Russell Brand has published, external a preview of his interview with Ed Miliband. In it, the pair discuss the low tax rates paid by some companies.

The Guardian

Image source, Getty Images

Over at The Guardian feature writer John Crace, external looks at what he sees as the Green Party in England and Wales's dilemma.

However much Green Party leader Natalie Bennett has improved since her “brain fade”, external moment, she is still not the leader most of her party would want, he writes.

He says Caroline Lucas - who became the party's first MP - "is the face and voice the Greens would like to see carrying their message around the country".

James Landale
Deputy political editor

The Conservatives will undoubtedly welcome European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker's comments.

One of the great challenges the party has had is to convince people they would get a hearing in Europe for their planned renegotiation of Britain's terms of membership of the EU. So Mr Juncker saying a deal might be possible and that there may be some minor treaty change can only be helpful. Ministers also tell me it reflects what they're hearing around Europe: that there is no enthusiasm for change but at least a willingness to listen and potentially consider some kind of a deal.

It also gives the Conservatives a chance to rehearse their position on Europe - namely that they want to negotiate change and hold an in/out referendum - which they hope will appeal to UKIP-minded voters. Similarly it gives Labour a chance to remind voters of their stance - that the uncertainty of the referendum would be damaging for the UK economy.

Europe hasn't played that big a role in the election campaign to date. These comments bring it to the fore and remind voters that there is a pretty big choice facing them at the election.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

For David Cameron these worse than expected GDP figures would appear a blow. They are the last set of economic figures before the general election and they come in the week the party has chosen to focus on the economy.

The Conservatives say the figures underline how fragile the economic recovery remains. Labour has accused the Tories of complacency and said the economy is faltering. The Lib Dems say the figures underline the need for their party to act as a brake on either the Tories or Labour after the election.

But senior Tories remain hopeful that disappointing though the growth figures may be, they may make voters more cautious about change.

Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics

Andrew Neil spoke to shadow immigration minister David Hanson about Labour's immigration plans, benefits for migrants, the minimum wage, and its past and present policies on exit checks at UK ports. Their interview came after Jo Coburn explained the background. Watch the interview

Image source, MP

The Green Party has called for child benefit in England and Wales to double to £40 a week. Announcing the policy, deputy leader Amelia Womack said the proposed increase would be "life changing" for families.

The Greens also say they would reverse cuts to welfare as part of efforts to "protect the most vulnerable".

Here's the full story.

Labour has been talking about immigration today, with leader Ed Miliband saying the party would take action within weeks of coming into government.

Shadow immigration minister David Hanson meanwhile told BBC Radio 5 live: "If companies are recruiting solely from Eastern Europe and not recruiting or advertising jobs at home, that's wrong... If companies are not using the minimum wage, that's wrong."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been responding to today's GDP figures, which showed that UK economic growth slowed to 0.3% in the first three months of the year.

"The economic recovery is more fragile than many people think," he said.

The Lib Dem leader took a pop at both the Conservatives' and Labour's fiscal plans for the next parliament, saying only the Lib Dems had a "sensible plan" to secure the economic recovery.

With just nine days to go, David Cameron urged people to "let rip" if they wanted to, Nick Clegg said the economic recovery would not be happening without the Lib Dems, and Ed Miliband talked about immigration. UKIP, meanwhile, talked about "wholly unjustified" attempts to make the party look racist.

Watch it all in our video round-up here.

UKIP would give legal protection in the workplace to people who oppose same-sex marriage because of their religious beliefs.

The party has put together a mini-manifesto for Christians, external - published on the website of Christian Concern - which set out plans to extend the concept of "reasonable accommodation".

It would apply to cases such as the Christian-run bakery in Belfast which declined an order for a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan.

The party has said it would not repeal the same-sex marriage legislation, even though it opposed its introduction.

The Spectator

Numbers, not arguments about legitimacy, will decide who enters No.10 after 7 May, writes Professor Philip Cowley in a piece for The Spectator., external He looks at the challenges a government could face if it chose to go it alone without a majority in the House of Commons (Westminster watchers avert your eyes!)

"On bill after bill, the opposition parties could combine to bog the government down, dragging out legislation for months, keeping MPs up all night in the sort of all-night sittings that had (thankfully) become a thing of the past."

Image source, @edballsmp

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has finally joined in the #EdBallsDay fun - by saying just "Ed Balls" for Sky News, external to mark the day four years ago when he tweeted his own name. He also gamely retweeted the fateful tweet, external.

Mrs J Robertson:

A man has been charged over an alleged threat to behead a UKIP candidate in Newcastle.

Aftab Ahmed has been charged with threats to kill after David Robinson-Young claimed he received a phone call from a constituent complaining about the Middle East. More details here.

BBC News Channel

Paul Francis, political editor of the Kent Messenger Group, says it's an open race in Thanet South constituency, where Nigel Farage is hoping to win his first seat at Westminster.

Mr Francis says UKIP probably felt it would win the seat "relatively comfortably" at the beginning of the campaign but the Conservatives and Labour have since narrowed the gap.

Here's a full list of candidates standing in Thanet South at the election.

Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics

Labour's shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker has said his party is committed to renewing four Trident submarines if it wins the election. In a Daily Politics election debate on defence and security, he said evidence showed four were needed. In March, shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the party would consider reducing the number to three.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon refused to say whether his party would back a Labour minority government on Trident renewal.

Watch a clip from the debate

Paul: