Summary

  • Conservative candidate suspended over claims he schemed with the English Defence League to win votes

  • Nigel Farage says he'll be "utterly ruthless" with UKIP election candidates who "step over the line"

  • Alex Salmond backs a vote-by-vote arrangement with Labour if there is a hung parliament

  • A deal is reached over the television election debates

  • There are 46 days until the general election

Live Reporting

Nick Eardley and Victoria King

  1. TV debates deal

    Yesterday, we finally got a deal over TV debates. According to the broadcasters, a deal has been struck which will see David Cameron take part in one debate with seven party leaders - but no head-to-head with Ed Miliband. The live debate with the seven leaders will take place on ITV on 2 April. The BBC will also host a debate on 16 April with five opposition party leaders. And Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband will appear - separately - in a live question and answer programme on Channel 4 and Sky News. More details here.

  2. Conservative candidate suspended

    Afzal Amin

    Our top political story this morning involves Afzal Amin, a Conservative parliamentary candidate. He has been suspended from the party over allegations he schemed with the English Defence League to win votes. According to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Amin plotted to persuade the EDL to announce a march against a new "mega-mosque" in the marginal seat of Dudley North. The newspaper says that he then planned for the march to be scrapped so he could take credit for defusing the situation. Mr Amin says the claims are "completely untrue. More here.

  3. Good morning

    Welcome to another packed day with the Politics Live team. With 46 days to go until election D-Day, we'll bring you all the action and reaction, including coverage of the Andrew Marr Show and Sunday Politics.