Summary

  • The Liberal Democrat Party launched its manifesto, pledging an extra £2.5bn for England's education budget

  • UKIP launched its manifesto, which included a commitment to protect the defence budget

  • Labour also published what it called its women's manifesto

  • There are 22 days left until polling day

  1. Adding uppublished at 09:52

    Japanese abacus

    Labour is continuing its attack on the Tories this morning. In a week in which every party's spending plans are coming under intense scrutiny, Ed Miliband and co are claiming the Conservatives still need to identify a mere £24,950,000,000 more than they already have. They've provided a spreadsheet , externaland everything.

  2. Carole Walker, BBC Conservative campaign correspondentpublished at 09:47 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    @carolewalkercw

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    David Cameron in hard hat again on visit to London building site to highlight housing plans"

    David Cameron visiting a building site
  3. Arif Ansari, BBC Lib Dem campaign correspondentpublished at 09:46 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    @ArifBBC

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    Slightly unexpected funky nightclub feel to Lib Dem manifesto launch #GE2015

    Lib Dem launch
  4. UKIP's targetspublished at 09:43

    The Daily Mail

    Nigel FarageImage source, Getty Images

    Earlier today UKIP’s Steven Woolfe said his party would consider winning 10 seats a success. That sounds like a bit of a climbdown; Nigel Farage had voiced his hopes of winning dozens of constituencies in the wake of last year’s European elections triumph. Now Mr Woolfe’s revised figure has been placed in some context by a Mail story, external that UKIP has cut back the number of seats where it is focusing its resources down to just… you guessed it… 10. They include Mr Farage’s contest in Thanet South; its two existing seats, held by Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless; and Thurrock, where the Tories are defending a majority of just 92.

  5. Rebecca Gregory, Head of Communications, Diversity at Business in the Communitypublished at 09:41 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    @rebecca_g

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    Would the movement to get people to vote be as strong if Russell Brand HADN'T encouraged people not to vote? A conundrum #Election2015

  6. Kate Devlin, Westminster Correspondent, The Heraldpublished at 09:39 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    @_katedevlin

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    Off to Lib Dem manifesto launch. Cd they be like the PDs in Ireland - lose lots of seats but remain in government?"

  7. Columnist Gaby Hinsliffepublished at 09:39 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    @gabyhinsliff/

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    On a delayed train, which is where I've spent much of the elexn campaign so far, wondering why transport is never a fricking elexn issue

  8. Profiling Edpublished at 09:34

    The Guardian

    Ed MilibandImage source, PA

    Profiling Ed Miliband isn’t the sort of job to skimp on, and the Guardian’s Rafael Behr has gone to town on the job in a comprehensive "long read" piece, external. Mr Miliband’s reaction to Thatcher’s death, his response to the death of New Labour, his urgent campaigning during the ensuing leadership election and his struggles to hold the party together are all covered. “Miliband has not amassed a great army of followers along the way; at times it felt more like a siege than a crusade,” Behr writes. “But for his small band of trusted advisers, it has been a triumph of intellectual consistency over political volatility.” He suggests that, after years of difficulty, the Labour leader’s declaration on Monday that he has been “tested” and is now “ready” for Downing Street was delivered “with some justification”.

  9. Christopher Hope, Assistant Editor and Chief Political Correspondent, The Daily Telegraphpublished at 09:30 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    @christopherhope

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    Next 48 hours crucial for Nigel Farage. UKIP manifesto today and leaders debate tomorrow when he is the ONLY right wing voice #GE2015

  10. Add to the debatepublished at 09:24 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    Text: 61124

    Andy Jervis, Truro:

    How I love politicians telling me that their view is the "right thing to do". Astonishingly patronising.

  11. Spookypublished at 09:25

    OK, we smell conspiracy. It turns out the Green Party manifesto is also 84 pages...

