Summary

  • David Cameron agreed to take part in one seven-way TV debate at the beginning of April

  • Labour said it still backs the original plan for three debates

  • Two Labour MPs said police and intelligence officers who give evidence on an alleged Westminster paedophile ring must be protected from prosecution

  • An undercover police inquiry into Cyril Smith & others was scrapped after his arrest, the BBC learned

  • Conservatives are considering axing inheritance tax on homes up to £1m, leaked papers suggested

  • There are 51 days until the general election

  1. 'No Tory mandate in Wales'published at 20:49 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Wales has never given a mandate to the Conservatives to rule in Wales, Leanne Wood says. When she mentions former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, there's a boo from the young audience.

  2. 'Devolution journey'published at 20:48 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Leanne Wood

    Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru's leader, is last up on BBC Three's Free Speech. She says most people in Wales want more powers - her party wants independence eventually, but for the moment "parity" with Scotland on powers.

    She says Wales' "devolution journey" started at a different stage from Scotland. We're a little bit behind, she says, but we'll catch up.

  3. TV debatespublished at 20:48 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Natalie Bennett

    We're still in a very fluid situation over TV debates, Natalie Bennett says. We should debating issues not debates themselves, she adds.

  4. Freedom and democracypublished at 20:43 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    I've made it clear supporting IS or any organisation like it is and should be criminal, Natalie Bennett tells Free Speech on BBC Three. But we do have to think about this, she says. IS is trying to destroy freedom and democracy. We should all have a sense of privacy and freedom to communicate, she adds.

  5. Eradicating povertypublished at 20:42 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    We need decent benefits, Natalie Bennett says when asked how she would eradicate poverty. We should aspire to be a decent and humane society, the Green leader says. Iain Duncan Smith's benefit sanctions are leaving people "with nothing" and that can't be acceptable in a humane society, she adds.

  6. Lack of diversitypublished at 20:37 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Natalie Bennett

    Natalie Bennett says she is "very disappointed" in the lack of ethnic diversity among her candidates. She says her party needs to do more on the issue and is confident it will do better in future.

    She is asked if her party would ban halal and says people shouldn't believe what they read in the papers. She talks about battery farming and the health implications.

  7. Wasted vote?published at 20:37 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Is a Green vote wasted? Natalie Bennett says it is in voters hands - "vote for what you believe in". Voters can create a "peaceful revolution", the Green leader adds.

  8. Natalie Bennettpublished at 20:29 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Natalie Bennett

    It's Natalie Bennett's turn. She says what we have now isn't working - young people have debts, people are struggling to put a roof over their heads, wages are too low. She tells the audience the rich aren't paying their way and it is time for that to change.

    She says the UK should build up a new place in the world, focused on peace and justice.

  9. Scottish oilpublished at 20:26 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Sturgeon

    Scotland has a strong economy and is lucky to have natural resources, says Nicola Sturgeon. She's been asked about the falling price of oil and whether Scotland's economy would be hit if it had voted for independence. Successive UK governments have not managed oil in the North Sea properly, she tells the audience - why on earth should we allow them to continue to mismanage it, she finishes by saying.

  10. 'No prediction'published at 20:25 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    "I'm not going to make a prediction" on the number of seats the SNP will get, says Nicola Sturgeon.

  11. 'Lock the Tories out'published at 20:24 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Who should I vote for to keep the Tories out, Nicola Sturgeon is asked. Unsurprisingly, she says the SNP. As long as there are more anti-Tory MPs than Tory MPs, "we can lock the Tories out of government", she tells the young audience. The added advantage of voting SNP, if the Tories get a majority, is that you will get strong SNP MPs standing up to the Conservatives, she concludes.

  12. Drink?published at 20:18 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Nicola Sturgeon tells BBC Three she only drinks Irn-Bru "occasionally". The SNP leader says she tries to avoid fizzy drinks.

  13. 'Broken system'published at 20:14 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Nicola Sturgeon says it's not her fault neither Labour or the Tories look like winning a majority - it's their own for not inspiring people enough. She says SNP MPs could help force better policies and better politics as part of a progressive alliance. "The Westminster system is broken the Establishment system needs to be shaken up," the SNP leader tells the BBC Three audience to rapturous applause.

    She repeats there will be no formal or informal deal with the Tories, but she is working with Labour and open to dealing with other progressive parties.

  14. Scottish v English issuespublished at 20:11 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Nicola Sturgeon says that if something only effects England, it should be up to MPs from south of the border to vote on them. But many issues will have knock on effect of some sort, she adds.

  15. Nicola Sturgeon on Free Speechpublished at 20:08 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tells BBC Three she doesn't think it's unfair her party could be kingmakers after the election, despite only representing Scotland. She says playing a full part in the Westminster system is "perfectly legitimate". But her ideas will be of benefit to people across the UK, Ms Sturgeon adds.

  16. NI election pact revealedpublished at 20:06 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Northern Ireland's two biggest unionist parties have agreed a general election pact in four constituencies. The deal between the Democratic Unionist Party and Ulster Unionist Party means representatives will step aside for a single unionist candidate. They will co-operate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone - which Sinn Féin held in 2010 by a margin of just four votes - East Belfast, North Belfast, and Newry and Armagh.

  17. Postpublished at 20:04 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    On BBC Three, the kingmakers debate featuring SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne and Green leader Natalie Bennett is getting under way

  18. Miliband 'won't sanction single debate'published at 19:56 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Ed Miliband has said he won't sanction a single debate on 2 April between 7-party leaders. He says there is no new offer from the broadcasters. The Labour leader is urging the prime minister to sign up to the original plan.

  19. MSPs scrap Westminster pay linkpublished at 19:46 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Holyrood chamber

    In Scotland, members of the Holyrood parliament have voted to scrap the link between their pay and the salary of a Westminster MP. Members of the Scottish parliament are currently paid 87.5% of an MP's wage. Now, they've agreed to decouple the payments after concluding a pay rise proposed by the independent Parliamentary standards authority was unthinkable in the current economic climate.

  20. BBC Free Speechpublished at 19:27 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    tweets, external: TONIGHT: We're LIVE, 8pm @bbcthree with @theSNP @Plaid_Cymru @TheGreenParty - what do you want to talk about?

    BBC three debate poster