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

Live Reporting

Tim Fenton and Andy McFarlane

  1. How much can we afford?

    Can I ask someone to tell us how much worse off we were in 2010 than in 2007 when the economy went to pot under the last administration.

    Also, given that we all owe approximately £25,000 as our current share of the countries debt and other than the Conservatives every party is promising to increase this, I think the argument over being worse off is very badly skewed.

    Surely we should be looking at how much we can afford not how much we can borrow.

    Howard Wilkinson, Politics live reader

  2. Jobs and votes

    Robert Peston
    Economics editor

    If the economy is delivering the fruits promised by Cameron and Osborne, why no dividend for them? asks the BBC's business editor.

    Read his blog in full here.

  4. Nicholas Cecil, Deputy Political Editor for @EveningStandard

    @nicholascecil

    tweets:

    Record jobs figures - even the Germans are praising Britain - but they're branded "out of order" by Farage

  5. Farage on five

    Nigel Farage

    In case you missed it earlier: UKIP leader NIgel Farage was on BBC Radio Five Live this morning taking questions from listeners and a small studio audience. You can see some of the exchangeshereand obviously it is available oniPlayer.

  6. Faisal Islam, Political Editor for @SkyNews

    @faisalislam

    tweets:

    'Nothing would suit the SNP more than a Tory government.. My message to Nicola Sturgeon, is "thanks but no thanks"' says Miliband

  7. UUP manifesto launch

    Andy Martin, BBC NI correspondent

    The Ulster Unionist Party has put better mental health provision and a proposed drop in the rate of VAT for tourism and building repairs at the heart of its manifesto.

    The party leader, Mike Nesbitt, said it would be premature and presumptuous to talk about which of the main Westminster parties the Ulster Unionists would support in the event of a hung parliament, but appeared to rule out any arrangement which would involve the SNP.

    Mr Nesbitt's party did not have any seats in the last Parliament. Its one previous MP left to become an independent in protest at an alliance with the Conservative Party.

    The largest portion of the UUP manifesto is committed to proposals to improve the health service, and the economy. The party advocates a reduction in the rate of corporation tax in Northern Ireland to 12.5%, in line with the Irish Republic.

  8. Public being conned

    The public is being conned. In every debate we see Nicola Sturgeon sparkling away and we respond to her - not to her policies, but to her.

    What no-one reminds us is that, whatever happens in the polls, she will not be in Westminster in May.

    The SNP group in Westminster already has a standard male leader and he or Alex Salmond (if elected) will bring the plod back into SNP policies.

    Jeffrey Butcher, Politics live reader

  9. Ugly baby contest

    Daily Politics
    Live on BBC Two

    Tom Newton Dunn, political editor of the Sun tells the Daily Politics there are two reasons why the Conservative Party isn't ahead of Labour in opinion polls.

    The first is that the economic recovery happened to late, he says and people are only just now beginning to feel it and many still aren't feeling the benefits of the recovery.

    The second reason the Tories aren't doing better is because it's an ugly baby contest. In truth, he says, voters don't like David Cameron that much and they don't see that much difference between him and Labour leader Ed Miliband.

  10. Sam Lister, Press Association political correspondent

    @sam_lister_

    tweets:

    Miliband tells students he will do a regular people's question time in parliament if he becomes PM

    Ed Miliband speaks during the launch of his party's manifesto for young people in Lincoln - 17 April 2015PA

  11. Why aren't UK pay rises delivering votes to Cameron?

    Robert Peston
    Business editor

    David Cameron may look at today's stats on unemployment and wonder why on earth his party is only neck-and-neck with Labour in the opinion polls, and not benefiting from record employment levels and a significant rise in inflation-adjusted pay (before tax and benefits).

    Probably the most interesting stat for me was that regular pay - excluding bonuses - saw a 2.2% increase in February and a 1.8% rise in the three months to Feb.

    And for the first time since serious records began, that headline rise is the real rise - because CPI inflation is 0%.

  12. Faisal Islam, Political Editor for @SkyNews

    @faisalislam

    tweets:

    Lots of smoke and mirrors this morning after the debate on who'll do what deal after the election.... >>

  13. Miliband: Ban zero-hours contracts

    On Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith's call earlier to rename zero-hours contracts, Mr Miliband says: "We don't need to rename zero-hours contacts, we need to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and that's what the next Labour government will do."

  14. Coming up later on the BBC News Channel

    Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett will be live in the BBC News Channel studio at 17:30 BST to take your questions on the party's policies. Tweet your questions to #BBCAskThis or you can email your video questions to YourPics@bbc.co.uk . That's 17:30 BST on the BBC News Channel.

  15. Miliband launches youth manifesto

    Ed Miliband

    Labour leader Ed Miliband is in Lincoln to launch his party's young Labour manifesto.

    He says Labour would ban unpaid internships of more than four weeks and said a Labour government would require firms that offer internships of longer than four weeks to pay interns the minimum wage.

    Mr Miliband is asked about tuition fees and whether he will "do a Nick Clegg".

    He says the reason he has committed the Labour party to reducing tuition fees to £6,000 a year but not gone further is because of the damage done to Mr Clegg over tuition fees.

    Mr Miliband says Mr Clegg's failure to keep that election promise didn't just damage the Lib Dem leader it damaged all politicians.

  17. James Hardy, Head of Communications, BBC News

    @jameshardy61

    tweets :

    Estimated total 8.8million – 15% of population – watched at least some of the debate on BBC One, BBC News Channel and Sky News. #GE2015

  18. David Hughes, Press Association correspondent

    @DavidHughesPA

    tweets:

    Casually dressed Clegg arrives at event in Gordon

    Nick Clegg arriving at a Lib Dem campaign event in Gordon, Scotland - 17 April 2015PA

  19. Labour 'will do deal with SNP'

    Make no mistake, Just as any party would get into bed with any other for a chance at being in power, Labour would still partner up with the SNP.

    Milliband is likely just trying to do 2 things, (1) set his stall out early when it comes to talk of a referendum and (2) try and show the UK that he is mentally strong.

    Fine... but see what happens if you put him in a room with Putin like when Tony Abbott took him to task.

    Duncan Terry, Politics live reader

  20. Welcome?

    Alex Forsyth, UKIP campaign correspondent

    Poster

    'Welcome' doormats have been nailed onto UKIP posters detailing the party's immigration policy in Ramsgate, South Thanet