  12. Weighty tomepublished at 09:23

    We thought the Lib Dem manifesto looked a bit thicker (as well as more colourful) than its Tory and Labour counterparts, and it seems we're right. Sky News political editor Faisal Islam reveals, external  it's "160 pages of pure Lib Dems". For reference, Labour's is 86 pages long and the Conservatives' 84 - we wonder if they came to some agreement on that...

  13. Pic: Norman gets his hands on the Lib Dem manifestopublished at 09:17

    Norman Smith
  14. Peter Oborne, journalistpublished at 09:14 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    @OborneTweets

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    Tory Party's uncosted and fiscally reckless manifesto shows that George Osborne still firmly in charge."

  15. Farage's fightpublished at 09:13

    BBC Radio 4 Today

    Ramsgate

    Nigel Farage’s fight for South Thanet is the subject of the latest package from Today’s 100 seats in 100 days series. The UKIP leader tells Tom Bateman he’s been working in the constituency since 1999 and stood there in 2005. Does he oppose the arrival of the Poles who now live in the area? “Kent has a huge history of defending its borders,” he says. But the focus on Mr Farage is damaging for the area, Labour candidate Will Scobie says. "Nigel Farage is bringing negative publicity to our area,” he complains. “Lots of journalists have written some pretty horrible stuff.”

  16. Ask Hughpublished at 09:10

    BBC News Channel

    Hugh Pym

    Tomorrow, between 11 and 12 BST, the BBC's health editor Hugh Pym will be answering all of your election-related NHS questions.

    On Twitter, tweet your question to @BBCRealityCheck using the hashtag #AskBBCHugh

    Or you can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

  17. 'Junkered'published at 09:07

    BBC News Channel

    Helen Lewis and David Wooding

    The European Commission president’s opposition to treaty talks with Britain before 2019, as reported in the Times, external, is raising eyebrows on the News Channel. “David Cameron’s pledge for an in-out referendum for Europe in 2017 appears to have been well and truly Junckered,” the Sun on Sunday’s political editor David Wooding says. “This will throw into question David Cameron’s pledge of getting a better deal and staying in - and, of course, move Britain closer to the exit door.” Helen Lewis, of the New Statesman, says Mr Cameron was in a “desperate place” when he made that pledge. He’s now a “hostage to fortune”, she suggests.

  18. Norman Smith, BBC assistant political editorpublished at 09:05 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    @BBCNormanS

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    Lib dem manifesto launch appears to be taking place in Uber Hip south London bar. #ClegstaCool"

  19. Red lines?published at 09:03

    1st Battalion of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with the QueenImage source, PA

    Red line… the phrase is everywhere this campaign, and we know it means something you won't budge on - well, in theory at least. But where does it come from? According to Ben Yagoda, a professor of English and journalism at the University of Delaware - quoted in National Geographic, external - it’s an adaptation of the much older phrase “a line in the sand”. So when did that line become crimson? One theory relates to the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War and the last stand of the scarlet-clad and hopelessly outnumbered Sutherland Highlanders - pictured above in more recent times. The Times’ William Russell wrote that all that stood in the way of the advancing Russians was "a thin red streak tipped with steel."

    As well as matters hung parliament, red lines are often drawn in matters of foreign policy and conflict including most recently, perhaps, President Obama declaring that the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime in Syria would be a red line for him. Republian John McCain said the red line was "apparently written in disappearing ink" because of the apparent refusal of the US to act when such weapons were used.

  20. BBC story: Lib Dems pledge £2.5bn for educationpublished at 09:01 British Summer Time 15 April 2015

    Your comments

    disdusted comments on this story: The £2.5bn education pledge will allow the continued deterioration of the situation in schools, due to rising class sizes etc., until 'the books are balanced'. Balancing the books is a moving target, as was seen in the last Parliament. This may mean that, like the abolition of tuition fees, this pledge may never be met or, at best, not met for several years.

    Trs comments: Every party is saying they must tackle the deficit but they are all promising new policies and more money for the NHS, Education, & Housing.

    Where is this money coming from ? Can one of the parties come out and tell us the truth please.