BBC election debate

1. Five Westminster opposition party leaders took part in a debate, with Labour's Ed Miliband and the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon in heated exchanges
2. UKIP's Nigel Farage accused the audience - which was independently selected and broadly representative - of being "left-wing"
3. Leanne Wood, of Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party's Natalie Bennett took on Mr Farage over his attitude to migrants
4. In other news - Richard Desmond, whose publishing company owns the Daily and Sunday Express, gave £1m to UKIP
5. Nick Clegg said a vote for the Lib Dems could prevent a right-wing coalition of the Conservatives, UKIP and the DUP - or "Blukip"
6. There are 21 days left until polling day

Thursday's round-up

That brings us to the end of another busy day dominated by a leaders' debate:

• The UKIP, SNP, Green Party, Plaid Cymru and Labour leaders debated live in front of a representative audience
• Clashes between Nicola Sturgeon and Ed Miliband were the most significant moments, according to BBC Political Editor, Nick Robinson .
• The SNP leader urged her Labour counterpart to be more radical, while Mr Miliband challenged David Cameron to debate him one-to-one
• Daily Express owner Richard Desmond announced a £1m donation to UKIP , saying it was a party for "good, ordinary British people".
• Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg warned of the prospect of a "hard-line right-wing" government under a coalition between the Conservatives, UKIP and the DUP
• The Conservatives launched their Scottish manifesto warning of a "coalition of chaos" involving Labour and the SNP
• And an ex-head of the NHS said politicians of all parties were ignoring a "substantial financial problem" in the health service

'Lively debate'

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has used Twitter to post a backstage video thanking supporters. In it, she said: "I really enjoyed it, I thought it was a lively debate and I'm really, really grateful for all the messages of support." Scotland's First Minister also used the video to reiterate her party's opposition to the Conservatives and said a vote for the SNP will make Scotland's voice heard "more loudly than ever before".

Andrew Neil

tweets: There's not been enough politics on BBC1 tonight so I'm sure your're looking forward to more on This Week in a few mins .... Noooooooo!!!!!!

Friday's Guardian

Guardian

HIV questions for Carswell

On Question Time, Piers Morgan asks UKIP's Douglas Caswell whether he was ashamed of Nigel Farage's comments on the cost of treating foreigners with HIV - given that Mr Carswell's father was an eminent researcher into the condition. Mr Carswell says it is "entirely legitimate and right" the that NHS is not "the international health service" and highlights the progress made in treating HIV. Pressed on Mr Farage's choice of example, he says: "You need to talk to Nigel".

Coming up on This Week

And there's yet more debate reaction coming up live at 11.45pm when Andrew Neil brings on Alan Johnson, Michael Portillo, Miranda Green and Diane James for This Week on BBC1.

BBC

There'll be time for other subjects as financial expert Louise Cooper gives her take on right-to-buy plans, and Chris Tarrant will be talking about personal and political windfalls. Readers on the desktop site can watch the programme on the Live Coverage tab above.

Spending pledges

Can parties' spending pledges be trusted with a hung Parliament expected, the Question Time panel is asked. The SNP's Angus Robertson offers a "straight answer" - he would not renew the Trident nuclear missile system. Piers Morgan says this is "crackers" and claims Ed Miliband had said earlier that he would not "press the button". Morgan asks: "What kind of deterrent is that?"

BBC

Friday's Mirror

Daily Mirror

Friday's Telegraph

Daily Telegraph

Question Time

The debate is still raging on Question Time, which is on BBC 1 and can also be seen on the live coverage tab above. Here's a reminder of the panel:

BBC

Friday's Times

The Times

More on that poll 'victory'

Some more from that Survation poll: Respondents might have judged Ed Miliband to have won, but 35% thought Nicola Sturgeon performed best, compared with 29% for the Labour leader.

Nigel Farage was judged the "worst" performer but came joint-top with Mr Miliband when people were asked who had the most convincing arguments, and his answers were rated highly on many topics. Leanne Wood and Natalie Bennett struggled to make an impression in many of the categories.

More from the audience

A Conservative voter from the audience says it was disappointing that David Cameron wasn't taking part. "Ed Miliband needed someone to debate with properly," she tells the BBC News Channel.

What the audience thought

The BBC's Ben Brown has been gauging reaction from some of those who were in the live audience. One UKIP voter tells him that Nigel Farage's jibe about the "left-wing" audience was "a stupid, stupid comment". He describes Mr Farage's performance as "fairly weak" and says he's "come out a little bit undecided" about how to vote next month.

The man adds that it was a "poor show" from Leanne Wood and Natalie Bennett to choose not to shake hands with the UKIP leader at the end, and he uses the same term about the UKIP leader's decision not to talk to the audience. However, another audience member says Mr Farage had a fair point about audience bias. "It was a minority who were clapping," she points out.

Lord Ashcroft, former Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party

tweets:

Survation BBC debate poll: Miliband 35% Sturgeon 31% Farage 27% Bennett 5% Wood 2%

Poll give victory to Miliband

Labour's Ed Miliband "won" the final TV debate by four percentage points, according to a Survation poll for the Daily Mirror.

Robin Brant, Political Correspondent BBC

tweets:

Noticed ed did go on to shake @Nigel_Farage hand and lightly pat him on the back #ge2015

Have your say

Peter Fautley:

Watch out Britain, any coalition with SNP would be a disaster. Nicola Sturgeon wants to end the austerity measures, I'd like to know how she plans to pay off our national debt. There appears no interest in what goes on in England, she is only concerned about north of the border. I love the Scottish people, but we have to think of the bigger picture and I am sorry to say she does not do that for me. Trident is imperative to this country, particularly as to what's going on in and around the world, just because we live on an island does not mean we are secure.

Get involved

I can understand Toby Young's comment. The Conservatives have made a cynical decision not to take part so they do not have to defend their record on equal terms. Clearly David Cameron does not fancy facing Ed Milliband as he would then be seen as inferior. Cameron correctly calculated that the minor parties would expend their efforts in criticising Milliband because he was there and had to answer rather than challenging the Conservative record and the limitations of Cameron's character

Social media buzz

More stats from Twitter: Ed Miliband's challenge to David Cameron to "debate him one-on-one" inspired 8,652 tweets per minute, making it the biggest single talking point of the night.

Progressive alliance?

Here's evidence of that group hug between the women who took part that's been mentioned on Twitter.

BBC

Jamie Ross, @BuzzFeedUK politics reporter

tweets:

An audience member tells me Sturgeon, Bennett, and Wood had a group hug at the end of the debate. #bbcdebate

Add to the debate

BBC Politics Live viewer:

If Hague and Alexander wanted their parties to be able to address issues from tonight's debate, their leaders should have been on the podium. Instead they were given a platform by the BBC with no right of reply from the other parties.

Debate: analysis

The BBC's political editor, Nick Robinson sums up the debate as "The Ed v Nicola show".

Of Mr Miliband, he says: "This may allow the Labour leader to be seen as more moderate than his left-wing rivals."

But he adds: "[SNP leader] Nicola Sturgeon showed once again what a formidable debater she is."

PA

This was a debate unlike any we've ever seen. I can't believe there will ever be another like it."

NHS finance ignites division

One of the most heated exchanges during the debate was sparked by NHS finance. Check out our clip.

Borrowing: current forecast

There was much talk about the public finances during the debate. This graph shows net public sector borrowing since 1997/98.

BBC

Jamie Ross, @BuzzFeedUK politics reporter

falsetweets:

I've spoken to six or seven audience members, each of whom have either named Sturgeon as outright or joint winner. #bbcdebate

Twitter analysis

The Press Association has been analysing the number of tweets about each party leader during the debate. It says Nigel Farage was the most talked-about leader for almost all of the programme, with his mentions rocketing when he decided to attack both the audience in the hall and the BBC.

Reality Check

Immigration numbers

Conservative William Hague says the Coalition has reduced immigration from outside the EU to the lowest levels since the 1990s. According to the Office for National Statistics, 248,000 non-EU citizens came to the UK in 2013. The last time immigration was below this level was in 1998.This doesn’t take account of the number of non-EU migrants who, having come to the UK, then leave. Net migration from outside the EU (the difference between the number of people arriving and the number leaving), was 143,000 in 2013. The last time net migration was below that was in 1999, when it was 179,000.

Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party

tweets:

@David_Cameron I believe my plan can give this country a better future than yours. Disagree? Prove it - debate me & let the people decide.

'No plan to end austerity'

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, which is fielding more than 130 candidates across Scotland, England and Wales, claims none of the leaders who took part in the debate had spelled out how they would end austerity.

Chairman Dave Nellist says: "The majority of participants in tonight’s debate declared their opposition to the brutal austerity carried out by the current government. None, however, have policies which would end austerity."

Ed Miliband was crystal clear, his party would continue to cut public spending and prioritise eliminating the deficit. Hundreds of millions more would be cut from local authorities that have already been slashed to the bone. At best this is austerity-lite, in reality more like austerity-nearly as heavy."

Farage, once again, showed his party acts in the interests of the stockbrokers when he called for even more cuts. In contrast the three women in the debate all tried to claim the anti-austerity mantle. They did so because it is popular. In reality, however, all three have carried out significant public spending cuts when they have been in power at both local authority and Scottish and Welsh levels."

Reality Check

Council houses

Former Conservative leader William Hague has told the BBC's debate analysis programme that more council houses were built in the last five years than during the previous 13 years of Labour government.

He is right. DCLG statistics show that 9,230 council homes were built in the UK from 2010-11 to 2013-14, compared with 6,400 from 1997-98 to 2009-10.

'Rabble'

Danny Alexander, of the Lib Dems says a "centre-ground voter" would have been "alarmed" at watching the debate. A "responsible, strong and balanced" coalition needs the Lib Dems, he says. "Listening to that rabble tonight people will be very worried about the future of their country," he adds.

Sarah Sands, Editor London Evening Standard

tweets:

Not sure Farage promise to protect the 'little woman' works especially after getting whacked by Sturgeon.

'Rugby scrum'

The BBC's John Pienaar describes the spin room atmosphere as "somewhere between a rugby scrum, and the first day of the boxing day sales". Labour's Douglas Alexander trots out the line that David Cameron had decided "not to turn up for a job interview with the British people".

Laura Kuenssberg,

tweets:

Liz Truss tells me another debate btw Cameron and Miliband won't happen

Reality Check

Foreign-born doctors

Let's catch up on a couple of claims made during the debate. Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said that one in four doctors was foreign-born.

TheHealth and Social Care Information Centrehas collected statistics on the nationalities represented in the NHS workforce. Its data (from 2013) does indeed show that 25% of doctors who declared their nationality said they were not British.

Conservative reaction

The BBC News Channel's reaction programme is under way, with William Hague among the representatives of the Conservatives. He tells Emily Maitlis: "What we saw then was that any combination would be a coalition of chaos."

