Image source, Getty Images

Prospect magazine has a list of fifty nominees, external for its 2015 'World Thinkers' list. Names familiar to the average punter who follows politics are few and far between, but Russell Brand is on there after a year of politicking and publishing something of a political manifesto in his book Revolution. The magazine justifies his inclusion thus: "Dismissed by his opponents as a clownish opportunist and even a hypocrite due to his own wealth, he is nevertheless the most charismatic figure on Britain's populist left."

Image source, PA

Ed Miliband might be following in Nick Clegg's footsteps on tuition fees, Lib Dem blogger Stephen Tall suggests, external. He points out Mr Miliband said he would "bin tuition fees" when he was campaigning for the Labour leadership, but is now proposing to water the policy down instead. "'It's not the crime, it's the cover-up' originated with Watergate," he writes. "There's a British political equivalent now: 'It's not the policy, it's the pledge'."

The Daily Telegraph

Image source, Getty Images

At the Telegraph, Dan Hodges says, external: "There is an old political saying that asserts 'the voter is always right'. They're not. They're often wrong. But woe betide the politician who over the next 11 weeks has the courage to point that out." Coming face-to-face with vocal voters in front of cameras, he says, is a situation in which the politician "literally can't win".

Alex Hunt and Alex Stevenson
Politics Live early shift

It's time for us to hand over Politics Live duties after a pleasantly busy recess Friday. Apart from the big stories summarised in the key points at the top of this page there have been a few off-beat nuggets...

• The prime minister has confessed to having owned a Bay City Rollers album (see 14:55)

• It's Gordon Brown's birthday today - he's 64 years old (13:30)

• Boris Johnson is more committed to the suit than George Osborne (07:10)

• And… tight underpants are an acceptable excuse for leaving parliament in a hurry (12:13)

Taking you through to midnight - including coverage of Any Questions and Newsnight - will be Dominic Howell and Adam Donald.

One of the more important regions of England on 7 May will be the West Midlands because of the large number of seats where the parties have a real fight on their hands, as the Birmingham Mail's Jonathan Walker has pointed out. His overview of the region's marginal seats, external reveals just how many different kinds of interesting contests are taking place in Birmingham and the Black Country:

• The Conservatives are targeting Labour in Birmingham Northfield

• The Liberal Democrats' Lorely Burt is on the defensive against the Tories in Solihull

• UKIP could mount a strong challenge in Dudley North, which Labour won in 2010

• And Cannock Chase, currently a Conservative seat, is looking like a plausible Labour gain.

Ross Hawkins
Political correspondent, BBC News

The government is to supplement schemes that pay council house tenants tens of thousands of pounds to help them buy homes on the open market. Those in London will be able to claim up to £30,000 if their council takes part, and for those elsewhere in England £20,000 is available

The policy is aimed at freeing up social housing by helping people who want to buy their own home to move out. It will be targeted at tenants who could afford to exercise the Right to Buy their social home but find it difficult to mortgage, or who would prefer to move elsewhere.

The Treasury is allocating £84m to a new fund. Councils in England will be able to bid for the money. Several already run such schemes. Lewisham, for example, will give tenants up to £44,000 to help buy a home.

Only tenants eligible for the Right to Buy - which allows those with five-year tenancy discounts to help buy their home - will be eligible. The policy was one of a series of announcements made by the Chancellor George Osborne this morning. The money was first announced at the Autumn Statement in 2013. For more detail click here, external.

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary correspondent

For a parliament that's supposedly winding down there's an awful lot going on in the Palace of Westminster next week. Here's some of the highlights from Mark D'Arcy's blog:

• Monday sees David Cameron deliver a statement to MPs on the latest developments in Europe. And amendments to the Serious Crime Bill include a bid by over 100 backbenchers to ban sex-selective abortions may also be debated.

• MPs will spend Tuesday rattling through a long list of technical measures - including changes to the rules for the Queen's and Prince of Wales' consent, which is still required for issues affecting the Royal Prerogative .

