BBC Radio 5 Live

What can Nigel Farage do to restore trust in MPs?

He says he would give constituents real powers of recall over MPs. He says the commitment is in UKIP's manifesto.

Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith attempted to get similar powers through parliament last year but his amendment failed, with more than 300 MPs voting against it.

So UKIP might have a hard time getting that particular law through.

Victoria Derbyshire

Just over half of voters from ethnic backgrounds turned out to vote at the UK general election in 2010. That compares to around 67% of white voters.

The campaign group Operation Black Vote, external asked musicians, actors and sport stars to back its call for the African-British and Asian-British communities to make sure they have a say about who runs the country.

Actor David Harewood is one of those involved, he told the BBC's Nicola Beckford that it "can only benefit us to have a voice".

David Cameron has welcomed today's employment figures.

The prime minister said: “There are now two million more people in work than in 2010 – that’s more families with the stability and security of a regular pay packet.

“This is thanks to the hard work and the determination of the British people, and the Conservatives’ strong leadership and clear economic plan.

“It would all be put at risk with the chaos of a Miliband-SNP stitch-up, hiking borrowing, hurting the economy, and costing jobs – and it’ll be hardworking taxpayers who’ll pay.”

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BBC Radio 5 Live

Nigel Farage was asked on BBC 5 Live about the UK's ageing population and the fiscal gap.

In case you’re not up to speed on the theory of fiscal gap it works like this:

Lower birth rates in western economies following the 1950s-1960s baby boom have led those economies to become increasingly reliant on a migrant workforce.

Without the influx of migrants, so the theory goes, those economies would slow because there wouldn’t be enough people to do the jobs being created in the economy.

That in turn would lead to economic slowdown and businesses taking their operations elsewhere.

On top of that, with a top heavy, ageing population there would not be enough people in work to pay taxes, to pay for benefits such as the state pension, nor support the NHS which would have to cope with increased demand from the an ageing population.

The unemployment rate has dropped again and it is now 5.6% in the three months to the end of February, from 5.7% in three months to the end of January.

Average wages including bonuses - also known as total pay - rose by 1.7%, while average wages excluding bonuses - known as regular pay - rose 1.8% in the three months to the end of February compared with a year earlier.

Ross Hawkins
Political correspondent

The BBC's political correspondent has this on Ed Miliband's challenge to David Cameron to hold a one-to-one debate.

A BBC spokesman said: "In the event that the two parties were to agree to a debate any broadcaster would want to cover it."

"I'm told there is no change to existing broadcast plans and no concrete proposal," our correspondent says.

Unemployment in the UK has fallen to 1.84 million in the three months to the end of February from 1.86 million in the three months to January, the ONS has just said.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Nigel Farage says increasing the minimum wage however would only encourage migrants to come to the UK. “Don’t forget the minimum wage is already nine times what it is in Romania,” Mr Farage says.

“If we increase the minimum wage we will just create another glass ceiling."

He says for 1.5 million people, the minimum wage has become their top wage not the bare minimum.

We’ll find out more about this at 09:30 when the latest unemployment figures – which include average wage rises – are released by the Office for NationalStatistics, external.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Nigel Farage is now on BBC Radio 5 live taking question from the public. The first question he is asked is about the UK's ageing population and "fiscal gap"- and how UKIP would deal with those problems after it had tightened the immigration rules.

Mr Farage says migrant labour has actually led to lower wages in the UK.

Mr Farage says there are many people that come to the UK to work in the fields, for example; and UKIP would allow for temporary work permits but those workers would have to bring in their own health insurance.

He says every other country in the world operates a similar system.

Mr Farage adds that if he were prime minister, and if suddenly there was a shortage of workers in one section of the economy, UKIP would relax the rules.

What happens after the election if there is a hung parliament? Which parties might agree to work together and who may hold the balance of power? Who could build a majority of 326 votes in the house? Now you can play our nifty online game to find out for yourselves.

BBC Radio 4 Today

The demise of the Ulster Unionist Party in Northern Irish politics has been slow and steady since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. At the 2010 general election they were wiped out electorally in Westminster losing the last of their remaining seats.

In March, the party did a deal with their Democratic Unionist Party rivals forming an election pact that would see neither party stand against the other in certain seats.

Today the Ulster Unionists launch their election manifesto.

The BBC’s Northern Ireland correspondent Andy Martin says the party is "desperate" to get at least one seat in parliament back.

He says it could be tough for the party to make that breakthrough this time around, despite a good showing in local elections. The pact will probably benefit the DUP, he suggests, particularly in the key seat of east Belfast which first minister Peter Robinson lost to the Alliance Party's Naomi Long in 2010.

BBC News Channel

Nigel Farage tells Norman Smith that, following the debate, it is "completely clear" that the only way Ed Miliband is going to become PM is with the SNP's support.

"I'm very worried about the Scottish tail wagging the English dog," the UKIP leader says.

"If you're a Labour voter who's worried about the kind of issues I'm worried about, be very, very careful before you vote."

BBC Radio 4 Today

Oil is pretty cheap these days, hovering around $55 to $58 a barrel since the start of the year..

So how come petrol prices have started to creep back up?

Edmund King, president of the AA, tells the Today programme: "Oil prices are fairly low, there's zero inflation, but petrol has gone up 7p a litre since the 1 February. Petrol is now averaging about £1.13 a litre...drivers are pretty frustrated."

However, oil prices and petrol prices don't move in tandem due to factors such as taxation - around 60% of the price goes to the Treasury - and currency fluctuations, he says.

Image source, PA

Nick Robinson
Political editor

On the morning after the debate before, it is clear the election is increasingly being defined by two competing narratives.

On the one hand, Ed Miliband is slowly and steadily introducing himself to voters as a potential prime minister.

The Labour leader has always argued that the more voters see of him the more they will rate him.

Last night he was able to use attacks from the left - on austerity and Trident - as well as assaults from the right - on Europe and immigration - to look statesmanlike.

BBC Radio 4

The World at One tweets:, external

On #wato today we'll be joined by @natalieben of #Greens for #ElectionCall. Your chance to quiz top politicians.

BBC News Channel

Nigel Farage tells Norman Smith that he didn't "lose his rag" last night on the TV debate, when the subject of housing came up.

The BBC's assistant political editor goes on to ask the UKIP leader if he is going to complain about the way the audience was put together, following suggestions that it was unfavourable to the party.

Mr Farage says the polling company that the BBC used to assemble the audience was at fault.

"Am I going to make a complaint? I've got an election to fight," he says. And he points out that it's the audience at home who will make up their minds.