BBC

Tom Newton Dunn, Political Editor of The Sun

tweets:

The Sun Twitter Worm verdict on #BBCDebate: the women won it - 1. Sturgeon 2. Bennett 3. Wood 4. Miliband, 5. Farage http://www.sunnation.co.uk/election-debate-challenger/ …

Toby Young, columnist

tweets:

Just filed my verdict for @Telegraph – a win for Cameron #BBCDebate

James Forsyth, The Spectator

tweets:

Miliband offers Farage a pat on the back at the end of the debate as leaders walk off the stage together to shake hands with the audience

All eyes on the spin room

Representatives of all the parties will be doing their best to put a positive spin on their leader's performance.

BBC

Carole Malone, Columnist, Sunday Mirror

tweets:

Ed challenging Cameron to a one on one debate. Not sure the way he narrowed his eyes and tried to look hard will swing it #BBCDebate

Full policy round-up

For more detail on where all the parties stand on key issues, see our policy guide.

BBC

Debate ends

Nigel Farage criticises "career politicians" and says life would be "so much better if we governed ourselves" and gave "ordinary workers a chance". This brings the show to a close, but there's plenty more coming up - including reaction from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

PA

NHS pledges

Ed Miliband promises more doctors and nurses then turns his attention to David Cameron, challenging the PM to a one on one debate.

PA

'Be bold'

"We don't have to take any more of this," says Natalie Bennett, criticising the two main parties' approach to austerity. She also criticises the Liberal Democrats - a rare mention for Nick Clegg's party this evening - and adds: "It's time to be bold - vote Green."

PA

Craig Woodhouse, The Sun political correspondent

tweets:

The most important message from #BBCDebate - you only have 4 days left to register to vote or your voice can't be heard.

'Change course'

PA

Leanne Wood says voters can "change course" at this election, saying Plaid Cymru has a "way to rebalance power and wealth".

Closing statements

PA

That's the debate section over, as David Dimbleby reminds viewers how to register to vote. Closing statements time. Nicola Sturgeon says Labour alone will "not be bold enough" to "deliver progressive change" and that SNP MPs are needed to "deliver real change".

Carole Malone, Columnist, Sunday Mirror

tweets:

These debates doing for Sturgeon what they did for Clegg last time round #bbcddebate

Reality Check

Private landlords

Earlier, Natalie Bennett said that private landlords had made 1,400% profit since 1996, far more than investing in other areas. This figure comes from a report produced by Wriglesworth Consultancy, which was sponsored by buy-to-let lender Landbay.

Gaby Hinsliff, columnist

tweets:

Slightly hoping Cameron and Clegg will any minute burst out of a giant cake shouting 'SURPRISE!' #bbcdebate

Debate: the broad view

BBC

Labour and SNP

Ed Miliband is asked whether he would work with Nicola Sturgeon. He addresses her directly, saying he has "fundamental disagreements" with her over her support for independence. "It's a 'no', I'm afraid," he adds. Independence was a question last year, says Ms Sturgeon. This election is about "seizing an alternative to austerity". She says she can "help Labour be bolder", and asks whether Mr Miliband would really prefer David Cameron as prime minister than to work with the SNP. "The difference is I have fought Tories all my life," he says.

Working together?

Asked about deals after the election, Nicola Sturgeon says she wants to work with Ed Miliband to do something different, better and more progressive than David Cameron’s government. Our explainer describes what she means by ‘a progressive alliance’.

Tense moments

PA

Reality Check

School places

Nigel Farage says we need to find a quarter of a million primary school places by 2020. Education is a devolved issue. According to government figures, there were 3.76 million primary school pupils in England in 2014, and it’s predicted there will be 4.05 million pupils in 2020. That’s an increase of 284,000.

Plaid and Greens

Leanne Wood says she too will not "prop up a Tory government". Nor would the Greens, says Natalie Bennett, who says climate change has not been mentioned so far.

George Eaton, Political Editor, New Statesman

tweets:

Grandiose for Natalie Bennett to talk about propping up anyone when the Greens will likely have one MP. #BBCDebate

Reality Check

Migration effects

Nicola Sturgeon says EU migrants contribute more than they take. Recent studies suggest EU immigrants have made a positive net contribution to the UK’s public finances.

In 2013, a report called The Fiscal Effects of Immigration to the UK said immigrants from 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004 added £4.96bn more in the years to 2011 than they took out in public services.

The report was heavily contested by Migration Watch UK, which said there was "no positive impact at all" because the authors did not take into account differences in earnings and that there was no evidence to suggest self-employed migrants contributed more than those employed.

The Office for Budget Responsibility looked at the long-term fiscal impact of immigration and concluded that higher net migration would reduce government debt over a 50-year period because incoming migrants are more likely to be of working age.

However, the government’s Migration Advisory Committee has noted that while migrants from the EU have made a net contribution to the UK public finances, the concentration of low-skilled migrants had placed significant pressure on the NHS, education, and housing in some areas.

Coalition combinations

It all gets a bit shouty as the subject shifts to the NHS, and David Dimbleby reminds the leaders it is not the subject being asked about. The final question is all about possible coalition deals. Don't say you're aiming for a majority Labour government, the host tells Ed Miliband - who says he is indeed aiming for a majority. Nigel Farage says he would work to secure an EU referendum. Nicola Sturgeon says she will work with Labour, Plaid and the Greens to "get rid of the Tories".

Allegra Stratton, political editor, BBC Newsnight

tweets:

Natalie Bennett absolutely going at Ed Miliband on NHS, Miliband then has a go at Farage. Like a game of football. #BBCDebate

Nigel Farage and the debate audience

In case you missed the moment Nigel Farage challenged the audience, you can watch it back .

Reuters UK Politics

tweets:

Some inaudible heckling from the audience as Miliband talks about the NHS #BBCDebate

Rob Earl

tweets:

Miliband paying the same game Cameron did in the last debate - stand back, let the rest squabble then have a poke every so often #bbcdebate

Lord Ashcroft, former Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party

tweets:

The gamble by @Ed_Miliband of appearing in this debate without @David_Cameron is on balance paying off....

Emigrants and immigrants

We're a nation of emigrants as well as immigrants, Nicola Sturgeon says. "We shouldn't be ideological about this, we should be pragmatic," she adds. Responding to the suggestion that the NHS would "collapse" without immigrants, Nigel Farage says: "The fact that there are some very good foreign doctors and nurses in this country is not the point." He raises the issue of so-called "health tourism" and reiterates his comments on foreign HIV patients.

Reality Check

Defence spending

A little while ago, Nigel Farage said it wasn't much to ask to devote 2% of our total spend to defence. He is confusing government spending with the total output of the economy (GDP).

UK spending on defence is currently just over 2% of GDP as discussed in this Reality Check.

Leanne Wood, on the other hand, was saying that the government was spending 6% of its budget on defence. It's actually closer to 5%.

Defence spending in 2013-14 was £36.4bn, which was 5.1% of total managed expenditure.

Bennett turns on UKIP

BBC

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett accuses Nigel Farage of wanting to "demonise immigrants".

Immigration

BBC

Harry Cole, The Spectatator

tweets:

Once again falls to Leanne to have a proper crack at Nigel. Ed screwed this up last time

Pic: opposing views

BBC

Exploited

People's concerns are not based on prejudice, they are real, says Ed Miliband. He says migrant labour is being exploited to drive down wages. Nigel Farage says the UK should "take back control of our borders" by quitting the EU. Leanne Wood refers to the UKIP leader's comment in the last debate about the cost of treating foreign HIV patients. The minimum wage should be raised and trade unions should be strengthened, she adds.

Ashley Cowburn, Political Reporter at the Observer

tweets:

By far the strongest performance Natalie Bennett has ever given. #BBCDebate

Immigration

What will the parties do about immigration, which is putting public services at risk, asks the next questioner. Natalie Bennett says she strongly disagrees with the premise of the question. She is an immigrant, she says, adding that migrants' contributions should be "celebrated". Nicola Sturgeon says the debate about immigration at Westminster is "driven too much by UKIP".

Andrew Neil, BBC presenter

tweets:

Bennett says Greens now support current levels of defence spending. Very different from what she told me a month ago.

Catch the worm

You can also see the worm by clicking the “Live coverage” tab at the top of this page, and selecting the “Live reaction” video.

Leanne Wood agrees with the Green and SNP leaders that Trident should not be renewed. She says more should be done for veterans when they leave the forces. The 2% target is an "arbitrary sum", she says. But Nigel Farage, whose party has pledged to meet it, says this figure is like "the premium on our home insurance".

John Rentoul, Columnist, Independent on Sunday

tweets:

EdM started well but coming off badly against Sturgeon, which is what matters tonight. #BBCDebate

Isabel Hardman, Assistant editor, The Spectator

tweets:

If I had a bad day and got rained on or lost my keys or something, I’d love to pop round to Leanne Wood’s for a comforting cuppa.

Watch the worm

If you're watching via the BBC News Channel, then - along the bottom of the screen - you can see the BBC's "worm", which gauges the views of a group of undecided voters. More info here.

BBC

Andrew Neil, BBC presenter

tweets:

Bennett says we should take lead by abolishing Trident. Any idea who would follow our lead?

SNP and Trident

SNP opposition to nuclear weapons is long-standing and runs deep. It’s an article of faith for the party. Its critics point out that there are nearly 7,000 jobs at the nuclear submarine bases on the Clyde. South of the border, more than 5,000 are employed building submarines at Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria.

EU Army?

Ed Miliband backs renewing Trident. He also says the UK needs to learn lessons from the 2003 Iraq War. "You need a prime minister who's willing to say 'no', and that's what I'll do", he says. Would you sign us up to "an EU army", Nigel Farage asks him. "No," says Mr Miliband. "There's not going to be a European army", he says. "Yes there is," replies Mr Farage.

David Maddox, The Scotsman

tweets:

This is a walk in the park for Nicola Sturgeon...the champion of the left tonight again Ukip...Miliband too quiet #BBCDebate

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister

tweets:

For clarity, I was not invited to #BBCDebate. I would have happily taken part and proudly defended our strong @LibDems record in government.

Cost of replacing Trident

BBC

Reality Check

Cost of Trident

Leanne Wood and Nicola Sturgeon both say they are against spending £100bn on renewing Trident. This is a figure from the CND, which includes servicing the submarines over 30 years and decommissioning them. There's more about the costing in this Reality Check.

Defence spending

BBC

Jo Coburn, BBC Daily Politics presenter

tweets:

Nigel Farage pushing at Tory bruise by saying UKiP committing to 2% of GDP spending in defence #BBCDebate

Spending £100bn on Trident cannot be justified, says Leanne Wood. She thinks the country should be a "haven for human rights and a beacon for conflict resolution and peace". Nicola Sturgeon says the UK should invest in "strong conventional forces" instead of nuclear, she says.

Defence

Time for the next question, about Trident (the UK's nuclear missile system) and defence spending. Nigel Farage, whose party has committed to spend 2% of GDP on defence, says Trident - though expensive - is necessary. Natalie Bennett agrees it is a dangerous world, but says she doesn't feel any safer because of nuclear weapons. "How about we take a lead, and say we will rid Britain of these hideous weapons of mass destruction", she suggests.

