Lucy Powell, Ed Miliband's chief election strategist, says on Question Time there is "absolutely no prospect of a Labour/SNP coalition"
Nigel Farage says UKIP would scrap much of the legislation designed to prevent racial discrimination in work
No 10 says his remarks are "deeply concerning" while Labour brands them "shocking" - but Mr Farage says he was misrepresented
A former head of fundraising for the Lib Dems steps down as a party candidate over donation claims
There are 56 days until the general election
Sky News
Image source, Getty ImagesGillian Duffy, who shot to fame during the last election campaign after being described by Gordon Brown as a "bigoted woman", has been speaking to Sky News, external about her vote. She says she didn't cast her ballot at the last election following Mr Brown's comments, but wants the coalition out and will Labour on 7 May.
tweets, external: UKIP says employers should be able to discriminate in favour of British job applicants. Many beneficiaries would be from ethnic minorities.
tweets, external: It is astonishing that @Nigel_Farage can't see that allowing employment discrimination could work in the opposite way that he wants.
tweets, external: The Tory "there are no votes in defence" party now at risk of being out flanked on defence spending by the, er, Greens.
tweets, external: What I said on race law was lauding progress of race relations/equality. UK media should be proud of this instead of trying to do it down.
AND
tweets, external: Wilful misinterpretation of what I said. I'm talking Britons, whatever their heritage, being discriminated against in favour of EU migrants.
Image source, Getty ImagesNorthern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers - Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness - are due to arrive back in the country to tackle political deadlock over changes to benefits later. At the start of this week, Sinn Féin withdrew support for welfare reform legislation. The move has raised questions about the future of devolved government in Northern Ireland.
Mr Khan adds: "We have made huge progress on tackling racial inequality and discrimination in this country, partly because of Labour's strong anti-discrimination laws, but things are still far from perfect."
"When my parents moved to London they frequently saw signs saying 'no blacks, no dogs, no Irish'; what Ukip is suggesting would take us back to those days."
Some more from Labour's Sadiq Khan on Nigel Farage's comments on racial discrimination laws. The UKIP leader said his party would scrap much of the legislation designed to prevent racial discrimination in work.
Mr Khan says: "This is one of the most shocking things I have ever heard from a mainstream politician and demonstrates breathtaking ignorance."
tweets, external: The UKIP leader claims his party is "colour blind" when we've seen a stream of racist comments from UKIP councillors, candidates and members.
BBC Radio 4 Today
There's less agreement between Col Bob Stewart and Green candidate Darren Hall on Trident. Col Stewart says the world is more dangerous than he has ever seen in his lifetime. But Darren Hall says that is scaremongering - he does not want the weapons renewed.
BBC Radio 4 Today
How are the Lib Dems doing in Scotland amid a surge in support for the SNP? Today's James Naughtie is looking at two key seats - Ross, Skye and Lochaber, and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey - at the moment. You can listen to the package here.
BBC Radio 5 live
Former chair of the intelligence and security select committee, Kim Howells, is now on Radio 5's breakfast show talking about access to private communications. Nicky Campbell tells him people with conservative orthodox religious positions have written an open letter outlining their concerns that they will be targeted if the security services are given greater powers. But Mr Howells tells the programme: "I think they are apologists for [hardline extremists]".
He adds concerns the security services could push people into extremist organisations are overdone.
"I don't think they are legitimised. I think they are another tactic for terrorist sympathisers," he says. "There are disillusioned, jobless people all over the world but they don't go around joining terrorist organisations or beheading people. Something needs doing about this."
BBC Radio 4 Today
Darren Hall, the Green candidate for Bristol East, says his party has no plans to make further cuts to defence spending over and above those already set out by the Coalition. Defence is a primary role of government, he says, and its important we play our role.
His comments come amid a row over whether the Conservatives should commit to a NATO target to spend 2% of GDP on defence over the course of the next Parliament.
Col Bob Stewart, the Tory MP, says he is "delighted" to hear that is their policy. He says the UK has lost of lot of its defence capabilities in recent year.
BBC Radio 4 Today
Lord Ashdown adds the evidence is partial at the moment, but it is quite clear Mr Taguri has "serious questions to answer". He says the Electoral Commission will be given all the evidence the party has. He invites the Telegraph to submit all its evidence too.
Lord Ashdown also says he thinks the party will put up a candidate if Mr Taguri now stands as a independent.
BBC Radio 4 Today
Lord Ashdown, chair of the Liberal Democrat election campaign, is speaking about fundraising after former head of fundraising for the party - Ibrahim Taguri - said he would step down as a party candidate following the Telegraph's revelations over a "potentially illegal donation".
The peer says the party is treating the allegation "very seriously" - but it has done nothing illegal or improper.
BBC Breakfast
"We don't want to turn the country into the old east Germany with the Stasi looking at everyone but at the same time we don't want a situation where the security services miss something," Kim Howells, former chair of the intelligence and security select committee tells BBC Breakfast. "Where the real madness lies is there may be encrypted systems....that the terrorists can use but the security services can't."
Image source, Getty ImagesMore on Nigel Farage's comments for a new Channel 4 documentary. He told the programme UKIP would scrap much of the legislation designed to prevent racial discrimination in work. Mr Farage says the fact that an employer cannot choose between a Briton and somebody from overseas is "ludicrous". But Labour's Sadiq Khan said Mr Farage's comments were one of the most shocking things he had ever heard from a mainstream politician.
tweets, external: Lib Dem sources reject taking action against Daily Telegraph over donation row allegations
tweets, external: Launching The Listeners' Election this morning--take a look and get involved
In this morning's papers, comments made by UKIP leader Nigel Farage are attracting some attention. Mr Farage, reports the Guardian, external, has suggested one of the the primary reasons for concern over immigration was that "people do see a fifth column living within our country, who hate us and want to kill us". He tells a Channel 4 documentary some Muslims "don't want to become part of our culture". Andy McFarlane has more in our paper review.