Newsnight

For the course of the general election campaign, Newsnight each evening will be publishing an exclusive Newsnight Index on the likely outcome, based on a sophisticated forecast model.

It is produced by Professor Chris Hanretty from the University of East Anglia and his colleagues at electionforecast.co.uk, external.

Police in Lancashire have told the BBC that a man has been arrested "on suspicion of electoral fraud and integrity issues". A Lancashire Police spokeswoman says a 38-year-old from Blackburn was arrested at around 14:30. 

Chris Cook
Newsnight Policy Editor

Newsnight's Policy Editor Chris Cook gets to the bottom of claim and counter-claim around SNP spending plans..

The SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon is in action again - this time she's doing a Leader Interview with Evan Davis. She says Ed Miliband has been "bullied" by the Conservatives into ruling out a post-election with the SNP

Image source, PA

Labour's shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt was quizzed on Mumsnet today and admitted the issue of when summer-born children start school was a growing concern for both parents and admissions authorities,

He said: "I do think that this is something any incoming Secretary of State for Education will have to take a look at."

During the session he was also praised for his "fine head of hair", and credited his hairdresser Jack, adding: "In terms of tips, I would always recommend washing your hair before you go to bed."

Newsbeat

Nicola Sturgeon has insisted that even if the SNP were to win every single seat in Scotland on May 7, it would not be a "green light" for a second referendum on independence. Scotland's First Minister faced a grilling from young people on BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat and when asked why she was "refusing to rule out" another referendum, she replied:

If you've been too busy to check in on the election news of the day, here's a brief round-up:

The Lib Dems say spending on education in England would be a "red line" in any coalition negotiations

Labour say it would exempt first-time buyers from stamp duty if their homes cost less than £300,000

David Cameron has said he'll work the hardest he's ever worked to get a Conservative victory

5,000 small firms have signed a letter in support of Tory business plans

The Greens say they would take away the "right-to-buy"

The Green Party says it will end the "Right to Buy" scheme, where people can buy their council homes - and build 500,000 social homes. It also wants to keep rent rises in line with inflation. Tom Chance, the party's housing spokesman, set out the other priorities:

Image source, PA

The SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon told Radio 4's Eddie Mair that she'd met Ed Miliband three times - one of those occasions was the party leaders' debate. Eddie Mair pointed that Mr Miliband didn't get a hug! At which Ms Sturgeon joked:

More now from the BBC's business editor Kamal Ahmed on the Lib Dem's pledge to draw a "red line" on education spending in England in any coalition negotiations.

Something got David Cameron stirred up in his speeches yesterday and today. They were delivered with unusual fervour, some reporters said.

Image source, PA

Radio 4 PM's Eddie Mair asked Nicola Sturgeon if she had ever had a row with the former SNP leader Alex Salmond. "Yes," she replied. "I was his deputy for 10 years. It would be bizarre if we hadn't had differences of opinion." She wouldn't reveal what they had argued about though. When Mair asked who wins the rows, she replied:

Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics

Conservative Financial Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke is challenged by Andrew Neil over some of the names who have signed a letter in Monday's Daily Telegraph. Representatives of 5,000 small businesses are calling for the Tories to be "given the chance to finish what they started".

Watch the interview

Eddie Mair
PM on BBC Radio 4

As you would expect from Radio 4's PM programme, the SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon faced several interesting lines of questioning. Eddie Mair challenged Ms Sturgeon - once a health minister in Scotland (2007-10) - over whether the SNP's health policies were truly "progressive". He said 4,000 NHS posts were "axed" in 2010. Ms Sturgeon came back with her own figure, saying that there were now 10,500 more staff than there were when the SNP came to power in 2007. But she added there was still "work to do" on the NHS.

Image source, Reuters

David Cameron has just been on Channel 5 News, where he dismissed claims his campaign has been a little lacklustre. He said he is "hungrier now than I was five years ago" to win.

Education funding - what the Liberal Democrats call the "cradle to college" pledge - is the first "red line", the leader of the Lib Dems has revealed.

In an interview with the BBC's business editor Kamal Ahmed , Mr Clegg said a commitment to increase education funding in England from £49bn to £55.3bn over the next parliament was the non-negotiable price of the Lib Dems entering coalition government with either the Conservatives or Labour. Education is a devolved matter in the UK.

There's a busy few hours ahead for the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon with a string of interviews. Shortly, she'll be speaking to Eddie Mair on Radio 4 PM, swiftly followed by an interview for Radio 1's Newsbeat. And this evening she has her Leader Interview with Evan Davis.

Fun and games for Nick Clegg as he visited a nursery in Wimborne, Dorset. He delved into some vivid lime-coloured modelling clay, asking the children: "Where's the yellow Play-Doh?" The Deputy Prime Minister also challenged one child to guess his age! If you ask a child a question like that...who know what answer will come back. In this case the answer was "96" . Mr Clegg is 48.