Right (or not) to buy

Asked about housing, Nicola Sturgeon dismisses Tory plan to extend right-to-buy for housing association tenants in England. The right-to-buy is being ended in Scotland. The Scottish government, with housing associations, say the loss of houses to cut-price sales makes it more difficult to fund new housing to replace stock, and doesn’t do anything to tackle homelessness.

Michael Davies

tweets:

Right to Buy is great as long as you have more social housing being built, which isn't happening #BBCDebate

Laura Kuenssberg, Chief Correspondent +Presenter Newsnight

tweets:

Not sure that attacking the audience is a great look... Sturgeon piles in, 'you're worried every problem is caused by immigrants'

Ross Hawkins, BBC political correspondent

tweets:

Labour source: others are asking Miliband questions because he's the alternative PM on stage

Reality Check

Lower house building

Ed Miliband says that house building is at its lowest level since the 1920s, a claim that came from a report from the centre-right think tank Policy Exchange in 2012.

However, this statement was based on the coalition removing Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs). Introduced by the last Labour government, RSSs gave English regions Whitehall targets for homes to be built.

Policy Exchange’s paper said that, as at 2012, councils were planning to build 272,720 fewer new homes since the abolition of the regional planning system.

As noted in this Guardian article, councils now have powers to set housing targets – and have had such powers since 2010.

A government spokesperson told The Guardian that Policy Exchange’s analysis was flawed as it did not allow for the fact that RSS targets "had not worked".

The spokesperson said: "Top-down regional targets didn't work and built nothing but resentment. It is meaningless to point to targets which were never going to be built. It was under regional strategies that house building fell to its lowest peacetime rates since the 1920s."

The moment Nigel Farage challenged the audience

BBC

'Financial assets'

Natalie Bennett says houses should be treated as "homes, rather than financial assets". The Labour government didn't build enough homes, admits Ed Miliband, who says the housing market is not working. Nigel Farage says the scale of immigration is part of the problem, saying the "demand side of the equation" must be capped.

Analysis: The first 30 minutes

Sean Curran

Parliamentary correspondent

It isn’t quite Hamlet without the prince or even Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are missing, but there’s no doubt it’s a bit unusual to have an election debate without David Cameron and Nick Clegg.

The leaders of the five opposition parties don’t seem to be mourning the absence of the deputy prime minister but Mr Cameron has certainly had plenty of name checks so far. The biggest round of the applause in the first twenty minutes came when Nicola Sturgeon said it was a disgrace that the PM wasn’t there to defend his record.

This has left the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, in the line of fire, facing criticism from Natalie Bennett, Leanne Wood and Nicola Sturgeon as well an early exchange with Nigel Farage.

Reality Check

Student debt

Natalie Bennett says students are leaving university with an average of £44,000 of debt, of which 45p in the pound will never be repaid.

Astudyby the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggested that three quarters of English graduates will not repay their student loan in full. The IFS’s researchers concluded that a typical student would be leaving university with “much higher debts than before”, averaging £44,000.

TheIFSalso said their estimates suggest that for each £1 loaned out to students, the long-run cost to the government would be 43.3p. However, they said that estimate could change depending on what happens to graduate earnings.

Farage criticises the audience

Ed Miliband says Labour is not opposed to right-to-buy in principle, but says the Conservative plan won't work. Nigel Farage then gets combative, saying there is a "total lack of comprehension on the panel" - and in the audience. That gets a reaction. David Dimbleby tells him the audience was selected by an independent organisation.

Patrick Smith, Media editor at @BuzzFeedUK

tweets:

My 14-month-old son’s reaction to the debate is to scream his head off then fall asleep which is pretty much the same as my reaction.

House-building: the long-term trend

BBC

Affordable homes pledge

The Green Party would build 500,000 affordable homes, says Natalie Bennett. The SNP is considering a rent cap in Scotland, says Nicola Sturgeon. She says the Conservative plan to extend right-to-buy to social housing is "one of the worst ideas I've ever heard". The flagship Conservative policy of right-to-buy is being scrapped in Scotland and has been suspended in Wales.

BBC

Reality Check

Debt repayments

Nigel Farage says our debt repayments are bigger than our annual defence budget.

He's right - the Ministry of Defence said that the defence budget for 2013/14 was £34.3bn. In that year Britain’s debt repayments cost £48.7bn, according to the House of Commons Library.

Toby Young, columnist

tweets:

I’m impressed that @Nigel_Farage is live tweeting the #BBCDebate while participating in at the same time. Didn’t even see his hands move!

SNP budget plans

SNP plan for UK finances is to increase spending 0.5% per year, taking on a further £180bn in debt over the next Parliament. IFS says Labour could accept the SNP projection if it were willing to take longer to reach a budget surplus.

Ben Riley-Smith, Political Correspondent, Daily Telegraph

tweets:

This debate is clearest evidence yet that SNP, Greens and Plaid will come together and hold Ed's feet to the fire in a hung parliament.

Rent cap?

Leanne Wood calls for a string of measures including a rent cap and a doubling of the council tax charged on holiday homes. Nigel Farage says reducing immigration will help and pledges a "brownfield building boom". Like Ed Miliband, he pledges 200,000 affordable homes a year.

Reality Check

Child poverty

Nicola Sturgeon says one million more children are living in poverty. The figure’s from an IFS forecast in 2013 for the whole of this decade. Read more detail on child poverty in our Reality Check.

Affordable housing

The lack of affordable social housing is the subject of the next question. Housing is a devolved issue in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, David Dimbleby points out.

Sun Nation

tweets:

Sturgeon missile continues to strike: "Miliband is Tory-lite". Ed looks pained, he's agonising here #BBCDebate

Tom Bateman, BBC Radio 4 Today reporter

tweets:

Biggest applause of debate so far for Nicola Sturgeon: "It is a disgrace that David Cameron is not here to defend his record" #debate2015

Reality Check

Balancing the books

Ed Miliband says he would balance the books in the next parliament.

Labour has set out several fiscal targets. One of them is to reduce the deficit (that's the difference between what it spends and what it raises) every year. Labour also plans to bring the current deficit (the deficit excluding investment spending) into surplus as soon as possible during the next parliament. But this measure of the deficit doesn’t include borrowing to spend on long-term infrastructure projects. So Labour’s plan does allow room for some borrowing and the party’s fiscal rules would only “balance the books” for part of the deficit.

Miliband versus Sturgeon

It's more Ed Miliband versus Nicola Sturgeon, as the Labour leader highlights warnings over a "black hole" in Scotland's finances if it's given full fiscal autonomy, as well as the SNP's support for independence.

John Pienaar, BBC Radio 5 live's Chief Political Correspondent

tweets:

Miliband stresses economic responsibility. This MAY appeal to some Lab doubters - it WILL annoy many in Scotland where Lab cornered by SNP.

Reality Check

Hadrian's Wall

Nigel Farage says he wants to see less government money going "over Hadrian's Wall". It's worth bearing in mind that it's not just Scotland over Hadrian's Wall - there’s quite a lot of Northumberland and a bit of Cumbria to be found there too.

James Forsyth, Spectator

tweets:

Huge applause from the audience as Sturgeon says it is a ‘disgrace that David Cameron isn’t here to defend his record’

Reversing cuts?

Leanne Wood asks whether Ed Miliband would be prepared to hold an emergency budget to reverse "Tory spending cuts". The Labour leader describes some of the measures that would be included in a Labour government. "Don't say there's no difference between me and David Cameron," he then tells Nicola Sturgeon. She replies: "I am saying there is not a big enough difference between Ed Miliband and David Cameron."

BBC

I want to get rid of the Tories, says Nicola Sturgeon, saying it is "a disgrace" that David Cameron is "not here to defend his record". That gets some applause. Natalie Bennett says more money is needed for social care and pledges 400,000 new jobs in the sector.

Ned Simons, assistant political editor, The Huffington Post UK

tweets:

Ed Miliband is doing Nick Clegg's centre-ground 'strong economy fair society' thing. #BBCDebate

Pic: Ed Miliband

BBC

Reality Check

National debt doubled

Nigel Farage says that in the last five years the national debt has doubled from £850bn to £1.5tn.

There are various ways of measuring the national debt. The most common is to look at public sector net debt, excluding the cost of the UK government maintaining stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group.

The Office for National Statistics says that, according to this measure, net debt was £1,469bn as at February 2015.

In April 2010, just before the coalition government came into office, this figure stood at £962bn, which is more than the figure UKIP has cited.

Debt has risen significantly. But not by quite as much as UKIP says.

'Sums'

Now it's open to the floor. Ed Miliband promises "balance and fairness" and says Nigel Farage's sums don't add up. Yes they do, says the UKIP leader, who says his policies have been independently audited.

Scottish polls

As the debate starts, a reminder of the most recent poll of polls in Scotland. It covers four polls, between 18 March and 9 April:

• SNP 48%
• Lab 27%
• Cons 15%
• Lib Dem 4%
• Green 3%
• UKIP 2%

whatscotlandthinks.org

Ross Hawkins, BBC political correspondent

tweets:

Farage claiming his cuts will affect debt. But he's already said he'll spend all the savings.

Pic: Nigel Farage

BBC

Hadrian's Wall

Natalie Bennett highlights the debt caused by tuition fees, while Nigel Farage says we are "burdening future generations" with debt. He repeats his line from the last debate about money "going over Hadrian's Wall" to Scotland, to a smattering of applause. Leanne Wood says she does want to balance the books, but not at any cost, and is applauded.

Tax avoidance

Ed Miliband says he can raise £7.5bn a year by clamping down on tax avoidance. Paul Johnson from the Institute for Fiscal Studies says Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have all been "making up numbers" on tax avoidance. More in this Reality Check .

Allegra Stratton, Allegra Stratton Political Editor, BBC Newsnight

tweets:

What a moment though: Men outnumbered by women in this TV debate. Who would have thunk it #BBCDebate

Pic: Nicola Sturgeon

BBC

Balancing the books

The first question relates to the budget deficit being passed to future generations. Nicola Sturgeon says taking a few years longer to balance the books is "a price worth paying" for investment in key services. Ed Miliband addresses the questioner directly, promoting his "better plan" and criticising the Conservative approach.

Paul Waugh, PoliticsHome

tweets:

Farage looking straight down the barrel of the camera. Not sure that worked for EdM or the PM last time #BBCDebate

Leonie Chao-Fong

tweets:

It all sounds rather familiar so far... Are they rehashing their opening statements? #BBCDebate

Reality Check

Rising bills

Ed Miliband says that wages have not been keeping up with bills for the last five years.

Actually, this graph from the ONS shows that inflation has been higher than earnings for most, but not quite all, of the last five years.

Key priorities: Green Party

BBC

Natalie Bennett

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett praises the campaigning of her predecessor, Caroline Lucas, in opposing austerity and fighting fracking.

Key priorities: SNP

BBC

Nicola Sturgeon

The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon says the different parties will need to build bridges after the election, and adds that her MPs will work with like-minded parties to deliver "better, progressive politics".

Key priorities: Labour

BBC

Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband says David Cameron has chosen not to defend his record tonight. The Labour leader outlines some of his flagship policies, including an energy bill freeze.

