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Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics

Daily Politics viewers get an hour off for a quick bite to eat after the lunchtime programme just ending on BBC2, as Andrew Neil is back for an economy debate at 14:00 BST.

He will be joined by BBC economics editor Robert Peston to put questions to Conservative David Gauke, Labour's Chris Leslie, Lib Dem Dick Newby, UKIP's Patrick O'Flynn and the SNP's Stewart Hosie for the hour-long live debate.

Desktop viewers can watch on Live Coverage tab above.

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Mick:

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Ellie Price has been reporting for the Daily Politics about what a confidence-and-supply agreement actually means for the government. The last time it happened, of course, was under Jim Callaghan in the years before Margaret Thatcher came to power.Historian Peter Hennessy says the Labour PM found the whole experience rather draining.

"I remember talking to Jim Callaghan – and he said it wore him out, after the Lib-Lab Pact had gone down, bartering with the smaller parties on a day-to-day basis just to get the government’s business through,” he recalls. “It’s a very punishing routine for a prime minister and a cabinet having to do a rolling series of deals – but that’s what it essentially means.”

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Public sector Unison’s general secretary, Dave Prentis, isn’t very impressed by the Liberal Democrats’ proposals to end public sector pay restraint from 2016/17. The “harsh economic policies” of the coalition mean people should be forgiven for treating these promises “cynically”, he says – adding that it’s easy for Nick Clegg to make pay promises with inflation flat-lining.

The Spectator

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Not every Conservative, as we saw yesterday with Lord Forsyth’s comments, is entirely over the moon with how this election campaign is being conducted. Now Isabel Hardman at the Spectator has spoken to Tories who fear their "nasty party" image is being propagated by their approach to the SNP. More here., external

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett has attacked benefit sanctions in a speech at Sheffield Students' Union:

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There’s a bit of a clash over Labour and the Conservatives’ childcare policies on the Daily Politics. The Tory offer is for 30 hours’ free childcare for three- and four-year-olds, with Labour offering 25 hours.

But there’s disagreement over whether the Conservatives have costed their policy properly – with Labour former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith pointing out that 25 hours of free children will cost £800m.

“You haven’t taken into account universal credit savings and the benefit savings we will make,” Sam Gyimah protests.

Jeremy Rabinovitch:

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Responding to an upsurge in Milimania, the man in question - Labour leader Ed Miliband - has told the 17-year-old behind the Twitter fan feed devoted to him that it's "good to hear" young people engaging in politics.

Abby, who goes by the Twitter handle @twcuddleston, started a Miliband appreciation feed known as #milifandom. Responding on Twitter, Mr Miliband said: "@twcuddleston It's good to hear young people who care about politics speaking up for the things they believe in."

Mr Miliband's acknowledgement of the campaign was warmly received by #milifandom participants.Replying to Mr Miliband's message, one Twitter user wrote: "MY HEART HAS EXPLODED".

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What happens if Labour ends up the largest party and the Lib Dems come to a deal with them that also needs SNP support? Vince Cable rules out any kind of agreement with the nationalists. “We’ve rejected the idea of working with the SNP because their underlying objective is to break up the UK,” he says. Doing so would be “very dangerous”, he adds.

He talks of the “two extremes” of the election – Labour-SNP and "Blukip". When it comes to the latter he really means the right-wing of the Tory party, he explains, rather than UKIP, which he says he expects will only win one or two MPs.

Labour former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is thoroughly approving of these comments. “We’ve got Vince Cable being more statesmanlike than the prime minister in emphasising the requirement to keep the union together,” she says. Mr Cable looked rather pleased at that – as you can see in the picture above.

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Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable is on the Daily Politics being asked about the party's public sector pay rise policy. "The promise we’re making is there won’t be further real cuts," he explains. But with private sector growth likely in the coming years, doesn’t his party’s promise mean public sector workers will be relatively worse off? Mr Cable responds by playing down the idea this is a big deal:

Asked if he had any regrets following his five year premiership, David Cameron said there were certain things he wished he had done sooner, including introducing the Help to Buy housing sceme "even faster".

"The big task I faced in 2010 was to get the economy moving, to get people back to work, to get the deficit down," he added, saying: "I think we're on the brink of something really special which is turning that economic news into good news for families and everyone else....That's what fires me up."

David Cameron says his government has brought down net immigration from outside the EU - but from within Europe there has been an increase in immigration.

To address these issues, the PM told ITV's This Morning there would be no unemployment benefit for new arrivals. If they have not found a job within six months, they will be returned home and they will not be allowed to send child benefit back home, he said.

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David Cameron said 88,000 people have been helped on to the housing ladder. "We've got to build more houses, but 'help to buy' has stimulated house building," he said. He told ITV's This Morning that for every social housing property sold, another house could be built. "It's a great plan because it enables more people to become home owners," he said.

Asked what he would do to reduce the cost of childcare, David Cameron told ITV's This Morning that for every £10,000 spent on childcare, parents would get £2,000 back.

David Cameron says he has given 10 speeches during the election campaign - and it has taken its toll on his family.

"They are sad they are not seeing as much of me as they would like," he told ITV's This Morning. He said that his youngest child, Florence, four, who was born after the last election in 2010, regularly comments on his absence. "Florence gets that there's a blue team and I'm in charge," he said. "I come home and she asks: 'Daddy, have you won the election yet?'"

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Lib Dem equalities minister Jo Swinson claims the Conservatives' free childcare plans "could leave some parents locked out of the labour market for years on end". Ms Swinson was responding to David Cameron's pledge to double free childcare places for three and four-year-olds to 30 hours per week. She said: