Summary

  • The Conservatives promise to build 200,000 new starter homes by 2020

  • Labour has previously said it would make sure 200,000 new homes are being built each year by 2020

  • The Lib Dems say they will build 300,000 new homes.

  • Britain's banks should face an additional £1bn tax levy to help pay off the deficit, the Lib Dems say.

  • There are 66 days until the general election

  • Rolling political news, including key moments from Today, Breakfast, Daily Politics and Newsnight

  1. Diplomatic links with Iranpublished at 16:52 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    The Government is "anxious" to reopen the UK Embassy in Tehran. In the Lords, the Government spokesman Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Lib Dem), accepted more engagement with Iran offered more opportunity to influence for good, but said a number of obstacles remained. Reassurances on the safety of employees and other matters had still to be settled. The British Embassy closed after it was attacked by protestors in November 2011. The Ambassador was withdrawn and the UK expelled Iranian diplomats from London.

  2. Norman Smith, BBC News Assistant Political Editorpublished at 16:44 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    tweets:, external UK police officers shd be based in Istanbul to stop wd be Jihadi brides says Keith Vaz

  3. UK 'centralised'published at 16:40 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Clive Betts

    Labour MP Clive Betts, who chairs the Communities and Local Government Committee, says the UK is one of the most centralised countries.

    The committee published its report - Devolution in England: the case for local government, external - in June last year.

  4. 'Abhorrent'published at 16:36 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    During the Urgent Question, Conservative MP Bob Stewart said it was "abhorrent" that the media had given "a nickname" to an extremist.

    He was talking about Islamic State militant Mohammed Emwazi, who has been pictured in the videos of the killings of Western hostages and has been referred to as "Jihadi John". Mr Stewart says this could result in him being regarded as "some sort of modern-day Jesse James".

    Labour MP David Winnick disputed that the media had portrayed Mr Emwazi as a "hero".

  5. Rebecca Keating, BBC Political Correspondentpublished at 16:29 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    tweets:, external Quite a few MPs criticising media's naming of Emwazi & the three schoolgirls who've gone to Syria. Theresa May backing calls for 'restraint'

  6. Tony Hall on the licence feepublished at 16:26 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    The World at One BBC Radio 4
    Presented by Martha Kearney

    More now on what BBC Director General Tony Hall had to say on proposals to move away from the licence fee. Speaking on the World at One, he said the licence fee was a "much cheaper way of funding great content than subscription".

  7. 'No rush' on defence decisionspublished at 16:17 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    The Government has stressed its commitment to debate and the search for consensus on defence spending. Challenged on the next Strategic Defence and Security Review in the Lords, the minister, Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD), said he hoped there would be more time for the 2015 review, due to start after the election, than there had been in 2010. That would allow time for debate on the UK's role in the world, the threats faced and how much spending was appropriate. The former First Sea Lord and Labour peer, Lord West of Spithead, called for more, open discussion earlier in light of the likely need for the incoming government to review urgently public spending in general.

    Lord Wallace accepted the UK was "in a much more acute security situation, not only in Eastern Europe but also in North Africa and across the Middle East" than had been the case five years ago. The exchange followed concerns raised earlier by the head of the US Army about the impact of cuts on the UK's armed forces.

  8. 'Dangers and horrors'published at 16:15 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    "It's important to make clear to people the dangers and horrors, even if people are going to Syria for humanitarian and the best of intentions," Mrs May tells MPs. "We are consistently saying people should not be travelling to Syria and Iraq."

  9. Handing overpublished at 16:07 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    At this point, Nick Eardley and Victoria King are handing over the reins of Politics Live to Angela Harrison and Tim Fenton for the rest of the day. We're here through to midnight, so stick with us for more political updates and analysis.

  10. Human rightspublished at 16:03 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Home Secretary Theresa May defending the government's counter-terrorism policies in the House of Commons
    Image caption,

    Home Secretary Theresa May defending the government's counter-terrorism policies in the House of Commons

    Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke asks Mrs May if she agrees more powers should be given to authorities. Mrs May tells him human rights laws have in the past have an effect on attempts to remove individuals and that needs to be be reformed

  11. Lord Ashcroft, Tory peer and pollsterpublished at 16:02 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    tweets, external: Ashcroft National Poll, 2 Feb-1 March: CON 34%, LAB 31%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 14%, GRN 7%. Full details on @ConHome, 4pm.

  12. Role of universitiespublished at 16:01 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Matthew Offord MP, Conservative, asks about universities and their role combating extremism. Mrs May says universities should have a care for the welfare of students. If radicalism is taking place on campus, institutions should be aware and willing to deal with it, Mrs May adds.

  13. Cage commentspublished at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Michael Ellis, the Tory MP, asks Mrs May about campaign group Cage's comments on Mohammed Emwazi. She says there can be "no excuse for the barbarism that has been shown" by ISIL.

  14. Geoffrey Clifton-Brownpublished at 15:55 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    A fake passport apparently used by one of the girls from London in travelling to Turkey suggests problems, says Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a Tory MP. Exit checks are being introduced in April, Mrs May says.

  15. Reporting on ISpublished at 15:52 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Tory MP Bob Stewart says it is "utterly abhorrent" that the media uses a picture of Islamic State militant Mohammed Emwazi and continues to use a nickname in referring to him. He suggests this may encourage others. Mrs May won't comment on the specific cases, but expects the barbarity of IS to be reflected in reporting.

  16. Keith Vazpublished at 15:50 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee and Labour MP, asks why it took days for Turkish authorities to find out the three London schoolgirls had travelled to the country. Mrs May said police had made the information "absolutely clear". She says movement to Syria is an on-going issue and she will look at whether there are further measures that can be taken to try and prevent people travelling on airlines to the country.

  17. Jack Strawpublished at 15:48 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former home secretary and Labour MP Jack Straw is on his feet. He asks whether Mrs May thinks she made a mistake removing powers in 2011. Mrs May highlights again that some cases were before changes were made.

  18. David Daviespublished at 15:47 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David Davies, the Tory MP, asks Mrs May if she will revisit the issue of intercept evidence in court. Mrs May replies that this is an issue that has been looked at a number of times and says the latest review found it was clear it was not appropriate to change arrangements.

  19. Theresa Maypublished at 15:45 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    "This is not just a question of government... it is about families and communities as well", Mrs May adds. "We all have a role to play".

  20. Counter-claimpublished at 15:45 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2015

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Theresa May tells the Commons Ms Cooper has failed to highlight that the many cases in the media were from when relocation powers were still available.