Key priorities: UKIP

BBC

Nigel Farage

UKIP's Nigel Farage says the other parties are "trying to bribe you with borrowed money", highlighting his party's plans to cut immigration and foreign aid. He says he's not afraid to upset the politically correct class.

Key priorities: Plaid Cymru

BBC

Leanne Wood

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood is first up with her opening statement. People are seeing through "grey, stale politics" she says, promising her MPs will work with other parties to oppose austerity.

Under way

David Dimbleby has introduced the five leaders.

BBC

'Juggling act'

Tonight represents a "very difficult juggling act" for Nigel Farage, says Joe Twyman of YouGov - namely, does the UKIP leader attack the right, against the absent David Cameron, or the left, by taking on the other panellists?

Five minutes to go

Just a few moments left for party leaders to fix their hair, powder their noses and go over their lines one last time.

Nick Eardley, BBC News journalist, working on #GE2015

tweets:

Each leader will get 1 min to speak at the start. Order will be: Leanne Wood, Nigel Farage, Ed Miliband, Nicola Sturgeon and Natalie Bennett

Robin Brant, BBC Political Correspondent

tweets:

On way in to TV debate @Nigel_Farage says £1m from Desmond will go on ads. Presumably in target seats. Standby Boston/Thanet hoardings.

John Stevens, Daily Mail political reporter

tweets:

Team #Green tell me Natalie Bennett has not been boozing to prepare for tonight's debate

Jamie Ross, @BuzzFeedUK politics reporter

tweets:

The Salmond King Kong painting is the talk of the spin room. If any of the greedy #MSM try to outbid me I will be gutted.

George Eaton, Political Editor, New Statesman

tweets:

Scottish Labour deputy leader Kezia Dugdale has arrived in the spin room. #BBCDebate

Emily Maitlis, political editor/presenter, Newsnight

tweets:

Spin room buzzing ahead of #bbcdebate. I'm told theyve banned spirits from dressing room as it is a Methodist hall.

Robin Brant, BBC Political Correspondent

tweets:

When Sykes gave big money to @UKIP last year he bought ad campaigns in Euro Elex, Desmond giving cash #ge2015

Tory and Lib Dem presence

BBC

They won't be represented on the podium, but that's not stopped the Conservatives and Lib Dems from turning up. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says the line-up of leaders offers "a picture for the British people of what would happen if David Cameron wasn't prime minister". Lib Dem Tom Brake says his leader wanted to take part, but the Conservatives wouldn't agree. He floats the possibly of a Conservative-UKIP alliance, adding: "People want to see the Liberal Democrats in coalition to keep the country on track."

John Ashmore, Assistant News Editor at politicshome.com

tweets:

Just seen Jeremy Hunt asked by hack if he's here to spin, "Yes...No, I'm here to tell the truth!" #BBCdebate

Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror associate editor

tweets:

Not complaining about typecasting but @bbcthisweek gave me a broom and caretaker's coat for tonight. One day I'll play a boss

Was Ed Miliband right to agree to take part in tonight's debate? Yes, says Independent columnist Steve Richards, who thinks David Cameron's absence will look "odd" to viewers. But Tim Montgomerie, of the Times, says the "chaotic" scenes could play into the PM's hands by showing who Ed Miliband might need to rely on to get into Downing Street.

David Maddox

tweets:

Crisis at #bbcdebate...biscuits have run out in press room

More TV dates?

Laura Kuenssberg

Newsnight Chief Correspondent

Let's face it, the process of getting politicians in front of the camera for the election debates at the same times, in the same places, has been a palaver.

But I'm hearing that this will not be the last grand outing for the leaders of the smaller parties.

I'm told that perhaps, even later on the same evening as the (30 April) Question Time programme that will feature David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, the leaders of the smaller parties will have another opportunity to put themselves under scrutiny on BBC TV."

The arrangements, I hear, are complicated, as they have to reflect the different parts of the country. It won't be another single big event like tonight where the five are alongside each other. But it seems that just when we thought the whole debate saga... had (almost) come to an end, it ain't over yet. I understand the details will be confirmed tomorrow.

The debates do feel now more established as part of the format of a British general election campaign. In 2010, they were shiny and new, and dominated much of the discourse. This time they're more splintered, less focused because of the sheer number of leaders and events. But whether they like it or not, voters are getting more and more opportunities to see their leaders live and up-close.

Spin room

Things are hotting up in the spin room, says the BBC's Vicki Young, who is chatting to some of the journalists sharpening their pencils ahead of the debate. Kate Devlin, of Glasgow's Herald, says she is looking forward to the clash between Nicola Sturgeon and Ed Miliband. David Williamson, of Cardiff's Western Mail, says it's a "fascinating" moment for Leanne Wood and the other leaders of the smaller parties. "It's as if, underneath the concrete of 'first past the post', all these parties are appearing," he adds.

Nicola Sturgeon arrives

PA

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has arrived for the BBC debate.

Latest seat forecast

BBC Newsnight Index

Tonight’s Newsnight Index seat forecast shows Labour closing the gap – taking four seats from the Tories – but no majority in sight.

For the course of the general election campaign, Newsnight each evening will be publishing an exclusive Newsnight Index on the likely outcome, based on a sophisticated forecast model. It is produced by Professor Chris Hanretty from the University of East Anglia and his colleagues at electionforecast.co.uk.

Find out more about how the Index is produced, via Newsnight's YouTube channel.

BBC

Nick Eardley, BBC News

tweets:

A man is standing outside the #BBCDebate venue with these pictures

Twitter

Recap

Daily Express owner Richard Desmond has given UKIP £1m and all the build-up to the BBC's election debate at 8pm - there's also plenty of reaction to ex-NHS chief David Nicholson's warning about its future funding needs

Debate prep continues

While the politicians are locked away, polishing their slickest lines, the set is ready for tonight's action to unfold...

BBC

Desmond and UKIP: analysis

Robin Brant

Political Correspondent

Half way through the election campaign, this is a welcome boost for UKIP. The Daily Express has long supported Nigel Farage and his party in its coverage.

Its half a million or so readers will be well acquainted with anti-EU politics. The paper's owner has given money before as well.

But this is Richard Desmond's biggest donation to date and it comes at a crucial time when coffers are running low."

UKIP raised a record amount in the run-up to the election, helped hugely by a million-pound gift from the insurance businessman and former Tory supporter Arron Banks.

Mr Desmond said UKIP was a party for "good ordinary British people". Nigel Farage has told the BBC he thinks the media owner has done a brave thing and hopes others will follow suit.

Steve Hawkes, Deputy Political Editor, The Sun

tweets:

Nick Clegg's unpopularity in Scotland is almost twice the level ever of that suffered by Margaret Thatcher, the SNP claims in a new poll

Tonight's debate: the Scotland angle

Scotland has been identified as the key battleground in this election, where Labour could suffer a serious setback at the hands of the SNP, denying it a lead over Conservatives.

With Nicola Sturgeon’s party in a commanding poll lead, and after a strong debating performance in the past two weeks, the SNP leader is the one for Ed Miliband to target.

He’ll highlight the cost to Holyrood of having full control of taxation, a policy from which the SNP leader has been retreating.

She is trying to convince Mr Miliband to form a " progressive alliance ", in which the SNP would "keep Labour honest", so she will have to find the right mix of debating aggression and consensus.

Ms Sturgeon will talk about the prospect of austerity and cuts with Labour, and how the party’s UK leadership has slapped down Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy over his claim that cuts are not necessary.

Soton Green Party

tweets:

Richard Desmond, owner of Daily Express, donates £1.3 million to #UKIP. Democracy suffers when parties have to rely on wealthy individuals.

Farage: migrants 'not our problem'

Mr Farage had earlier been talking about the problem of migrants risking their lives to travel by boat from northern Africa to southern Europe.

"It's a Greek problem, an Italian and a Spanish problem. This is not our problem," he told the BBC.

If people are genuine refugees, I don't mind Britain doing its bit, but I do not want us - under majority voting in the EU, to find us once again not being in control of who can come to Britain."

Patrick Wintour, The Guardian

tweets:

Richard Desmond Daily Express chairman gives just over £1.3m to UKIP. Late to start spending that kind of cash usefully in a campaign.

Michael Crick, Political correspondent, C4 News

tweets:

I suspect Richard Desmond has just gone to the head of the queue if Ukip ever get given any peerages

Cost of Trident

BBC Radio 4's More or Less team has been looking at the cost of Trident, Britain's nuclear weapons system. Their research - for the PM programme - involved watching an episode of "Yes Prime Minister" from 1986 in which Sir Humphrey Appleby tells the PM....

It is the nuclear missile Harrods would sell you. What more can I say?"

Farage reacts to donation

Mr Desmond's latest donation of £1m comes on top of £300,000 he gave the party before Christmas, the Express reports .

It quotes UKIP leader Nigel Farage saying: "Richard is a self-made man with the courage of his convictions.

"I know there are a lot more people out there who agree in private but I hope this public gesture encourages others to follow this example."

Matthew Holehouse, Political Correspondent, Daily Telegraph

tweets:

Richard Desmond on Ukip: "They are not perfect and they do not pretend to be. But what they believe in is the best for the British people."

Nigel Farage, UKIP leader

writes on Facebook :

Richard Desmond is a self-made man, who has done a brave thing in coming out for UKIP today. I hope that many others will now follow suit.

Guido Fawkes

tweets:

Confirmed: Farage gets a million quid off Richard Desmond. You read the 'Express exclusive' here three hours ago: http://order-order.com/2015/04/16/rumour-dirty-desmond-about-to-donate-ukip-a-million/#_@/f8aTFubuL9rb6w …

More on Desmond's UKIP donation

Mr Desmond is quoted on the Express website saying: "I firmly believe in UKIP. It's a party for good, ordinary British people. It is not run by elitists.

"They are struggling to have a voice. They do not have a massive party machine or highly paid public relations people.

BBC

They are the sort of people who will stand up for people who are struggling."

Harry Cole, Contributing Editor of The Spectator

tweets:

Hear Farage has been and gone from Express building after meeting with Desmond. Disappointed hacks taking ties off after no newsroom tour.

BreakingPublisher Desmond donates £1.3m to UKIP

Richard Desmond, whose publishing company owns the Daily and Sunday Express, has donated £1.3m to UKIP, a report on the Express website says.

'Sweet' Farage

UKIP leader Nigel Farage tells the BBC he'll be as "sweet and reasonable as always" during tonight's debate.

Asked about Nick Clegg's warning of a "Blukip" right-wing alliance, Mr Farage responds that the deputy PM can "say what he likes".

Getty Images

The Lib Dems present themselves as being this moderate party. Actually, they're the most pro EU and pro giving away our sovereignty, of any party in Britain. I don't call that moderate. "

Foreign policy 'silence'

There's been an "awful silence" on foreign policy during this election campaign, says the Spectator magazine .

