Carole Walker, Conservative campaign correspondentpublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
@carolewalkercw
Quote MessageDavid Cameron says a Labour govt propped up by SNP would be recipe for paralysis"
Summary
The Scottish National Party launches its manifesto
A future Conservative government would conduct an annual review of Scottish devolution to ensure the rest of the UK does not "lose out"
Labour has begun a week of campaigning on the NHS
The deadline to register to vote in the general election is midnight
Sinn Fein is to seek an extra £1.5bn for Northern Ireland in any post-election negotiations
There are 17 days left until the general election
Carole Walker, Conservative campaign correspondentpublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
Final pitchespublished at 15:05
Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two
UKIP's Roger Helmer: "Energy prices are far higher than they need to be."
Lib Dem Ed Davey said: "The Lib Dems have trebled renewable electricity in Britain. We have planted a million trees and taxed plastic bags..."
Green Andrew Cooper says: "Action on climate change has been feeble. We need to invest in insulating over nine million new homes. We need Greens in Parliament to push for real commitment on climate change."
Conservative Matt Hancock: "We have a clear long term plan to tackle carbon emissions. With new technology and international agreement we can tackle this problem in a way that brings costs down."
Labour's Caroline Flint: "This election is a choice. Labour would create fair energy bills... and extend public access to nature..."
Get involved - Daily Politicspublished at 15:01 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
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Quote Message@CarolineFlintMP was best in these Environment #ElectionDebates. She was the most realistic and best. @daily_politics
May on migrant deathspublished at 14:58
Image source, EPAHome Secretary Theresa May says the European Union must work to dissuade migrants from attempting to cross the Mediterranean. She is in Luxembourg for a meeting of EU foreign and home affairs ministers to discuss the growing crisis.
Quote MessageWe need a comprehensive approach. We need to deal with the organised crime gangs who are running this terrible trade in people smuggling. It also means we need to deal with the countries of origin and transit, and work with them to dissuade people from trying to make this perilous journey in the first place.
Theresa May
Zing Tsjeng, digital news editor, DazedMagazinepublished at 14:55 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
@misszing
Quote MessageEd Miliband has the most heartwarmingly clueless reaction to finding out what yolo means (ht @TimeOutLondon) #GE2015
Image source, Time OutFox hunt free votepublished at 14:54
Daily Politics
Live on BBC TwoMatt Hancock says the Conservatives would have a free vote on repealing the fox hunting ban if they got into power.
EU subsidespublished at 14:53
Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two"I don't believe the EU should continue subsiding our farmers," UKIP's Roger Helmer continues. Instead, the UK should subsidise its own farmers not Brussels.
He says that when he speaks to farmers "they like getting the cheque but they are very unhappy about some of the requirements that they have to go through to get the cheque".
Last year's floodspublished at 14:49
Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two"It was green polcies that caused the flooding," claims UKIP's Rogewr Helmer
As protests begin from a few doors down on the panel, he continues: "People who have worked in the area and known it for decades said it was the failure to dredge that caused the floods."
He argued that not dredging was a Green policy aimed at letting the land return to its natural state.
Lord Ashcroft, pollster and former Tory deputy chairmanpublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
@LordAshcroft
Quote MessageICM poll CON 34% LAB 32% LDEM 10% UKIP 11% GRNS 5%"
James Forsyth, political editor, New Statesmanpublished at 14:45 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
@JGForsyth
Quote MessageGreens claim that the ‘science’ says that the shale gas should stay in the ground. Not sure what 'science' their spokesman is referring to"
To frack or not to frack?published at 14:46
Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two
Image source, CuadrillaAsked if Conservative Matt Hancock would support fracking in his own constituency he says: "As it happens there isn't any shale gas there.... I would be open to have shale gas exploration anywhere in the country... but we have to be careful..."
The Greens' Andrew Cooper says: "The science says that the shale gas should remain in the ground."
Get involvedpublished at 14:43 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
Email: politics@bbc.co.uk
Andrew Bond:
Interesting Nicola Sturgeon has so much anger reserved for the Tories. It was a Conservative-led coalition that granted her party the indyref. Pity she cannot keep the SNP side of the bargain that the issue would be settled for a generation!
Get involvedpublished at 14:43 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
Text: 61124
Billy68:
I think one of the big issues for the Conservatives and Lib dems is that lots of people never felt threatened by the deficit, but have felt or witnessed the pain of austerity, and are blaming them for it.
Deaths in the Mediterraneanpublished at 14:41
Image source, EPAAway from matters electoral to the deepening crisis in the Mediterranean. The prime minister spoke to his Italian and Maltese counterparts earlier about the tragic loss of life in recent days, a spokesman for Number 10 has said.
A statement on the telephone calls reads: "The prime minister agreed that the EU needed to respond urgently to address the crisis to try to prevent further deaths. All three leaders agreed that the criminal networks behind human traffickers were primarily to blame for this tragedy, and that the highest priority had to be action to disrupt their activities.
‘The prime minister stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to the crisis, which included action to stabilise migrants’ home countries, and using all the tools at our disposal to go after the human traffickers. He agreed with both Prime Ministers Renzi and Muscat that the establishment of a National Unity Government in Libya was essential for a sustainable solution. The leaders welcomed today’s urgent meeting of foreign and interior ministers in Luxembourg, and the prime minister backed Prime Minister Renzi’s call for an emergency European Council."
What if the wind isn't blowing?published at 14:39
Daily Politics
Live on BBC TwoWhat happens when the wind isn't blowing, asks presenter Andrew Neil. The Green Party candidate Andrew Cooper says: "One of the great things we have is the national grid. There is also solar, there is bio mass, there is geothermal energy." He says the Greens also want to invest more in hydro power.
Davey: Miliband should apologisepublished at 14:34
Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two
Energy Secretary Ed Davey says he has opened up competition in the energy market so it is no longer just the "Big Six". He says Ed Miliband "sucked up" to those firms when he was energy and climate change secretary in the last Labour government, and should apologise to consumers.
Get involved - Daily Politicspublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
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@PaulBotterill tweets:, external
Quote MessageState of Climate debate is appalling in uk politics. Disgraceful that a large parties still harbour climate change deniers. #dailypolitics
Climate change, is it real?published at 14:33
Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two"A left wing tendancy to jump on new ideas," is UKIP's Roger Helmer's answer for why right wing parties tend not to believe in climate change, and the left do.
Lib Dem Ed Davey says it is a "big mistake" to just look at the heat of the planet when determining whether climate change is happening, he says you also have to look at the acidity levels in the sea.
Meanwhile, Tory Matt Hancock says that in his opinion "there has been an increase in erratic environmental issues", and it's "highly likely" that the reason is man made.
Get involved - Daily Politicspublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 20 April 2015
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Quote Message@clrandrewcooper coming across very sensibly on energy on Daily Politics
To freeze or not to freeze?published at 14:31
Daily Politics
Live on BBC TwoCaroline Flint sets out Labour's energy and climate change policies, including an energy price free and greater powers for the energy regulator. But Tory energy minister Matt Hancock derides Labour's plan to freeze energy prices, noting that had it been implemented consumers would not have benefited from recent falling oil prices.
