Andrew Marr
The Andrew Marr Show

We mentioned earlier the comments in the Independent on Sunday about Tesco boss John Allan and the EU referendum. Steve Richards says the Tories would be "winning hands down with business" if it wasn't for the issue of Europe and David Cameron will to navigate that "foggy route" via renegotiation to a referendum if he's re-elected.

And finally... Isabel Hardman picks up a story from the Sun on Sunday claiming the Conservatives are worried the imminent royal baby might be named Edward - and it could give a boost to the Labuor leader.

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Andrew Marr
The Andrew Marr Show

Isabel Hardman, from the Spectator, says: "Ed Miliband's prospects are improving - people aren't thinking he's weirder." The Conservatives were banking on that happening, but voters haven't fallen for it, she adds. Steve Richards says he thinks the way we look at Ed Miliband may have changed for the better. "People are beginning to see him differently." He says the Labour leader is still saying the things he's always said, but "We are listening to him in a slightly different way because he could well be prime minister in a few weeks time."

Andrew Marr
The Andrew Marr Show

Steve Richards, from the Independent, says the pollsters are "the great gurus of the campaign" and when they pronounce, it has a lot more impact than when commentators do. He says Peter Kellner, YouGov doyenne, has given an interview today in which he says he's changed his mind - rather than being sure of a Tory win, he now thinks it's too close to call.

Andrew Marr
The Andrew Marr Show

Business secretary Vince Cable (second left) appeared to have the biggest entourage as he arrived at New Broadcasting House for The Andrew Marr Show.

We can't say she's David Cameron's sparring partner on Andrew Marr as guests don't go head to head - unfortunately for us. But here's Nicola Sturgeon, SNP leader, also arriving at our building.

David Cameron will be appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, which gets under way shortly. As this photo attests, despite being on last, he's already here at New Broadcasting House.

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Image source, Robin Brant

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The Scottish National Party's general election manifesto, to be published tomorrow, is expected to reiterate plans for a "modest" rise in public spending across the UK. The SNP will claim that an "alternative to continued austerity cuts" of real term spending increases of 0.5% per year would still bring down the UK's debt and deficit while freeing up "substantial resources for investment in jobs, economic growth, and public services."

The manifesto will include a commitment to cancel the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system which, the SNP claims, "would free up some £3 billion of expenditure UK-wide per annum - rising to a peak of £4 billion by the 2020s". The SNP say such savings "should be spent on health, education and childcare".

The manifesto will also commit SNP MPs to participate in votes on major issues south of the border such as legislation to "restore the NHS in England to a fully public, publicly-accountable service - reversing the 2012 Health and Social Care Act". The SNP argues that this "will also protect Scotland's budget by stopping the process of privatisation and patient charging in England which threatens future public finding".

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The Financial Times has characterised, external David Cameron and Ed Miliband as being like "two prize fighters locked together in exhaustion". With Labour and the Conservatives level pegging at 34%, pollsters tell the FT that neither leader has yet landed "a knockout blow".

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"If this election shakes down as pollsters predict we could be in for a new era of consensus politics. And that might be rather refreshing," writes Nigel Nelson, in today's Sunday People., external He thinks that if Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon could "play nicely" it "might mean a decision-making process which better serves the country". There will be sticking points of course, he writes, citing disagreement over the Trident weapons system. But the SNP can vote against it if they wish while "surely Ed could rely on Tory votes" to get it through nonetheless.

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Whatever the fortunes of his party on 7 May, the 2015 campaign has been a good one, so far, for Ed Miliband. Low expectations about his abilities, so widely sown by his opponents seem, in the end, to have left them the headache, not him. He certainly struggles to make headway with the public on some prime ministerial characteristics, but this week’s MORI suggested a 12 point improvement in his satisfaction ratings in just one month. Survation’s poll after Thursday Challengers' Debate had Ed Miliband winning, although Nicola Sturgeon was judged to have performed best, with Nigel Farage also performing strongly. These debates don’t appear to have changed voting allegiances but they do seem to have made the Conservative decision to turn the election into a presidential contest rather questionable.

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Tesco chairman John Allan has criticised the strategy David Cameron has adopted on an EU referendum, which Mr Allan says puts "the cart... very firmly before the horse". He told the Independent on Sunday, external the strategy is causing uncertainty for investors: "Logically, you would have started with 'these are the reforms we would like to see enacted within the EU' and then, at the end of the process, determine whether or not you've made enough progress and then decide if a referendum is necessary."

Mr Allan said the prospect of a referendum could have a real impact on firms' investment decisions and big companies could move their head offices from London to other sites in Europe "relatively painlessly" should Britain exit the EU.

Tomorrow is the last day to register to vote - the deadline is midnight on Monday. Michael Abbott, head of campaigns at the Electoral Commission, tells BBC Radio 5 live that people who are unsure whether they are registered should visit the UK voter registration website, external . "There's lots of change happening all time," he says. "People move house - about 7.5 million people move house every year, there are young people who will be coming onto the electoral roll for the first time... if you do fall into one of those groups, the really critical thing to do now, with the deadline right upon us, is to get to the website... it'll take you three or four minutes to register to vote."

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BBC Radio 5 Live

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A report in the Independent on Sunday, external that Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander could be given a peerage if he loses his seat in order to keep him in the cabinet has been dismissed by Mr Alexander on Radio 5live. "That report is total tosh. I would be ruder about it if we were after the 9pm watershed. No such discussions have ever taken place. I'm intending to be re-elected as MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey. The response I'm getting on the doorsteps is excellent. I am confident of being re-elected, and if I am, I will play whaever role my leader asks me to play."

BBC News Channel

The Lloyds share move has garnered some good headlines for David Cameron this morning. It's being sold as a good deal for small investors and a good way for the government to recoup some of its money. They're almost trying to recapture a bit of the feel-good factor of the 1980s and 90s- remember Tell Sid - when people could get their hands on British Telecom and British Gas shares and make quite a tidy profit. It all feeds into the Conservatives' big election message to voters - 'We've done the hard work on fixing the economy and it's time for ordinary people to feel some of the benefit.'