Summary

  • Job figures show that UK unemployment has fallen to its lowest rate since July 2008

  • Labour unveils its Scottish manifesto in Glasgow

  • Conservative leader David Cameron is campaigning in the Midlands and in Wales, with a speech on jobs

  • Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is in Scotland, where he will be urging Conservative and Labour voters to vote Lib Dem to defeat the SNP

  • There are 20 days until the general election

  1. Friday recappublished at 23:57

    That brings to an end another eventful day on the campaign trail. To recap on the day's main stories:

    • The BBC announced UKIP's Nigel Farage would be among leaders to face audience questions in regional election programmes
    • David Cameron hailed new figures showing unemployment at a seven-year low
    • Labour said too many jobs were part time, as it focused on youngsters' prospects
    • The Ulster Unionists launched their election manifesto. Among the pledges: better mental health provision and a drop in VAT for tourism and building repairs
    • Lord Ashcroft's polls in Scotland suggested the SNP was gaining more ground in key seats
  2. Attacks 'have failed'published at 23:49

    Some lines coming through from Saturday's newspapers. The Guardian has an interview, external with Ed Miliband's American election guru, David Axelrod, who claims that Conservative attacks on the Labour leader over his perceived betrayal of his brother, former foreign secretary David, have "obviously failed".

  3. 'No Tory-UKIP deal'published at 23:48

    Conservative Chief Whip Michael Gove has hinted to the Telegraph, external that there would be no Tory-UKIP deal if his party fell short of a majority after the general election.

    "I don't want to say anything disobliging about Nigel Farage or about people in UKIP, but I've got no appetite, interest or inclination towards doing a deal with anyone," Mr Gove reportedly says.

    "We're not going to get into bed with them, no," he adds.

  4. Sean Kemp, former Downing Street adviserpublished at 23:28 British Summer Time 17 April 2015

    @Sean_Kemp

    tweets, external :

    Quote Message

    Have just explained to some people on the Tube that there isn't an SNP candidate in Crouch End. They weren't happy."

  5. Saturday's Guardianpublished at 22:41

    GuardianImage source, Guardian
  6. Saturday's Sunpublished at 22:28 British Summer Time 17 April 2015

    Satuday's SunImage source, Sun
  7. Allegra Stratton, political editor, BBC Newsnightpublished at 21:52 British Summer Time 17 April 2015

    @BBCAllegra

    Allegra Stratton
    Newsnight Political Editor

    tweets: , external

    Quote Message

    Farage on at 10:30 in Eng & Wales; Leanne Wood gets QT slot in Wales and Sturgeon gets it in Scotland. To reflect where they are strong."

  8. Saturday's Timespublished at 21:50

    The Times front page, 18/4/15Image source, The Times
  9. Saturday's Telegraphpublished at 21:48

    Daily Telegraph front page, 18/4/15Image source, Daily Telegraph
  10. More on election specialspublished at 21:35

    After the Question Time special, the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon, Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood and UKIP's Nigel Farage will appear in separate programmes broadcast on BBC One in different parts of the UK.

    The leaders "will each answer voters' questions for half an hour" from 9.30pm, says a BBC statement, which says questions will be put to the leaders on behalf of live studio audiences by BBC presenters. The programme featuring Mr Farage will also be broadcast in Wales later that night.

    "All the programmes will also be broadcast on the BBC News Channel and on BBC Parliament," says the BBC.

  11. Question Time election specialpublished at 21:31

    The BBC has released details of its Question Time election special to be broadcast on 30 April - a week before polling day.

    A press release says: "A Question Time Election Leaders Special will feature one-by-one Conservative leader David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

    "The programme, hosted by David Dimbleby, will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC News Channel live from 8pm to 9.30pm. Each of the leaders will separately face 30 minutes of questions posed by a studio audience with the usual Question Time format."

  12. Allegra Stratton, political editor, BBC Newsnightpublished at 21:15 British Summer Time 17 April 2015

    @BBCAllegra

    Allegra Stratton
    Newsnight Political Editor

    tweets:, external

    Quote Message

    Newsnight understands Nigel Farage to do 1/2 hr elex i/v same night as big 3 Leaders do Dimbleby 8-9:30pm, Apr 30th. NF in QuestionTime slot"

  13. Aid targetpublished at 20:40

    BBC Radio 4

    Any Questions has been hearing the panel's views on the UK's commitment to spend 0.7% of national income on overseas aid, with UKIP's Mark Reckless arguing it should be scrapped.

    Jonathan Dimbleby asks the audience for a show of hands - and finds they are broadly in favour of retaining the commitment.

    The host is careful to point out that - unlike the audience for last night's TV debate - those in the Any Questions studio are "self-selecting" and so are not intended to be representative of the population.

  14. Prof Philip Cowley, Nottingham Universitypublished at 20:31 British Summer Time 17 April 2015

    @philipjcowley

    tweets, external:

    Quote Message

    Interesting that, despite its massive membership, SNP contact rates not top in any of these @lordAshcroft seats

    Chart from TwitterImage source, Twitter
  15. Any Questionspublished at 20.10

    Any Questions is on BBC Radio 4 now.

    Jonathan Dimbleby is in South London with Sadiq Khan for Labour, Mark Reckless of UKIP, Conservative Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Liz Truss, and the SNP's Humza Yousaf, the minister for Europe and international development in the Scottish government.

  16. Survation pollpublished at 19:59

    A new national poll carried out after the party manifestos were released suggests the Tories have a narrow lead. The Survation poll for the Daily Mirror put the Tories up four points at 34%, ahead of Labour on 33% (down two points).

    The poll put UKIP on 17% (up one), the Liberal Democrats on 7% (down one), and the Greens on 3% (down one). Nationally, the SNP polled a 4% share. The changes were from Survation's previous national poll, conducted on April 9. The pollster surveyed 1,314 adults online during yesterday and today.

  17. Tories 'combative' on Europepublished at 19:27

    The Conservative manifesto marks a significant toughening of rhetoric regarding the EU, according to a new analysis by academics at the University of Bath, external . Gone is talk of "balance of competencies" and "renegotiating" and in comes "repatriation of powers" and "referendum", says the research. The manifesto does not explain, however, how things like immigration controls could be secured in practice, writes reader in European politics, Susan Milner.

  18. Lord Ashcroft, pollsterpublished at 19:14 British Summer Time 17 April 2015

    @LordAshcroft

    tweets, external:

    Quote Message

    My polls ask ppl to think about their area & candidates, but don’t prompt names. This is why:

    Screengrab from TwitterImage source, Lord Ashcroft
  19. Matt Chorley, political editor, Mail Onlinepublished at 19:08 British Summer Time 17 April 2015

    @MattChorley

    tweets, external about this Daily Mail story, external:

    Quote Message

    Google searches during debate show how politicians (and journos) talk another language..."

    Screengrab from TwitterImage source, Twitter
  20. Lib Dems on Scotland pollspublished at 18:34

    A Lib Dem source has dismissed the latest polls for the Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft as "irrelevant".

    The constituency polling - in seats being contested by former leader Charles Kennedy and business minister Jo Swinson - suggests the SNP is gaining support in Labour and Lib Dem territory.

    However, a Lib Dem source told the Press Association:

    Quote Message

    Lord Ashcroft's polls do not name the candidates. Both Mr Kennedy and Ms Swinson have strong personal followings."