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Defence Secretary Philip Hammond is now setting out the Conservatives' case on foreign affairs. He begins by running through the government's achievements - including replacing Labour's "sofa government" with a "proper National Security Council". He finishes with the promise of an in-out referendum on Europe.

Daily Politics
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Now under way on BBC2 is a 60-minute live foreign affairs debate between Conservative Philip Hammond, Labour's Douglas Alexander, Lib Dem Tim Farron, UKIP's William Dartmouth and the Green's Patrick Harvie.

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The question mark over the renewal of Britain’s nuclear deterrent has perhaps occupied a more prominent role in the campaign so far than some might have expected. But the debate has been limited to “simplistic symbolism”, Paul Ingram of the British American Security Information Council think-tank suggests in an article for Politics.co.uk, external. He’s interested by the influence that Labour anti-nuclear MPs could have on Ed Miliband’s party - but not worried by the suggestion they could have a decisive say.

“The dangers of an evolution in the party's policy based upon review and further delay in the project may not be as potent as often assumed,” Dr Ingram writes. “Indeed, if such an adaptation becomes seen as a yardstick for reconnecting with the priorities of the country it could be seen as an essential symbol of the party's escape from the 1990s battle between old and new Labour that led to the Iraq disaster.”

Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics

The leader of Yorkshire First said the UK was currently "not working effectively for all parts and all regions" and said his party would "create a stronger United Kingdom". Richard Carter told Jo Coburn on the Daily Politics the party was campaigning for a directly-elected parliament for Yorkshire, with similar powers to those of Scottish Parliament. It has 14 candidates standing in this general election. and is not impressed with government plans for a "northern powerhouse". Watch the interview

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Here’s Conservative veteran Ken Clarke on The World At One, who says you - you being the politicians - have to “hedge your bets” when it comes to the possibility of ruling out working with parties like UKIP. The trick is to win more votes - simple when you put it like that, really.

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George Osborne would have forced motorists to pay up to £120 a year for a "network pass" of key motorways and A roads, it’s been claimed. Lib Dem ex-Transport Minister Norman Baker has told BBC North that the chancellor drew up proposals for the £10-a-month charge which would have become reality if it hadn’t been for Liberal Democrat opposition.

"This scheme is one which would have taxed people in local areas, particularly in areas like those along the A1,” Mr Baker said. “It seemed to me to be very unfair and should be stopped, so we did." Cameras with automatic numberplate recognition would have been set up on the roads to catch drivers who didn't have passes, he claims.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

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UKIP’s economics spokesman Patrick O’Flynn is now on The World At One, where he’s busy rejecting the idea that a Britain that’s left the European Union would be diminished on the world stage. The key organisation for the UK is Nato, he says. “That’s what’s kept the peace in Europe since the middle of the 20th Century - that’s the organisation that has the ‘all for one and one for all’ rule.” Given the Islamic State threat, Vladimir Putin “sniffing around for weakness” and threats to the Falklands and Gibraltar, Mr O’Flynn says spending 2% on defence is essential.

So why won’t the Tories commit to continuing to spend 2% of gross national income on defence? Philip Hammond tells the same programme moments later that decision can only be taken at the next spending review, once the threats to Britain's security have been sized up.

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Nicola Sturgeon, attending the Scottish TUC this morning in Ayr, has responded to Sir John Major.

Ms Sturgeon says the Conservatives last year argued that Scotland should “lead” rather than “leave” the UK –- and that it’s therefore a bit rich that now their views only count if they vote the way they want.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

The concern with Mare Nostrum, Philip Hammond says, is that there was “anecdotal” evidence that migrants could get on an “unseaworthy” vessel which would then be quickly rescued. “We do not want to create a situation where people feel they are willing to… take risks that are simply not sensible,” he tells The World At One. Tomorrow’s European Council will discuss whether the EU should do more to support the Italians, Maltese and Greeks in tackling the problem. “But we must not take our eyes off the principal challenge," he continues. If people are falling off a cliff you don’t put all your resources into picking them up at the bottom, he says - you “build a fence” at the top to stop them falling off.

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Boris Johnson has visited South Thanet - where a certain Nigel Farage is hoping to get elected as MP on 7 May. But the London Mayor hasn’t had the friendliest of welcomes, Kent Online reports, external. He was greeted by both political enemies and friends at Ramsgate station, one of whom told him to “go back to London” - that would be a political enemy, then. Mr Johnson then moved on to conduct a tour of the harbour. Which is nice.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

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Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says the way to make an “immediate impact” on the situation in the Mediterranean is to expand the Triton mission - a scaled-down version of the Mare Nostrum search and rescue operation that came to an end last year. Mr Hammond tells The World At One that Triton will offer search and rescue. Its vessels are primarily “defensive” but do assist in search and rescue operations. He concedes the vessels involved are “relatively small” and argues there are “broader factors at work” - including the “increasing sophistication” of traffickers. David Cameron will be going to Brussels tomorrow to try and ensure the problem is tackled “upstream”, Mr Hammond says.

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Miriam Gonzalez-Durantez, aka Mrs Nick Clegg, is currently doing a live webchat with Mumsnet., external Politics aside, she's just revealed she's been writing a cooking blog with her children for the last three years. She tells Mumsnet members: "When my husband's advisers learn this they are going to freak out! Just click on www.mumandsons.com, external and you can get some of the recipes we do..."

She admits she's probably "going to be told off for sharing this with you", but also tells the website about the Inspiring Women Campaign that she's part of.

Daily Politics
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Spare a thought for the mental wellbeing of Lib Dem Don Foster, who says he worries enormously about the possibility of a supply and confidence arrangement instead of a formal coalition after the 2015 election. In 2010, he tells the Daily Politics, the Liberal Democrats would “never have been forgiven” for allowing the Conservatives to push through a “Tory Queen’s Speech and a Tory Budget”. Not that a coalition is guaranteed next time around, even if the Lib Dems are again in a position to act as kingmakers. “I wouldn’t take it for granted, but there’s going to be negotiations,” Mr Foster says.

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And now here’s Sinn Fein’s education spokesman Daithi McKay, who says his party is prepared to talk. “Anything we’ve ever achieved as a party… has been achieved through negotiations, so what we’ve set out is the fact that once the British government is returned we will be looking to make negotiations to address the impact of the austerity policies of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government,” he says. He makes clear that Sinn Fein MPs will continue to not take their seats, though.

John, Scotland:

Daily Politics
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The DUP, which says it expects to have up to 10 MPs in Westminster after the election, is launching its manifesto today and deputy leader Nigel Dodds is now on Daily Politics. He won’t be drawn on whether his party is more likely to work with Labour or the Conservatives; or whether he’ll back an EU referendum. “A lot will depend in terms of who we talk to first, in terms of who is the biggest party in Westminster,” Mr Dodds says. It all comes down to the “arithmetic”, he says. Mr Dodds raises the possibility that his party could decide not to back anyone at all. “The DUP has not already sold its votes,” he declares.

The Guardian

Senior politicians aren't staying very still for very long in this campaign - especially as the 50 tightest marginal seats are scattered across the length and breadth of the UK. Visiting all of them would be quite a challenge - but what's the shortest route of doing so? This question has been tackled by the Guardian's Alex Bellos, external, who's found that it would take a rather clever computer about a century to work out the answer. Still, he's had a crack at it... starting at the Tate Modern, heading up the east of Britain and down the west coast to Cornwall, and then back to Brighton "in time for dinner"... job done!