Image source, EPA

The Secretary-General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg says he is happy with the commitment shown by Britain in terms of financial support to the organisation.

Mr Stoltenberg said the UK was "leading by example" in terms of defence spending.

In the election campaign the Conservatives say that they will honour the NATO commitment to spend at least 2% of economic output on defence if they are returned to office and that they will also commit to increase that by a further half-percent above inflation year-on-year in a new parliament.

Labour's plans, according to leaks today of its manifesto. also commit the party to spending 2% of GDP on defence.

Image source, Getty Images

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has said his party would ensure the UK takes in 50,000 Syrian refugees. 

It would cost £4.3bn to be paid back over time by the taxes and hard work of those who settle in Britain, according to Mr Farron. 

He accused the current government of taking in "a pitiful number of people, and only under extreme pressure". 

The Lib Dems would also reopen the programme to settle lone child refugees known as the Dubs scheme. 

The current government programme aims to take in 20,000 refugees from the Syrian conflict by the end of the decade.

Image source, Scottish Labour

Commenting on today's meeting on the Labour Party manifesto, a Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "Following the autonomy package for Scottish Labour secured by Kezia Dugdale last year, the leaders of Scottish and Welsh Labour have a key role in Clause V manifesto meetings. 

"Unfortunately Kez is unable to attend today as the meeting clashes with First Minister's Questions, but she has made representations to the NEC. "

Welsh Labour stressed it would publish its own plans on devolved matters. 

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Labour's elections chair has called the leak of their manifesto "not ideal" but says on the plus side people are now talking about the party's vision. 

Andrew Gwynne defended the manifesto against claims it is too left-wing, saying the party was looking to put some ambition back into politics - just as the Attlee government had done in 1945.

BBC Newsnight

BBC Newsnight correspondent Christopher Cook has produced an interactive guide to the key battlegrounds in this election. 

Take a look.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

On rail nationalisation, Andrew Gwynne says the way the East Coast line was publicly-run for a time in recent years shows it can be done.  

The Telegraph reports, external his place has been taken by Labour's election co-ordinators Andrew Gwynne and Ian Lavery. 

BBC Breakfast

Journalist and Corbyn supporter Paul Mason tells BBC Breakfast: "I'm glad they've got it out four days early - it gives us a chance to discuss the party's programme for radical change and a pro-working class fairer society." 

But political correspondent for the Telegraph Kate McCann says this isn't how the party would've wanted its plans to emerge, and "it doesn't really provide anything for voters seeking an alternative to the Conservatives". 

Image source, PA

Politico has a lengthy report from the Sedgefield constituency, external, where the Conservatives are fielding a 23-year-old candidate in a bid to take Tony Blair's former seat. 

Labour incumbent Phil Wilson acknowledges it will be a "tough fight" but says "I’ve never wanted to represent anywhere else". 

Image source, Getty Images

Mebyon Kernow, which campaigns for a National Assembly for Cornwall, has announced it will not be putting forward any candidates for the 2017 general election.

A party spokesperson said the timing made it "impractical" to put together and finance "a meaningful campaign".

At the recent Cornwall Council elections four Mebyon Kernow councillors were re-elected.

It lost deposits in all six seats at both the last general elections.

Read more

Image source, PA

Twitter users claim Ed Miliband's stone tablet of 2015 general election pledges is now on show at a restaurant in Chelsea.

Read more about the mystery here

Image source, PA

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon says: "Nato has confirmed we're meeting the 2% guideline and increase it ahead of inflation as well." 

Asked about a critical letter signed by senior Army figures, he responds: "You won't find a single former chief of defence staff who doesn't want increased defence spending, that's why it's growing and we're going to carry on doing that in each year of the Parliament." 

Labour has also committed to meeting the 2% target. 

On reports of a rift between the chancellor and the prime minister, Sir Michael dismisses it as "tittle-tattle". 

The website PoliticsHome reports, external divisions between the Labour leader's team and the party headquarters have widened after central office was blamed for handing the draft of Labour's manifesto to journalists. 

Image source, Getty Images

Mebyon Kernow, which campaigns for a National Assembly for Cornwall, will not be putting forward any candidates for the 2017 general election.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Ben Page of polling company Ipsos MORI tells Today that the draft manifesto won't have a big impact on voters at this stage. 

"People have made up their minds about Jeremy Corbyn and it's unlikely this will sway them either way - it's only in the last few days before the election they really do switch on." 

He observes that although the Conservatives are focusing on who should lead Brexit negotiations, "until just before the referendum most people weren't saying this was the biggest issue facing the country". 

BBC Breakfast

Andrew Gwynne, Labour's campaigns chief, says: "Leaks happen - they probably always will.

"It gives us the opportunity to talk about the kind of Britain we want to see, run for the many not the few. 

"There are some great ideas in here, and the direction of travel is that we want to change Britain for the better." 

Asked whether Labour's rail plans would mean cheaper tickets, he says: "This is about ordinary people - making the system work for them."

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Political commentator Steve Richards says substance-wise "there is a case to be made for some of these policies, you could call them mainstream - but you need to frame arguments over years and have a united party behind them". 

"To call the leak chaotic and compare it to Michael Foot in 1983 is unfair to the 1983 campaign - it's shambolic".

Although the publication of a manifesto is "largely theatrical" it becomes "a symbol of how you run other things," he argues. 

ITV

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Gwynne, Labour's national campaigns co-ordinator, denied the leaked document was the party's manifesto, but a draft list of ideas. 

He told Good Morning Britain: "The point is today the whole of the shadow cabinet, the executive committee and other stakeholders are meeting to go through what will become our manifesto.

"This document that has appeared in the newspapers today isn't a manifesto. 

"It's a draft of policy ideas that have been collated from various members of the shadow cabinet, their teams and other stakeholders."