• Wednesday sees the return of PMQs. Of course.

• On Thursday backbench MPs have secured a debate on compensation for victims of the Equitable Life scandal, while in the Lords peers will scrutinise the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill allowing the fast-tracking of women bishops into the upper House.

• Friday will see the pursuit of private member's bills from Conservative veterans David Davis and Sir George Young. Mr Davis wants to ensure the Health Service Ombudsman for England and Wales completes all its investigations of complaints within a year. Sir George is hoping to update the Lords' disciplinary system.

tweets, external: German finance minister Schauble has pulled out of public debate Monday with George Osborne "because of the Greece situation", we are told

A memorable moment in Cameron's speech earlier came when he recollected his thoughts and feelings during the climax of last year's Scottish independence referendum. "I don't know about you but September 18th 2014 goes down as one of the longest days of my life," he said, to laughter from Scottish Tories in Edinburgh. "Some people said we were mad to have that referendum, and I can tell you that as I paced around the room in the weeks before that referendum I think Samantha was probably one of them."

Andrew Black BBC reporter

Tweets, external: PM concludes to standing ovation: "We've won for Britain before - let's win for Britain again." @ScotTories

The prime minister wraps up his speech with a one-sentence pitch to Scottish voters: "While the others want to break up our home or bankrupt our country, we are the ones who will secure you, your family and Britain a more secure future."

On a lighter note, an important development has been made in the quest to understand the prime minister's musical taste. For David Cameron has confessed to Scottish Conservative delegates: "I did once have a Bay City Rollers album. Never bought the trousers."

More from David Cameron on criticism of the government's response to the crisis in Ukraine: "What we need to do now is deliver the strongest possible message to Putin and to Russia that what has happened is unacceptable," he said.

He added: "These ceasefires need to hold and if they don't, there'll be more consequences, more sanctions, more measures. We have to be clear that we're prepared to do this for the long-term. Russia should not make the mistake of thinking in any way that America, Britain, France or Germany will be divided or will be weak. We won't - we'll be staunch, we'll be strong, we'll be resolute and in the end, we'll prevail."

The prime minister says he does not accept claims that Britain "sleepwalked" into the crisis in Ukraine. A House of Lords EU committee has accused the British government and the EU of a "catastrophic misreading" of the mood in the Kremlin in the run-up to the conflict.

But David Cameron said: "The responsibility for what has happened in Ukraine lies absolutely squarely with Vladimir Putin and Russia. They destabilised and effectively invaded this country."

Mr Cameron said Britain had consistently pushed for sanctions against Russia and had been the first country to call for Russia to be thrown out of the G8.

The prime minister's speech to the Scottish Conservative conference continues with what he calls a "big announcement": "It is right here in Scotland the next generation of Royal Navy frigates will be built." The hall greets his words with firm applause.

tweets, external: 'Having helping to save the UK on your CV is not bad,' PM tells Scottish Tories. Happily, he was talking about @RuthDavidsonMSP, not himself

The prime minister is defending the coalition government's progress on the economy. The one thing he wants Scottish campaigners to remember when it comes to talking to voters on the doorstep, he says, is this: "We have seen over 100 new jobs created each and every day in Scotland since this government has been in office."

David Cameron is now speaking at the Scottish Conservative party conference in Edinburgh.

The Scottish Conservatives' conference continues in Edinburgh, with MSP Murdo Fraser the latest to attack the SNP. He says the Scottish government is pursuing an "ideologically-driven class war" on the countryside. It follows MP David Mundell earlier suggesting a "weak" Ed Miliband would be subject to "every whim of Alex Salmond's ego". The SNP appear to be relishing the clash, tweeting , externalthis graphic based on a YouGov poll carried out at the beginning of the month:

Image source, SNP

The Spectator

Image source, Reuters

At The Spectator, James Forsyth says, external the Lib Dems are proving remarkably composed for a party whose poll ratings are so low, and he asks: "What explains this calmness under fire?" Click on the link to see his answer.