending the right-to-buy to housing associations in the way that I think you are thinking of is that it would be potentially extremely costly to this body. We would have to make up the difference. Housing associations are private bodies, as we all know. It would involve massive subsidies. We would need to get the funds to support that. At the moment, I would stress, there is no such policy.”
@glvrmrk
Quote MessageLoving @jamieoliver's manifesto idea in @theipaper to ban chewing gum in public. Would like to see spitting outlawed too #ELECTION2015
Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics
The Green Party "is having a wonderful campaign" said its leader, who predicted more than one-in-20 people would vote for them at the general election. Natalie Bennett was talking to Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics, where he asked her if she had become a liability for her party.Watch a clip
Image source, Getty ImagesHere are two more reactions to the Conservatives’ manifesto - one rather more sympathetic than the other.
Quote MessageThe economic recovery is strengthening, but there is still much to do. Progress has been made in cutting the deficit over this parliament, and the Conservative Party’s clear plans to continue the path of deficit reduction are welcome. Business will want clarity over how manifesto commitments will be funded. The Conservative manifesto includes a number of pro-growth measures, such as investing in infrastructure, creating a competitive tax environment, and boosting skills. And business is clear: our membership of a reformed European Union is also critical to our economic future.”
John Cridland, CBI director general
Quote MessageThis manifesto promises us that the Conservatives have a plan for every stage of our lives. It’s highly doubtful that there are many voters who want David Cameron and George Osborne to plan their lives from cradle to grave. This is a missed opportunity by the Conservative Party to put forward a strategy for a growing and successful economy which allows individuals to make their own plans for their own prosperity.”
Mark Littlewood, Institute of Economic Affairs director general
@EmilyCD91
Quote MessageWhat happened to climate change? Remember that big issue? Doesn't seem to be on the agenda anymore... #ELECTION2015 #climatechange
From Arif Ansari, Lib Dem campaign correspondent
BBC News Channel
Image source, PAThroughout this campaign so far Nick Clegg has been going to a lot of seats where the primary opponent is not a Labour candidate but a Tory candidate. Even in those seats where the Lib Dems are up against Labour, they hope that they can get those middle-ground Tories to support them. So they’re pretty hopeful the Tory campaign, which they see as a little too extreme, could alienate middle-ground Tories - and those are the kind of voters that Nick Clegg is trying to win over.