George Eaton, Political Editor, New Statesman

tweets:

I'll be discussing tonight's debate on BBC News at 5:45pm with @JGForsyth #BBCDebate

Michael Crick, Political corr, C4 News

tweets:

Only 13% of Ukip candidates are women, compared with 26% of Tories; 27% of Lib Dem cands; 34% of Labour; & 37% of Greens. Figs from PSA

Main points so far today

As Matt and Aiden sign off for the day, this is Andy and Tim summing up the day's key action so far.

• Five opposition leaders are preparing ahead of tonight's BBC Election Debate . The programme starts at 8pm
• Labour's Ed Miliband criticised David Cameron's absence, saying: "If you are applying for the job of prime minister, the very least people expect is for you to turn up to the job interview"
• Conservative leader Mr Cameron responded: "Tonight's debate is part of the deal that was done to unblock the log-jam about TV debates. I'm delighted that I played a role unblocking that log-jam"

• Nick Clegg, of the Liberal Democrats, said he finds it "very odd" that he is not involved

• The Conservatives launched their Scottish manifesto warning of a "coalition of chaos" involving Labour and the SNP
• The Lib Dems warned the government could "lurch to the right" under a coalition between the Conservatives, UKIP and the DUP
• New figures revealed almost £2.5m of donations to political parties were registered in the first week of the official election campaign

'Most fascinating election'

Tonight's debate host David Dimbleby has been speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme about "the most fascinating election that I'll have done".

He reckons the TV debates allow voters, "jaundiced" by policies and promises, to get a closer look at party leaders.

BBC

What does come through is the character of the politicians involved."

Ken Clarke trending?

PA

Yes, it's true - Ken Clarke is trending on Twitter this afternoon. Unfortunately for his Conservative colleagues, it's because of a slightly mischievous interview he's given to Anoosh Chakelian of the New Statesman.

The full version hasn't been published yet, but in a preview of it the Tory veteran says his party hasn't won a majority for 23 years because it's "too right-wing" and warns that negative campaigning "costs you votes".

Dummy runs

No sign of the politicians yet but the BBC crew are hard at work in rehearsals for tonight's BBC election debate.

BBC

BBC debate build-up

We've got all the build-up to the BBC's election debate at 8pm, plus reaction to ex-NHS chief David Nicholson's warning about its future funding needs - and, of course, all the other action on the campaign trail on our Election 2015 site.

Ben Riley-Smith, Political Correspondent, Daily Telegraph

tweets:

Thirty voters walked out of Cameron's Leeds Q&A in total, hacks estimate. Approx 200 attended. Not great for 40min session.

Opposition parties want to 'abandon the plan'

Mr Cameron has told Scottish Conservatives that all the parties at tonight's opposition leaders' debate will be urging the electorate to "abandon the plan that has turned this country around".

During a Q&A at the party's manifesto launch in Glasgow, why he was "dodging" taking part in the debate , the Prime Minister said: "Tonight's debate is part of the deal that was done to unblock the log-jam about TV debates.

"I'm delighted that I played a role unblocking that log-jam."

Callum Jones, @timesredbox

tweets:

BBC interview with PM watched by just 1.8m – how many will tune in for tonight's Opposition Debate? Clashes with Emmerdale & Hotel Inspector

Tim Reid, political correspondent

tweets:

The spin room for the #bbcdebate #ge2015 - will be much busier in a few hours."

BBC

Spitting lyrics?

In a baffling yet seemingly inevitable development, a photograph of Ed Miliband from last September has been getting lots of attention online today.

Several Twitter users have pointed out that Mr Miliband looks like he is rapping - setting off a series of guesses at what the lyrics might have been.

Buzzfeed has collected some of the best guesses, including this one from @Ray_McRobbie:

Getty Images

"Yo, back up now and give a brother room, The fuse is lit and I'm about to go BOOM!" #AngryEd #ge2015

Is UKIP proposing £4.27bn cut for Scotland?

UKIP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, David McNarry, speaks to BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan about his party's manifesto commitment to reduce spending by £5.5 billion by replacing the Barnett formula.

The Barnett formula is used to calculate the level of UK government grant to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Asked how that £5.5 billion reduction would be made, Mr McNarry claims that "the figures tell me we won't be worse off" in Northern Ireland - but Scotland would bear the brunt of the cut.

He says that Scotland would face a reduction of £4.27bn over the term of the next Parliament if UKIP formed a government.

'A wise move'

BBC News Channel

David Cameron will not be taking in tonight's debate, a move which his former speechwriter, Ian Birrell, thinks is wise, as the prime minister "hasn't got much to gain".

Ed Miliband, he says, has to hope that he can "talk human" and come across as "vaguely prime ministerial", adding that he felt he was a bit "over coached" in the last debate.

Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror associate editor

tweets:

Hague to spin for absent Cameron at tonight’s debate. How the mighty fall

Alastair Campbell

tweets:

What are @David_Cameron and @nick_clegg doing tonight? Feet up in front of telly?

Stephen Nolan, BBC Radio Ulster

tweets:

'UKIP planning £4.27 Billion cut for Scotland' #bbcnolan #GE2015 https://audioboom.com/boos/3089996-ukip-planning-4-27-billion-cut-for-scotland-bbcnolan-ge2015 … via @audioBoom

Jonny Dymond, BBC correspondent

tweets:

David Cameron got warm reaction from crowd in Leeds - 'brilliant', 'persuasive' 'really good'

Twitter

BBC debate build-up

We've got all the build-up to the BBC's election debate at 8pm, plus reaction to ex-NHS chief David Nicholson's warning about its future funding needs - and, of course, all the other action on the campaign trail on our Election 2015 site.

Ipsos poll gives Labour two point lead

A monthly opinion poll from Ipsos Mori for the Evening Standard has given Labour a two point lead over the Conservative party.

These are the numbers:

Labour 35% (+2%)

Conservatives, 33% (unchanged)

UKIP 10% (-3%)

Green 8% (+2%)

Lib Dems 7% (-1%)

Cameron: real choice at this election

BBC

David Cameron tells O2 workers in Leeds that voting really does make a difference and there is "a choice" at this election.

I'm not standing here saying I've been the perfect prime minister; I've got everything right. But I'm saying we've got a plan. And the plan is creating jobs, the plan is actually reducing people's taxes, it's building homes, it's building a stronger country. You can stick with that plan and you know what you're going to get...What we did in the last five years which I think has led to this stronger economic situation, the other parties did not support. So I think there is a choice."

Add to the debate

Daily Politics viewer:

Why have the majority of questioners got Tory identity tags on? Another choreographed question and answer farce. It's little wonder he's running scared of genuine scrutiny by voters.

Afternoon Edition

BBC Radio 5 Live

tweets:

Uni student Catriona wants Northern Ireland politicians to focus more on "important issues" to her generation #GE2015

BBC

Guido Fawkes

tweets:

RUMOUR: Dirty Desmond 'About to Donate UKIP a Million' http://order-order.com/2015/04/16/rumour-dirty-desmond-about-to-donate-ukip-a-million/#_@/tLcaCpopmBrcLA …

Looking good, guys

In The Times today, Caitlin Moran says some of her friends have "recently started perving on Ed Miliband" - but it seems the Labour leader isn't the only one winning some female admirers.

At Nick Clegg's Blukip press conference earlier, one audience member told the Lib Dem leader that he looked "better looking in real life". You can see how Mr Clegg reacted here , thanks to BBC producer Sean Clare.

Devon pigs in race to Downing Street

Some read the horoscopes, or look into a mystic ball, but there is one more way of predicting the election results - with a series of miniature pigs who have silly names.

Daily Politics reporter Ellie Price went to Pennywell Farm in Devon to snout around with Hameron, Swiliband, Forage and Pork Clegg as they race to Number Ten.

BBC

Ben Riley-Smith, Political Correspondent, Daily Telegraph

tweets:

PM isn't winning over everyone in Leeds it seems. "I've had enough," says one O2 employee as she heads for the door.

Chris Ship, ITV News

tweets:

Some very good questions from the staff at @O2 in Leeds (where Cameron is speaking). Very engaged bunch of voters working there #GE2015

'Blukip' tweet

Twitter

The Lib Dems have tweeted an image to showing Nigel Farage entering Number 10 as part of a "Blukip" coalition.

Unless we're very much mistaken, it's a doctored image of Nick Clegg entering Number 10 with David Cameron as part of the coalition formed in 2010 - with Nigel Farage's head replacing the Lib Dem leader's.

Cameron quizzed

David Cameron is answering questions from an audience of O2 workers in Arlington Business Park in Leeds. Mr Cameron, who is not taking part in tonight's TV debate, said he wanted to have a debate of his own.

Rob Merrick, Westminster reporter, for The Northern Echo, Bradford T&A and Southern Daily Echo

tweets:

Only hustings @nick_clegg will face in #Sheffield Hallam had just 14 (!) people....all 6th formers (many can't vote) says @johnharris1969

James Forsyth, Spectator

tweets:

Should David Cameron take another leaf out of the 1992 election playbook and get out on a soapbox John Major-style? http://bit.ly/1azV91F

James Tapsfield, Press Association

tweets:

PM says he "didn't get invited" to tonight's debate. Not sure the broadcasters would agree

'Threat and opportunity'

BBC News Channel

Looking ahead to tonight's debate LSE director Tony Travers says there has been no game changing moment in the election campaign to date, which makes events like tonight even more important.

The "threat and opportunity" is greatest for Ed Miliband, he says, as the Labour leader is the only one on the stage who could form a government.

He's also the only representative of "all old politics", so it's a big challenge, he adds.

Matthew Holehouse, political correspondent, Daily Telegraph

tweets:

"I don't feel relaxed, but I'm doing an impression of it," says Cameron

Davidson attacks 'soggy centre-left'

Getty Images

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson indulges in some fighting talk at the party's Scottish manifesto launch.

Let me assure you, this Scottish Conservative Party is serious about Scotland. We decry the soggy centre-left consensus and, yes, we do do things a different way. But we are cowed no more, and we are willing to challenge and to fight for a better deal for working Scotland. And our opponents better be looking over their shoulders, because we are coming for the SNP and we are coming for Labour."

Trident no deterrent

In response to Sam Marner:

I agree with you, Trident serves no purpose in deterring or retaliating against terrorists; whom in the current political climate are the most likely to detonate nuclear devices on our soil.

However, while in principle I support disarmament in the same way Michael Foot did (Nuclear weapons are abhorrent); disarming on our own would put us in an extremely undesirable situation geopolitically should a nuclear-armed state wish to extract territorial concessions from us.

Liam Gibbons, Politics live reader

Students announce 'payback time'

BBC

You may remember earlier this morning, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg on the BBC Breakfast sofa calling his failure on tuition fees "infamous". Well, the National Union of Students (NUS) would probably agree.

The NUS has launched a "payback time" campaign against MPs who U-turned over their pledge to oppose fee increases for universities in England, including leading Liberal Democrats.

"We won't let them trade lies for power again," said NUS president Toni Pearce.

Lib Dems MP already proportional

I has to read Samuel Marner's e-mail (13:47) twice - I couldn't believe what he was saying.

"For a party that claims to be in favour of proportional democracy they are now entirely sustained by the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system."

Really?

For the 8% he quotes, will they be represented in Parliament by perhaps 20 of the 650 MPs.

In case Mr Marner's maths are a little flaky I'll help him out. 8% of 650 is 52, and that's how many MPs they'd have, more or less, under a proportional system.

How he comes to the conclusion that they're being 'sustained' by first-past-the-post is completely beyond me.

'Not treated quite as unfairly as the have been previously, but still very unfairly indeed' is far more accurate.

Steve Woodhouse, Politics live reader

BBC debate build-up

We've got all the build-up to the BBC's election debate at 8pm, plus reaction to ex-NHS chief David Nicholson's warning about its future funding needs - and, of course, all the other action on the campaign trail on our Election 2015 site.

Take part

Brian Gare, Nofolk:

Apart from Nigel Farage`s HIV comments and a heckler, I can`t remember anything else from the last leaders' debate. I do remember saying last time round that we would have seven winners. A prediction which proved to be uncannily accurate.

Undoubtedly the same will be true of tonight`s debate. Five winners and the only memorable thing will be a bit of a faux pas by one or more of the leaders. But nothing will change. The polls will continue to be neck and neck right up until election day.

But at least the politicians' fall back position, (when his or her party is behind in the polls) "It will be the number of votes in the ballot box that determines the outcome of this election." will be the most truthful thing any of them has said to the electorate during the whole of this campaign.

Team effort

PA

Ms Durantez has been getting stuck in to the campaign

The election is proving to be a busy time for the leaders' wives. Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, Nick Clegg's other half, is back on the campaign trail again, two days after helping out ranger guides at an election event in Hazel Grove. Today she's campaigning in Cardiff and has been paying a visit to a children's cafe.

Callum May, BBC News producer

tweets :

Some #ge2015 tonsorial trivia. Labour have been donated £10k by hairdressers Toni & Guy; the Tories were given £20k by crimper John Frieda

BBC story: NHS finance problem being ignored, says former boss

Grounsel comments on this story: UK health services need a complete rethink with agreement on objectives/ strategies and an honest discussion on how best to resource and finance them. Commentators complain that huge organisations in the private sector are slow, inefficient and self-important and should be broken up to become more dynamic. The NHS is the same, a slow brained dinosaur controlled by pretty average politicians.

kencharman comments: We can only save the NHS £25bn a year if we tackle preventable disease - in particular Type 2 Diabetes. The Conservatives should accept the essential need for taxing and regulating the food industry. Labour and Liberals need to accept that treatment "free on demand according to need" facilitates dangerously unhealthy lifestyles. Failure to change behaviour should result in payment for treatment

Alliance manifesto launch

PA

The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland has launched its manifesto, entitled: Step Forward, Not Back. It calls for policies aimed at promoting community relations and reducing division.

The cross-community party, which won one seat in the last general election, seeks to attract support from both Protestants and Catholics. It has been traditionally aligned at Westminster with the Liberal Democrats.

Alliance Party leader David Ford and candidate forEast BelfastNaomi Long launched the manifesto at the Metropolitan Arts Centre in Belfast.

Lib Dems politics of division

The Liberal Democrats latest efforts to promote "it's us or them" politics is laughable.

For a party that claims to be in favour of proportional democracy they are now entirely sustained by the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system; they will get roughly as many MPs under FPTP with a measly 8% in 2015 as they got in 1983 with a whopping 25% vote.

Every leaflet is "if you don't vote for us, the reds will get in here" or "support us or the blues will get in here!".

The fact that they would ally with either for another five years of near-total acceptance of the majority coalition partner's policies, totally undermines whatever weak argument this hopes to provide.

Samuel Marner, Politics live reader

Hannah Green, BBC producer

tweets:

Discovering helpful notes behind the scenes of tonight's debate with @BBCBenWright

Twitter

Tough calls on the NHS

"Any institution that costs the country so much, and touches so many people’s lives, cannot avoid being a topic for political debate," writes Professor Robert Dingwall of Nottingham Trent University.

"However, this institution is peculiarly ill-suited to the short-term nature of much British politics."

He argues that the NHS "deserves politicians with a more strategic vision, who are ready to make, and defend, hard choices rather than blowing with every sad headline or imposing a new re-disorganization as the fancy takes them".

'Save Ed' campaign already begun?

BBC

Independent columnist John Rentoul writes today that the campaign to "Save Ed" has already begun. He is, of course, referring to Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Mr Rentoul suggests shadow cabinet allies of Mr Miliband are already preparing to launch a campaign to keep him as leader after the election if Labour doesn't win - or can't form a coalition - in three weeks' time.

The political commentator writes that Mr Miliband "thinks he could be prime minister next month, but if he isn't he intends to try to stay on as Labour leader".

The last Labour leader to keep their job after losing an election was Neil Kinnock.

David Dimbleby on tonight's leaders' debate

Daily Politics

BBC Two

BBC

David Dimbleby - who's moderating this evening's leaders' debate - has been setting the scene. He says that the venue, the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, was where the United Nations was founded. Andrew Neil of the Daily Politics asks whether the debate will seem like "Hamlet without the prince" - a reference to David Cameron's absence. Mr Dimbleby replies: "It's odd. It's lopsided, it's true," but adds that "these debates took ages to negotiate". He says: "We don't know much about - it's all confidential - what was actually said about how we ended up with the five."

More on party donations

AFP/Getty Images

Some more on those party donation figures. The vast bulk of money Labour received came from the unions, with Unite donating £1,005,000, Unison £506,240, and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) £51,072.

Most of the Conservative donations came from individuals, although JCB Research gave the party £70,000 and Progress Industries Ltd gave £20,000. An aptly-named Michael Tory gave the party £75,000.

Both parties were recipients of donations from hairdressers, with John Frieda giving the Tories £20,000 and Toni & Guy donating £10,000 to Labour.

Build your own manifesto

BBC

Are you unsure how to vote this time round? Or not impressed with any one party's offerings? BBC News can help...

My Manifesto enables you to browse the pledges of different political parties and pick and choose policies to compile your own manifesto.

Click here to begin.

'Trident doesn't stop terrorists'

In response to Steve Carpenter, I'd like to know how the Trident system protects us from "insane terrorists" with nuclear weapons?

If an insurgent detonates a dirty bomb in London, do we just nuke their home country's capital in response? Do insane people think about the consequences of what they're doing, are they put off attacking Britain by our possible retaliation against countries and people they've ultimately abandoned by turning to terrorist cells in the first place?

Alternatively, if we're talking about rogue states with nuclear weapons, perhaps you didn't know that Israel has a secret nuclear arsenal, never signed up to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and has just elected a coalition of ultranationalists and religious fundamentalists.

Call me naive but I believe that a cross-borders CND effort to remove the world's nuclear arsenal is a safer alternative to encouraging worldwide maintenance of vast nuclear arsenals and the means to build more (making it far more likely these "insane terrorists" will get their hands on them!).

Sam Marner from Sheffield

Loony policies?

Daily Politics

Live on BBC Two

BBC

Not as loony as you might think as it happens.

Bit of trivia for you but the Monster Raving Loony Party was the first political party to call for a number of policies that eventually became law: pet passports, all-day pub opening, the legalisation of commercial radio and votes for 18-year-olds.

See it really is a funny old political world.

Loonies leader Howling Lord Hope has previously claimed UKIP is stealing his votes. He tells the Daily Politics UKIP leader Nigel Farage has often joked with him that they should form a coalition.

'No money' note 'a joke'

Daily Politics

Live on BBC Two

Interest in that note left by Labour former Treasury minister Liam Byrne five years ago never wanes. Earlier, Ed Balls called it "a joke" and Labour's Kevin Brennan tells the Daily Politics that there's a tradition that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury should leave a humorous note for his successor. But he added:

I expect it's a tradition that won't be continued in future."

PA

Do any of the candidates have a Plan B?

Much of what we have heard from most parties seems to be predicated on the UK enjoying continued prosperity, effectively funded by economic growth.

History has taught us that unexpected events can torpedo that growth.

Murphy's Law tells us that, 'If anything can go wrong, the chances are that it will go wrong'.

This evening would be a good time to ask candidates if they have a "Plan B" to cover the possibility of the economy suffering a knock-back, as a faltering economy will send much that is on offer at the moment right down the pan.

Paul Barrett-Brown from Powys

Be prepared

BBC News Channel

Lance Price, former Labour director of communications, says tonight's TV debate is a bit of a risk for Ed Miliband, but he thinks he shouldn't be worried by the prospect of being ganged up against by the others. That's what happens to you when you're prime minister, he says, so you need to prepared and show that you're up for it, if you're aspiring to win the keys to No 10.

Where's the 'oomph'?

BBC

There is a perception that the UKIP election campaign "hasn't really gone with great oomph", says Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics, so party leader Nigel Farage may want to use tonight's BBC debate to show UKIP can win votes and score points against Labour, and not just the Conservatives.

Labour on 'Coalition kids'

Daily Politics

Live on BBC Two

As parents in England find out which primary school their children will be attending, the BBC's Daily Politics is investigating the state of primary schools. Labour says there's a "growing crisis" with more than 100,000 five to seven-year-olds being being taught in "supersize" classes". Labour's education spokesperson Kevin Brennan tells the Daily Politics that things are "getting worse" for Coalition Kids - Labour's term for children born in the last five years. And he says Labour wouldn't allow class sizes to go over 30.

Cameron: Labour-SNP would be a 'coalition of chaos'

BBC

The Conservative Party has just one seat in Scotland. And Prime Minister David Cameron in north of the border campaigning today to try to save that one seat which some are predicting it could lose. Mr Cameron gave a speech earlier in which he said Labour and the Scottish National Party posed a clear threat to the future of the United Kingdom saying the two parties would form "a coalition of chaos".

'Very little detail'

BBC News Channel

Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson says the parties have avoided talking in detail about their deficit reduction plans during the election campaign. But, he adds, there is a clear difference between Conservatives and Labour on their approach to the deficit.

Chancellor George Osborne

tweets:

On way to IMF spring meetings. Clear warning in Fiscal Monitor of consequences for deficit of anything other than Conservative Government

Campaign donations

News just in on donations the political parties have so-far received during the general election campaign. Elections watchdog the Electoral Commission has published the first of four reports ahead of polling day, and it shows Labour took home nearly four times more in donations than the Conservatives.

Ed Miliband's party received £1,887,312 compared with David Cameron's £501,850, between 30 March and 5 April. UKIP scooped £35,416, the Lib Dems £20,000 and the Greens £8,400.

By law political parties must submit weekly reports to the commission on donations and loans totalling more than £7,500, if they are fielding candidates at the UK general election.

'Won't buy it'

Earlier this week, David Cameron announced plans to extend the right-to-buy housing scheme to social housing tenants, as part of the Conservatives' election manifesto launch. Writing in the New Statesman, David Orr says the policy may have scored good headlines "but the public won't buy it". He says it will do little to address housing shortages. More here.

Clegg lacks credibility

Nick Clegg's attack on "Blukip" would be much more credible, if he had not spent the last five years propping up a right-wing Tory government, who presided over tax cuts for the rich, while driving over a million people to food banks due to zero-hour contracts and benefit sanctions.

Christopher Bowyer, Politics Live reader

Barnett formula fun

PA

Has the Scotsman found a chink in Nicola Sturgeon's armour ahead of tonight's leaders' debates? The newspaper claims to have.

It say Scotland's first minister and SNP leader appears to have backed down over full fiscal autonomy following days of criticism over a £7.6bn black hole it would create in Scotland's economy.

It quotes Ms Sturgeon as saying: “So, for as long as Scotland’s funding is still determined by Westminster, then the Barnett formula should stay in place. Obviously if Scotland was to become in years ahead fiscally autonomous then we are in a different position but the Barnett formula should stay until that time.”

'Where are the savings, Ed?'

Why is no-one talking about defence? It has to be the number one priority, the silver bullet (pun intended) for the Tories.

There’s not much point arguing about NHS and housing quotas if we can’t protect our nation.

It’s just re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

Everyone seems to have forgotten that we might not be here to vote at all if it wasn’t for the nuclear deterrent.

Trident is essential, even more so now, as we enter not only a renewed Cold War, but also face the increasing likelihood that insane terrorists will one day get hold of nuclear weapons.

SteveCarpenter from Camberley

'Snowball's chance in Hades of clearing the deficit'

"You don't need to be a genius to understand that there isn't a snowball's chance in Hades that the budget will be in surplus by 2020 let alone in three years' time," Daily Telegraph associate editor Jeremy Warner tells Sky News.

That's in response to the revelation that the IMF has called the Office for Budget Responsibility's economic forecasts optimistic and said that real sustained economic growth is someway off.

Mr Warner says the additional problem here is that the research was carried out by the IMF before the political parties made a number of their election promises, which means that specific spending pledges won't have been taken into account because they weren't known.

He adds there is no way any political party can clear the deficit without spending cuts and tax rises.

SNP 'chain to Labour's wrecking ball'

While Nick Clegg is warning of a right-wing coalition David Cameron is repeating his warning about an alliance between Labour and the SNP.

Launching the Conservatives' Scottish manifesto in Glasgow, the Tory leader says this would be a "coalition of chaos".

The SNP acting as the chain to Labour's wrecking ball, running right through our economic recovery - and it will be you who pays the price. With job losses, massive tax rises and an economy back on the brink of bankruptcy. In short it won't work for Scotland, but it will hurt Scotland."

List of 20 marginals

BBC

Nick Clegg says: "The only people standing between Blukip and real power are a small number of Liberal Democrat candidates."

The party is publishing a list of 20 marginal constituencies where, the Lib Dem leader argues, "a Conservative victory could hand the keys to Number 10" to a right-wing coalition.

On the list is the Cheadle constituency, where Mr Clegg is making his speech.

You can see the full list of candidates in Cheadle here.

Clegg's vision of 'Blukip' Britain

Nick Clegg continues his pitch for Liberal Democrat involvement in the next government:

Can you imagine what would happen to our country, to Britain, if the prime minister has to bargain with Nigel Farage and his friends for votes? Our public services cut to the bone, our communities divided, our shared British values of decency, tolerance and generosity cast aside. Instead of Liberal Democrats holding the balance of power and using it to keep the government anchored in the liberal centre ground, Nigel Farage and his friends in the Conservative and the DUP will drag Britain further and further to the right?"

'Right-wing alliance'

Nick Clegg describes the possible coalition he calls "Blukip":

It is right-wing alliance that brings together people who don't believe in climate change, who reject gay rights, who want the death penalty back, and people who want to scrap human rights legislation and privatise our schools and our hospitals."

'Beware Blukip'

Nick Clegg tells supporters at Cheadle College:

BBC

The prospect of a left-wing alliance between Labour and the SNP has already been well considered, analysed and covered. But what's equally possible is an alliance that will drag Britain further and further to the right. Blukip - a bloc of right-wingers from UKIP, the Conservatives and the DUP, which could hold the balance of power."

My Manifesto

Are you the kind of person who tries to go "off menu" in a fast-food restaurant? Do you look forward to the pick-and-mix counter more than the movie? Would you rather have a running buffet than a three-course meal?

Then the BBC's My Manifesto is for you. We've gone through the offerings of the parties seeking election to Westminster, so you can create your own blueprint for government based on what each has to say on a specific issue.

You may end up with a "rainbow coalition" of parties and policies - or have created a political Frankenstein's monster. But at least it'll be all yours.

BBC

Glenn Campbell, BBC Scotland political correspondent

Getty Images

John Swinney (pictured with Nicola Sturgeon) is Finance Secretary in the Scottish government

The SNP's John Swinney has set out his party's manifesto for jobs. The plan includes pushing to increase the minimum wage across the UK to £8.70 an hour by 2020, campaigning for the high speed rail link - HS2 - to be extended to Scotland and increasing UK public spending by half of 1% in the next Parliament, which the nationalists say would "end austerity". Mr Swinney was speaking on a visit to an architectural business in Leith, before heading to London to help prepare his party leader, Nicola Sturgeon, for tonight's opposition leaders' debate on the BBC.

Financial Times columnist Janan Ganesh

tweets:

Disappointing lack of media interest in the launch of my Jananifesto. #fiscallyneutral

Tiwtter

Clegg to warn of 'Blukip'

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg - campaigning in the north west of England today - is about to do a press conference at Cheadle College about the risk to the party in Conservative/Lib Dem marginals.

The Liberal Democrats have identified 20 seats which they consider at risk from what they've dubbed "Blukip" - a Tory minority government influenced by UKIP and the DUP.

The Lib Dems have printed a set of "Blukip" playing cards which feature some choice quotes from various politicians. They say they demonstrate the "extreme" views of those politicians.

David Nicholson, former boss of NHS England

tweets:

Oh well there goes my seat in the House of Lords

Labour House of Lords reform

Much like Ian Barrs, the policy guides do not go into enough detail to let people know what they are voting for.

After reading the Labour Manifesto, buried away towards the back is a policy that they are going to replace the House of Lords with an Electable Regional Senate.

I thought the whole point of the House of Lords was that they didn’t have to be swayed by a political party/promise and they acted as the “steady hand” of our electoral system, calming down the excitable MPs?

Will David Dimbleby ask Ed Miliband about this tonight?

Nick Williams from Wales

Miliband on tonight's BBC debate

BBC

You may have heard that there’s a debate tonight. Now David Cameron has chosen not to turn up tonight to defend his record. Here’s what I believe, I think if you are applying for the job of Prime Minister, the very least people expect if for you to turn up to the job interview. What I'm going to be doing is getting out the big choice facing our country, between a Labour plan to have recovery for working families across Britain or more of the same from a government that believes as long as you look after the rich and powerful, everyone else will be okay. It has failed Britain - that’s why we need a Labour government.”

During a campaign appearance in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency in north London, Ed Miliband says:

BreakingCPS: Lord Janner will not be prosecuted

The CPS has said Labour peer Lord Janner should not be prosecuted for alleged sexual offences against children because of the severity of his dementia which means he is not fit to take part in any proceedings. There is no treatment for his condition, and there is no current or future risk of offending, it adds.

'Coalition of grievance'

LBC

Nick Clegg urges people to vote Lib Dem to avoid a "somewhat hapless Conservative administration who will have to rely on UKIP and the DUP and the sort of swivel-eyed brigade".

He describes such an outcome as "a coalition of grievance".

Sam Lister, Press Association political correspondent

tweets:

If you're applying for job of PM v least people expect you to do is turn up to job interview, Miliband says of debate

Digesting manifestos

I'm on the fence, and have no idea who to vote for this time...

Whilst I find Emily Maitlis' discovery regarding people reading manifestos to be unsurprising, I also find her conclusion to be wholly unhelpful.

Perhaps she could have finished on a note of encouragement instead of reinforcing an undesirable state of play by stating that no-one reads them? Or attempted to open debate on how people would like to be approached, how they'd like to receive information? I find manifestos bloody hard going and often full of drivel, but they're still a key part of the entire process.

Also, please could the BBC site clearly link to the actual manifestos, not just your Policy Guide? Whilst the policy guide is wayyyy easier to digest, it doesn't provide the full text nor the context or flow of the original, which is important in deciding which party you dislike the least.

Ian Barrs from Northamptonshire

'Denied the opportunity'

LBC

LBC

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg says David Cameron refused to take part in the BBC debate later "but I don't see why I should have been denied the opportunity" to defend the coalition partner's "side of the story".

How Thursday's shaping up

We've got all the build-up to the BBC's election debate at 8pm, plus reaction to ex-NHS chief David Nicholson's warning about its future funding needs - and, of course, all the other action on the campaign trail on our Election 2015 site.

Leaders' debates

Why are Tory activists allowed in the “spin room” for tonight’s debate?

As David Cameron won’t take part this simply allows Tories to criticise the arguments put by other leaders without debating them.

Mike Holden from Burnley

Clegg on opposition leaders' debate

LBC

"I find it very odd that the debate tonight doesn't have anyone who has actually been trying to govern our country for the last five years," Nick Clegg says.

He says he told broadcasters that he "would like to participate."

He claims that the debate will feature Ed Miliband "remaining completely opaque about how he will actually balance the books", Nigel Farage "saying we should cut, cut, cut and do all sorts of loopy things" and "a whole bunch of other people" saying: "Can we invent money out of thin air please?"

He claims there will be no-one there who will say: "Let's get real."

Working with the SNP?

LBC

A caller urges Nick Clegg to work with the SNP after the election if necessary.

Mr Clegg agrees that parties should work together but the SNP is in a "different category".

The Scottish Nationalists don't want to work for the overall good of our whole country because they want to pull our country as it is - the United Kingdom - apart. And that sets them apart."

NHS Funding

Can someone please tell what is being promised for the NHS by the Tories and Lib Dems, what does £8bn a year by 2020 actually mean, if they spend nothing in the first 4 years and then £8bn in 2020 does that mean they have met their promise?

Ron Murray, Politics live reader

'Pessimistic punditry'

LBC

A caller asks Nick Clegg how he can "stay positive" in the light of a ComRes poll for ITV which suggested the Conservatives could take 14 marginal seats in the south-west of England.

The Lib Dem leader dismisses the poll as "balloney".

We will win so many more seats that this endless cottage industry of pessimistic punditry allows for."

Hung parliament negotiations

Victoria Derbyshire

BBC

What happens in the event of a hung parliament? BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith tells the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC News there will be huge media pressure to come up with a result – ie, government. He adds that despite the pressure, the public have become used to the idea of coalition negotiations and may have more patience this time compared with five years ago when there was a real sense of urgency to negotiations.

But former Times columnist Peter Riddell adds it could take several weeks before a government is formed as various different parties negotiate. It may well not be as simple as in 2010 when the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats managed to form a government in five days.

BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins

tweets:

Twitter

Interesting, Ed Miliband's podium looks a bit higher than the others, extra black base to it

Clegg on Janner and Smith allegations

LBC

On his weekly LBC phone-in show, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg says any decision on whether to prosecute Labour peer Lord Janner is one for the CPS.

It is "right that it is a judgment for the Crown Prosecution Service," the deputy PM says.

Asked what the Lib Dems are doing to investigate allegations against the late former Liberal MP Sir Cyril Smith, Mr Clegg says he has told "all peers and MPs" to work with the police if they have any information.

Northern Ireland: Non-voters

BBC Radio 4 Today

BBC Radio 4's Today programme is visiting 100 seats in 100 days ahead of the general election on 7 May.

Elections in Northern Ireland are fairly predictable affairs. Most of those who vote go for either a unionist, or a nationalist candidate.

There are of course different shades of both. At present, those on the harder-line of each persuasion hold the majority of Northern Ireland's 18 seats at Westminster. But is that a fair reflection of how people in Northern Ireland feel?

Ireland correspondent Andy Martin has been speaking toan increasingly large proportion of the populationthere who don't vote because, it seems, they don't subscribe to the old labels of orange and green.

What if no-one wins the election?

Victoria Derbyshire

The Victoria Derbyshire programme looks at the mechanics of a hung parliament. Watch the live debate here.

BBC

BBC debate set

Here's a picture of the set of tonight's BBC debate, which comes from Westminster Central Hall.

BBC

BBC statement on debate

In a statement on tonight's debate, a BBC spokesperson said:

As part of a package that the broadcasters and political parties agreed on, tonight's debate is for opposition leaders, and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are not included."

'Massive impact' of social care cuts

BBC Radio 4 Today

Sir David Nichols tells Today that while spending on the NHS has been protected, spending on social care has been slashed. Reductions in social care services "have had a massive impact on the NHS", with people in hospital who don’t need to be.

He says it's not yet clear how much financial difficulty hospitals across the NHS are in as a whole, but he is sure they will be in even more financial difficulty next year. That won't become clear to the electorate until this autumn, he adds.

If you say that there is a big financial hole in the NHS next year then you have to do something about it, Sir David says.

Politicians will talk about all the great things they want to do with the NHS and the extra spending they are committing to but actually there is a serious short term financial problem to solve, he argues.

Victoria Derbyshire

tweets:

What happens if we get a hung parliament? #GE2015 Put your questions to our Political Guru @BBCNormanS on #VictoriaLIVE from 09:15

NHS 'needs proper financial discipline'

BBC Radio 4 Today

“We need to institute proper financial discipline in the system... to enable us to be in a position where literally we are not building on sand - that actually there is a stable financial base on which you can take forward the changes which are needed,” Sir David Nicholson says.

The NHS has never delivered the scale of savings - £22bn - that it is being asked to deliver over the next five years, he points out.

He argues that there is no healthcare system in the world that has delivered such savings. It is possible, but it requires a proper discussion at national level, he adds.

'At least' £8bn needed for NHS

BBC Radio 4 Today

Sir David Nicholson, former chief executive of NHS England, tells the Today programme that change within the NHS can only be achieved with political consensus.

He says current NHS England chief executive Simon Stephens' recommendations are that the health service needs an additional £8bn upfront in order to achieve the efficiency savings the political parties want.

The precondition of achieving that efficiency gain] is that “at least” £8bn needs to be front loaded into this financial year and the next two after, Sir David says.

Clegg: Lib Dems stopped 'loopy' Tories

BBC Breakfast

Mr Clegg defends his record in government, telling BBC Breakfast that a great many Lib Dem policies have been achieved. He points to the raising of the income tax threshold as one particular example.

He concedes the Lib Dems failed ”infamously” over tuition fees but blames Labour saying it was the party that first introduced them and that when the Lib Dems came to power with the Tories there was no money left.

Thankfully the Conservatives couldn’t put into practice a lot of their policies. I’ve spent much of the last five years stopping the Conservatives putting into practice some pretty loopy and unfair ideas."

Extremely serious crimes

BBC Radio 4 Today

On the subject of Lord Janner's health, Peter Saunders of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood adds:

We still bring war criminals to justice… even when they have dementia and I believe Lord Janner only developed the dementia relatively recently. He hasn’t lost all his faculties as far as I’m aware and we’re talking about very serious crimes we’re not talking about minor misdemeanours, we’re not talking about a bit of fraud. We’re talking about extremely serious allegations of assaults, of torture, of brutality on children and if there is strong evidence that those crimes occurred then it should come to court."

CPS 'about to make wrong decision'

BBC Radio 4 Today

Peter Saunders, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, tells the Today programme he believes the CPS is about to make the “wrong decision” in not prosecuting Lord Janner.

The Times is reporting the prosecution will not go ahead because the CPS has decided it would not be in the public interest, but the CPS has refused to confirm the report.

Mr Saunders says he understands “there is massive, massive evidence and many victims that deserve a hearing here and they are not going to get that opportunity and I think it’s outrageous and I think the excuse or the reason will not be in the public interest”.

“There is overwhelming evidence that this should go to court. But I believe the CPS, for reasons that are beyond me other than the fact we are talking about a person who is part of the establishment, a former MP and member of the House of Lords, are not going to bring this case to court.”

Health and social care 'divisions'

BBC Radio 5 Live

The Conservative former Health Secretary, Stephen Dorrell, who chaired the Commons Health Select Committee in the last Parliament, speaks to 5 Live about the comments from Sir David Nicholson:

What politicians also need to talk about, I think, and health commentators, is that it isn't just about extra money. It's also about recognising that demands on the health service are changing. What we need to be doing is breaking down the divisions between health and social care in order to ensure that we've got a service that is better designed to deliver the service that today's patients actually want [and] need.

Clegg: 'Tantalisingly close' to clearing deficit

BBC Breakfast

Nick Clegg says the Labour Party hasn’t said when it would eliminate the deficit, “which I don’t think is very fair for our kids and our grandkids because if you don’t wipe the slate clean, they just keep picking up the tab for the mistake of the bankers and you just keep borrowing and borrowing".

He adds that the Tories have said they will get rid of the deficit by 2017-18 but "are only going to ask the working age poor to make additional sacrifices to balance the books".

"Our stance is you have got to do it fairly, which means asking those with the broadest shoulders to make an additional contribution," he says. We are “tantalisingly close” to clearing the deficit, he adds.

'Statisticians' debate'

BBC Breakfast

Nick Clegg is now asked about the deficit and whether any of the political parties can balance the books by the end of the next parliament.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says none of them can because economic growth is not going to feed through in the way the parties think it will.

Mr Clegg says he doesn’t want to wade into a statisticians' debate between the IMF and Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

He points out that the IMF “got it wrong” when it said growth would not materialise in the UK economy. He says politicians can only be expected to respond to “what the OBR tells us”.

Clegg: NHS does need more money

BBC Breakfast

BBC

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg tells BBC Breakfast the NHS “does need more money”. It was Simon Stephens, the current chief executive of NHS England, who specified the need for an additional £8bn a year to fund the NHS by 2020, Mr Clegg says.

He adds that the Liberal Democrats have come up with a plan to raise that extra cash. He says part of that has already come with an additional £1.7bn of funding recently provided.

The Lib Dems will raise an extra £1bn from closing capital gains tax relief, he says. There is also a need for efficiency savings, he argues.

Crucially, once we balance the books, we would link the growth in NHS expenditure to the growth in the economy."

NHS 'on its knees'

BBC Radio 5 Live

Dr Zoe Norris, a GP who works in Hull, speaks to 5 Live about Sir David Nicholson's comments on the NHS.

She claims: "The NHS is on its knees and if we don't do something urgently it will fail."

She argues that government's reorganisation on the NHS in England "has thrown everything into chaos" and calls for "political interference" to end, and the health service to be run on a "Bank of England model" with operational independence.

Dr Norris wrote an open letter to all prospective health ministers that was published in the Huffington Post, unpicking the different promises they make in their manifestos.

'Unfunded promises'

Getty Images

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls will claim the Conservative party has made £25bn of unfunded spending promises in its manifesto.

In a speech in Birmingham, he will claim Labour is the party of fiscal responsibility, according to the Guardian, publishing an audit of the spending and tax commitments in the Conservatives' manifesto.

The newspaper says Mr Balls will say the Tory attitude to unfunded promises shows the need for an independent body such as the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to examine the pledges of the political parties before the general election.

Lord Janner sex abuse charge decision expected

The Crown Prosecution Service will later announce whether it will charge Labour peer Lord Janner with child sexual abuse offences.

The Times is reporting the prosecution will not go ahead because the CPS has decided it would not be in the public interest. The CPS refused to confirm the Times' report.

The former Labour MP is 86 and prosecutors have been considering whether his health would allow him to be tried.

Leicestershire Police has been investigating abuse allegations against Lord Janner dating back to the mid-1970s.

PA

Labour must tackle SNP tonight

BBC Radio 4 Today

What will be fascinating will be the dynamic between Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon and Ed Miliband, says Norman Smith. "Let’s be blunt, Labour have a profound problem in Scotland," he says. "They cannot win this election if they head to catastrophe in Scotland."

Labour will have to take on Nicola Sturgeon, and dent the SNP bandwagon, he adds.

What Mr Miliband doesn't want to do is get caught up in the "nitty gritty of Scottish politics" because he will need to present himself as a leader of the whole United Kingdom tonight.

The stakes are pretty nigh for Ms Sturgeon as well, however. She came out the clear winner of the last debate and will need to perform well again tonight, Norman says.

Stakes high for Miliband

BBC Radio 4 Today

The BBC’s assistant political editor Norman Smith carries on that theme, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Ed Miliband faces the danger that the leaders of the smaller parties will “gang up on him” and that they will try to paint a picture of Mr Miliband as the “representative on earth of austerity” - even though he would dispute this.

Some people within the Labour party are concerned about this debate, Norman says, and are asking what is to be gained from it. “There is not a lot to be gained but an awful lot that could be lost,” he says.

Tonight's line-up

BBC Breakfast

BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins illustrates where the opposition leaders will stand in tonight's debate.

From left to right: Ed Miliband, Leanne Wood, Natalie Bennett, Nicola Sturgeon and Nigel Farage.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg are not taking part in the debate.

Ross Hawkins tells BBC Breakfast the debate could see the SNP, Plaid and the Greens putting pressure on the Labour leader and asking Ed Miliband: "Why won't you give up on austerity?"

BBC

NHS finance problem 'being ignored'

BBC

The former head of NHS England has told the BBC that the health service is facing a "substantial financial problem" which politicians are ignoring in the election campaign.

Sir David Nicholson, who retired last year, said the NHS in England was accruing large deficits which would become "crystal clear" later this year.

But, he said, instead of talking about how to address these, politicians were focusing on expanding services.

He said the situation caused him "very great concern".

Tonight's debate

BBC

David Dimbleby will host tonight's debate.

Get in touch

As always don't forget you can get in touch on email at [e-mail] and on twitter @bbcpolitics

Good morning

Good morning and welcome to our daily live coverage of the general election campaign.

The leaders of five of Westminster's opposition parties are due to appear in a live BBC election debate from 20:00.

The BBC contest, hosted by David Dimbleby, will feature the leaders of Labour, UKIP, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party.