Image source, PA

Black British stars from stage, screen and sport are taking part in a campaign to encourage ethnic minorities to register to vote. Homeland actor David Harewood, musician Tinie Tempah, ex-footballer Sol Campbell and Paralympic medallist and television presenter Ade Adepitan were photographed for Operation Black Vote.

Launching the campaign, Harewood said: "What it brilliantly illustrates is that if you don't register to vote, you are quite literally taking all the vibrancy we have in our community off the table. If you don't register to vote, politicians don't really care about you, politicians aren't really caring about what you have to say, what you have to do, anything."

Sue Lane, North Devon:

Nick Robinson
Political editor

Take your pick. Clegg, Farage or Salmond. Who do you want to hold the balance of power? Who do you want to call the shots? Who should be in a position to hold the next government to ransom? Nick Clegg posed those questions today.

Coalition was inevitable, he suggested, so the choice was simply between a "coalition of conscience" and a "coalition of grievance" - in other words a Lib Dem coalition with either Labour or the Tories and not a deal between the SNP and Labour or the Tories, UKIP and the DUP.

An hour later Nigel Farage made his alternative pitch for UKIP having a stake in the next government of the UK.

Read Nick's manifesto verdicts in full.

Gill

We might've had two manifesto launches this morning, but the most popular #ge2015, external tweet today is this image, external of party leaders depicted as Star Wars characters. The 3D sculptures were created by the artist kibooki, external. Ed Miliband will possibly be the most pleased of the leaders.

Image source, @kibooki

Number17 comments on this story: I like some of UKIPs policies, most of them ring true with a number of voters, but cutting foreign aid is the one I am most uneasy about. It just sounds mean, unfair and unethical in many ways.

Clearly they are not a racist party, more patriotic/nationalist if anything, but the aid we give to less well-off countries is a positive thing that should be lauded not reduced.

John comments: I wish it were true but I don't believe it is possible to have no cuts in welfare, more spent on NHS and defence but no more taxes or borrowing. I would like the option of a new party with sensible middle of the road policies but UKIP isn't it.

tweets: , external

If you're just joining us, sandwich in hand, and haven't had a chance to catch up on what's been happening, here's a quick lunchtime recap of today's political events.

* The Liberal Democrats have launched their election manifesto, with party leader Nick Clegg saying only they can stop the next government from "lurching to the extremes"

* UKIP has also unveiled its election offerings, with a pledge by leader Nigel Farage to bring about a "low tax revolution" to help working people.

* The SDLP made it three for three with its manifesto launch , in which it calls for a prosperity process for Northern Ireland to expand its private sector

* Labour unveiled what it calls its women's manifesto, with a pledge to allow working grandparents to share unpaid parental leave

* The latest TNS opinion poll gave the Conservatives a two-point lead over Labour while a YouGov poll gave Labour a one-point lead over the Conservatives

Stephen Farthing, Bristol:

Image source, PA

Out campaigning in Edinburgh, Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has attacked the SNP's record on childcare. "In Scotland, 14,000 two-year-olds have missed out on free childcare because the SNP failed to match the provision delivered in England by Liberal Democrats in coalition," he said. "I am setting out a once in a lifetime opportunity for all two-year-olds - some 60,000 each year - to benefit from free childcare by 2020. That's a big difference in provision which could make a big difference to the opportunities for children in Scotland."

That'll only be possible, he adds of course, if the Lib Dems hold their 11 seats in Scotland - a tough ask given pressure from the very same SNP.

SDLP MLA Fearghal McKinney tells the Daily Politics Northern Ireland needs help to grow its private sector. "It won't happen organically, it can't happen organically," he says, suggesting Westminster has adopted a "fire and forget" approach (where missiles are launched without further need for guidance to their target) to devolution to Northern Ireland to date.

On infrastructure, for example, he says: "You have HS2. We don't even have a motorway between our two major cities."

And money-wise, even if it means spending more? Mr McKinney continues: "I don't know if there's a word to describe excitement within Treasury officialdom, but I think this type of thing should excite the Treasury because they can see within it the potential for investment to save in the long term."

He adds: "We're not asking for a deal, we're offering one."

Neverstopssmilin, external

A poem about the election

Could lead one to dismay

As I'm prone to waffle

It'd take me over a day

Unless I make it a tweet

For @BBC_HaveYourSay!

Read more of our collection of verse

Most of the attention may be on UKIP and the Lib Dems today, but the SDLP has also launched its manifesto today, pledging a Scottish-style commission on devolving fiscal powers to Northern Ireland during the next Parliament.

Among their demands are:

• The right to to borrow money and issue their own bonds in order to fund infrastructure projects
• Control over National Insurance and the setting of the minimum wage

• The ability to cut Air Passenger Duty to compete with Dublin Airport
• Seabed resource rights, with the potential for more off-shore windfarms and tidal turbines

Party leader Alasdair McDonnell said: "The SDLP is offering a simple choice: prosperity not austerity. We have a choice."

Kevin, Belfast:

George Osborne has been campaigning in the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine constituency in the north-east of Scotland. He's been defending Conservative plans to bar Scottish MPs from voting on income tax rates in England.

"If you have a Scottish rate of income tax, a consequence of that is you have an English rate of income tax and I think it's only right and fair that English MPs would then have a decisive say over that. Of course, the whole Budget would be voted on by all the UK MPs, including Scottish MPs, and I think that's a fair arrangement. I think people in Scotland would see it as fair, I also think people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would see it as fair."

tweets, external:

Image source, Twitter

Image source, Reuters

Ed Miliband also said Labour's mansion tax plans would cost him £250 a month, but he was fine with that. "I think I'll be in the £2-3 million band which is £250 but that is the difference at this election - I believe that people who are well off, people in my position should pay a little bit more for the NHS. David Cameron wants to cut taxes further for people who are better off like himself."

Margaret, Dundee:

Graeme, London: