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BBC Radio 4 Today

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Ed Balls says Labour will increase tax credits "at least in line with inflation". What about the 40p income tax threshold - will it be frozen? "No, we're not going to do that," the shadow chancellor says. It will be increased in line with inflation, too.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Ed Balls, now being interviewed on the Today programme, says the Conservatives hadn't included the tax lock in their manifesto and repeats Labour's claim that the move is a "last-minute gimmick". What's the point of legislating, he says, when there's a finance bill pushed through? "It's such a ridiculous gimmick," he says, adding that the phrase "once bitten, twice shy" applies here. "People were bitten quite hard by David Cameron," Mr Balls says. He doesn't mean literally, we think... he says Mr Cameron said he wouldn't put up VAT before the last election then did just that.

As promised, here’s some highlights from the Nicola Sturgeon interview on Breakfast earlier:

- The SNP leader denies seeking a mandate for a second referendum in this election campaign

- Ms Sturgeon says she’ll block a Tory government before putting pressure on Labour to ensure it is replaced with “something better”, not just a “Tory-lite government”

- She says the SNP is proposing an increase of 0.5% in public spending over the course of the next parliament

- The Scottish first minister says Britain needs “strong conventional forces” and laments these have been “compromised” by the “obsession” with Trident.

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The Conservatives have been rebutting Labour’s claims about their policies hitting family budgets, claiming the figures are based on false assumptions and ignore Tory promises on welfare savings. A spokesperson says the one “guaranteed risk” to working people’s finances is “Ed Miliband, propped up by the SNP, crashing the economy and putting up taxes, just like he did last time”. The Tories say they will cut 30 million people’s income tax, remove those working 30 hours a week on the minimum wage out of income tax altogether and offer extra childcare help to working parents. “But if you work hard, Ed Miliband and the SNP will be coming after your money through higher taxes,” their spokesperson adds.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Next William Hague is invited to commit to not cutting more than £12bn in benefit cuts. "That is the plan to have £12bn of reductions in welfare spending," he says. It rests on "forecasts", but there's no absolute commitment on offer. "The track record is there," he says.

The Liberal Democrats have also called today's policy a "gimmick". What happens if Nick Clegg and co don't support it? Mr Hague says the Conservatives are working towards a majority government - but in the event of a hung parliament he's not too concerned. "There were many things which they had denounced in the election campaign [last time] which they then signed up to," he says drily.

BBC Radio 5 Live

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And now William Hague is on BBC Radio 5 Live, being asked whether the Tories' broken promise on VAT in 2010 is what's made the plan to legislate against such a move within the first 100 days of the next parliament necessary. "People are sceptical about promises, it's true... But ones which are underlined by legislation... are of course very strong," the first secretary of state says. Labour has dismissed the move as a "gimmick". "If that was the case they could replicate it, couldn't they?" Mr Hague adds. "They don't want to do the same because their actual agenda is to raise taxes."

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Ed Balls referenced some of the points to be made by Ed Miliband later. The Labour leader’s making a warning to families that their budgets are going to be hit by Tory spending cuts and a “raid” on tax credits. He’ll be in central London highlighting House of Commons Library research showing that families with one child will lose tax credits when their incomes hit £23,000 a year, leaving them over £1,600 a year worse off. Mr Miliband - mirroring David Cameron’s language about not trusting Labour - will say:

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Russell Brand talks of "the lies and treachery and deceit of the political class". Has he got a point? Yes, Ed Balls says - citing David Cameron's U-turn on VAT and Nick Clegg's broken promise on tuition fees. He defends his jobs guarantee, saying raising the tax on bankers' bonus will enable Labour to offer work for young people. Doing that will help keep young people out of unemployment, the shadow chancellor says.

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Ed Balls is being asked about Ed Miliband's interview with Russell Brand. Would he have done the same? Yes, the shadow chancellor says, because Brand is "someone who appeals to a particular audience of young people". But this is a man who's made some rather controversial statements, hasn't he? Mr Balls says he can disagree with the person interviewing him - and finds himself being quizzed about his knowledge of Nicky Campbell's articles. He then switches back to Brand by saying he has "ridiculous views".

BBC Breakfast

What would be your demands be in return for supporting a Labour government? That's the question asked to Nicola Sturgeon on BBC Breakfast. "Our number one priority is to see an end to austerity. Modest, responsible spending increases," the SNP leader says.

But the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies says the SNP would actually extend the period of austerity, presenter Bill Turnbull points out.

"I dont accept that and I think the IFS study has some fairly fundamental flaws in it," replies Ms Sturgeon. Bold move - not many people criticise the IFS.

She says the IFS gave “no credit” to the spending plans of the SNP or to their plans to raise revenue through modest tax rises.

We'll have a listen back to what else Ms Sturgeon said and bring it to you ASAP.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Yesterday Michael Fallon seemed to suggest Conservative support for Trident is a little shaky. "Conservative MPs will always vote for the national interest," Mr Hague says - adding that this involves a nuclear deterrent. He says Britain needs nuclear submarines and says the Tories would vote for this - but casts doubt on whether Labour would actually bring the issue to a head in the Commons if it was propped up by the anti-Trident SNP.