tweets: , external"I may have made errors of judgement," Malcolm Rifkind finally admits. A casebook example of how not to handle a scandal, others might say.

BBC News Channel

Sir Malcolm Rifkind says he decided to stand down as an MP because "there is very major uncertainty". He continues: "I do not any longer have the Conservative whip. That might be reversed in three weeks' time when the party committee has completed its work, but we don't know how that work is going to be completed. Therefore, I do not want to leave my colleagues in the Conservative Association in Kensington suddenly finding, with an election around the corner, they have to find a new candidate. That would be unfair."

BBC News Channel

Sir Malcolm continues: "I did not want the work of the committee to be distracted... it's quite obvious that, fairly or unfairly, this has become an issue."

"I don't think I did anything wrong," Sir Malcolm Rifkind says. "I made an error of judgement... but on the substance of the issues, no, I don't think the allegations are justified."

As you munch your sandwich, these have been the main things going on this morning:

• Veteran Conservative MP Sir Malcolm Rifkind stands down from his post as chairman of the Commons intelligence and security committee following "cash-for-access" claims.

• He also says he will not run again as MP for Kensington in May.

• The Green Party launches its election campaign, but leader Natalie Bennett struggles when asked to explain how one of her key policies would be paid for. She said later it was "an excruciating mind blank".

tweets: , externalOECD's Angel Gurria: "UK has made tremendous progress... Job creation is remarkable and growth is strong, but the UK has to finish the job"

Party leaders across the political divide have outlined strategies on how to boost the UK's productivity. Today, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says further progress in UK living standards depends on higher productivity. It says the UK's growth rate is now the highest in the G7 leading nations at 2.6%, but output per worker needs to rise to maintain growth. But wide-ranging government policies have aided recovery, the OECD says. Read the full story here.

The Catholic church has followed the lead of the Church of England and chosen to send a letter, external to its members about the forthcoming election. "We would like to see people really engaged... we would like to enthuse people," Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols tells the BBC. "I know that's a bit difficult because political debate is sometimes reduced to a little bit of a slanging match, but there are crucial issues about what kind of society we want to be."

Tweets, external: Rifkind wrong to claim that "vast majority" of professionals are on "far, far" more than MPs, external:

Image source, The spectator

Image source, Reuters

Caroline Lucas, the Green Party's only MP, told the launch event earlier the party has ruled out entering a coalition in the event of a hung parliament in May but was "open to" supporting a Labour minority government. "The experience of the Lib Dems over the past few years demonstrates the dangers of losing your identity and integrity," she said. "We would be open to supporting a minority Labour government on a case-by-case basis. Working with parties like the SNP and Plaid Cymru... we would form a progressive alliance which would put real pressure on a minority government."

tweets: , externalSpeaker Bercow just tore a strip off Jeremy Hunt for 'gross discourtesy' of giving lengthy answers that stop more topical Qs

Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two

On the subject on Russian bombers flying close to UK international air space, Natalie Bennett says: "I feel most uncomfortable about it." But she goes on to say that when it comes to international negotiations, an attitude of "triumphalism" is the wrong one to take. She says she wants Britain to have a different position in that regard and become a "champion of human rights and international law".

BBC News Channel

Sam Coates, political editor of the Times, says: "This sort of scandal might push voters a little bit more into the arms of smaller parties like UKIP and the Greens that don't, at the moment, have this kind of issue. But broadly speaking, I think this just lowers public trust in MPs rather than changing the general election result in any way.

tweets: , externalQuestion is whether Rifkind might b able 2 return as a peer when dust settles if he goes quietly now... govt figure says that wasn't discussed

Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two

Presenter Jo Coburn to Natalie Bennett: "Don't you think you should have costed policies?"

Natalie Bennett replies: "I had a very bad interview on housing this morning. That happens, I'm human. The fact is that these figures will all be in the manifesto."

A brief run-down Sir Malcolm Rifkind's political career:

• Sir Malcolm Rifkind, 68, was born in Edinburgh and worked as a barrister before being elected as MP for Edinburgh Pentlands in 1974, representing the constituency until 1997

• He was appointed to Margaret Thatcher's first government in 1979, and joined the cabinet in 1986 as Scottish secretary

• In 1992 he became defence secretary in John Major's government, and was made foreign secretary in 1995

• Having lost his seat at the 1997 election, he returned to Parliament in 2005, representing Kensington and Chelsea in London, and made a short-lived attempt to replace Michael Howard as Conservative leader

• As chairman of the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, he has been heavily involved in the debate over privacy and surveillance powers

BBC News Channel

Brian Binley, treasurer of the backbench Conservative 1922 committee, says both Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw are honourable gentlemen but "I'm glad that Malcolm had the courage and the good sense to resign." He says that "to be trapped so simply" didn't sit well with his role as head of a committee concerned with security and intelligence matters. He says he was surprised to hear Sir Malcolm say he had so much time on his hands, adding: "I've found being a member of parliament to be a very demanding job."

Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett is facing the cameras again today the BBC's Daily Politics. Currently she is embroiled in a debate with presenter Jo Coburn over how the Greens would pay for the 500,000 socially rented homes they want to build. By Natalie Bennett's reckoning the homes in total would cost £30bn.

House of Commons
Parliament

Pre-election battle lines are being drawn in today's health questions. Several Labour MPs are questioning the sense in a "top down organisation" of the health system at the time when they say NHS services are "in crisis".

On the other side of the chamber, backbench coalition MPs are praising the "fantastic figures" coming out of the NHS, owing to the "hard decisions" made by the government.

The Spectator

Here's a quick look at Malcolm Rifkind's political career in The Spectator, by Fraser Nelson. He claims that in reality, it ended in 1997, external.