Summary

  • Five Westminster opposition party leaders took part in a debate, with Labour's Ed Miliband and the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon in heated exchanges

  • UKIP's Nigel Farage accused the audience - which was independently selected and broadly representative - of being "left-wing"

  • Leanne Wood, of Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party's Natalie Bennett took on Mr Farage over his attitude to migrants

  • In other news - Richard Desmond, whose publishing company owns the Daily and Sunday Express, gave £1m to UKIP

  • Nick Clegg said a vote for the Lib Dems could prevent a right-wing coalition of the Conservatives, UKIP and the DUP - or "Blukip"

  • There are 21 days left until polling day

Live Reporting

Tim Fenton, Andy McFarlane, Bernadette McCague and Tom Moseley

  1. Jamie Ross, @BuzzFeedUK politics reporter

    @JamieRoss7

    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.

  2. George Eaton, Political Editor, New Statesman

    @georgeeaton

    tweets:

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

  3. Emily Maitlis, political editor/presenter, Newsnight

    @maitlis

    tweets:

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

  4. Robin Brant, BBC Political Correspondent

    @robindbrant

    tweets:

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

  5. John Ashmore, Assistant News Editor at politicshome.com

    @smashmorePH

    tweets:

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

  6. Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror associate editor

    @Kevin_Maguire

    tweets:

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

  7. David Maddox

    @DavidPBMaddox

    tweets:

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

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

    Graphic of Newsnight forecast

  10. Nick Eardley, BBC News

    @nickeardley

    tweets:

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

    Paintings on display outside the venue for the BBC's opposition leaders' debate - 16 April 2015Twitter

  11. Debate prep continues

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

    The BBC debate set, as seen through a camera's viewfinder

  12. 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.

  13. Steve Hawkes, Deputy Political Editor, The Sun

    @steve_hawkes

    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

  14. Tonight's debate: the Scotland angle

    Douglas Fraser, BBC Scotland Business Editor

    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.

  15. Soton Green Party

    @SotonGreenParty

    tweets:

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

  16. 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."

  17. Patrick Wintour, The Guardian

    @patrickwintour

    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.

  18. Michael Crick, Political correspondent, C4 News

    @MichaelLCrick

    tweets:

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

  19. 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?"

  20. 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."