Tom Rodenpublished at 16:30 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
tweets:, external Good that Afzal Amin resigned. Making cynical deals and negotiations with radicalists should not be accepted, especially in key seats.
Summary
David Cameron told the BBC he will not serve a third term as prime minister if the Conservatives remain in power after the general election.
Afzal Amin resigned as Conservative election candidate for Dudley North after being accused of scheming with the English Defence League to win votes
The UK will no longer tolerate Islamist extremists who "reject our values", Home Secretary Theresa May said
George Osborne and Ed Balls appeared on #AskTheChancellor Q and A sessions on Sky News
Ed Miliband accused Alex Salmond of "a combination of bluster and bluff" over his Budget claims
UKIP said it was committed to spending 2% of the UK's GDP on defence
A UKIP MEP and her chief of staff have been expelled from the party over allegations of cheating over expenses
There are 45 days until the general election
Tom Rodenpublished at 16:30 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Conservative candidate 'chose to go'published at 16:25 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Norman Smith
BBC Assistant Political Editor
Tory sources say Afzal Amin chose to stand down as candidate for Dudley North - and was not told to quit. A source said he volunteered to go "after a period of reflection." This morning Mr Amin said he wanted to "make a robust defence of my case". Tory sources say they hope to have a new candidate in place by the weekend. The new Tory candidate will be chosen by the party nationally because of the closeness of polling day.
Greek austerity 'not the answer'published at 16:20 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentFormer Labour Cabinet Minister Peter Hain warns against "strangling" Greece with further austerity. "Repeating the same dose of austerity will not achieve the objective any more than the last one did" and is "not going to revive the Greek economy or allow it to repay their debt", he tells MPs. David Cameron says he "doesn't entirely disagree" with Mr Hain but as the UK didn't lend money as part of the bailout, we are "not in the position" to dictate terms.
Louise Menschpublished at 16:17 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
tweets: , external@George_Osborne calm and measured; right on the economy. I would love to see him lead the @Conservatives one day. #AskTheChancellors
Neitherangryorscaredpublished at 16:16 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
tweets:, external Why was the audience entrepreneurs and business folk - why not normal people? #AsktheChancellors
Farm subsidiespublished at 16:15 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Sky NewsThe last question to Ed Balls was about farm subsidies - Are they too high? The shadow chancellor says the Common Agricultural Policy is "hugely wasteful" and he is for less farming subsidy.
Miliband: security increasingly importantpublished at 16:14 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentLabour leader Ed Miliband says the on-going conflict in the Ukraine shows that the security dimension of the EU "is "more and more and more important, demands command action resolve and a clear commitment to our place in the European Union" which he says the prime minister "is incapable of delivering". He asks for more details on the "non-negotiable reforms for treaty change", suggesting there is "no strategy for achieving change".
Breaking Newspublished at 16:09 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Breaking News
Suspended Conservative candidate Afzal Amin has resigned as prospective parliamentary candidate for Dudley North with immediate effect, a party source said.
Mr Biscuitspublished at 16:07 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
tweets:, external So how's Ed Balls getting on? Unfortunately I'm working and contributing to the economy so can't watch #AskTheChancellors. Stupid timing
Miliband: PM has no strategy for EU changepublished at 16:06 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
House of Commons
Parliament
Labour leader Ed Miliband says the Prime Minister has no strategy for achieving change in the EU. "He can't even tell us if he'll vote yes or no in a referendum."
Marcus Steadpublished at 16:05 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
tweets:, external Europe is the world's only shrinking market. It's absurd to say Europe would stop trading with us if we left the EU #AskTheChancellors
Zero-hours contractspublished at 16:03 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Sky NewsThe Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is told by the questioner that zero-hours contracts are aimed at women and asked what he would do about that.
He replies that "zero hours have gone too far" and says Labour want a labour market that works in flexible ways but that if that becomes one where all the risk is carried by staff, that is not right.
We won't outlaw all zero hours contracts, he says, but if it is exploitative, if you have been on this for six months or a year, you should have the right to a regular contract.
Women in businesspublished at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Sky NewsThe shadow chancellor is asked about how he would support more women in to business. He says there's more we can do to break cultural views that suggest "that's not something for women"....and says he would like schools to give girls the message that they have the "right and opportunity" to be scientists, engineers and business owners.
"Gender should make no difference to opportunity," he adds.
Cameron: opportunity to reform EUpublished at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentDavid Cameron says Britain has managed to negotiate the first cut to the EU budget in its history and repatriate "more than 100" powers to the UK.
"In the coming two years we have the opportunity to reform the European Union and fundamentally change Britain's relationship with it to build an EU that is more competitive, flexible and accountable to the people," he adds.
He says if he is prime minister the UK will get an "in-out referendum". Those who refuse to "give the British people their say should have to explain themselves", he says.
George Alexanderpublished at 15:51 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
tweets:, external We were exposed to United States financial crisis due to Labour's disastrous public spending! #AskTheChancellors
Business ratespublished at 15:51 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Sky NewsAsked about cutting the business rate, Ed Balls says there would be help - a cut - in the short term but in the medium term, some serious questions needed to be asked.
European Council Statementpublished at 15:48 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
House of Commons
Parliament
Prime Minister David Cameron is now at the despatch box updating the House on the outcome of the latest European Council summit.
Housing shortagepublished at 15:47 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Sky News"You can't help first-time buyers if you are not building enough houses," the shadow chancellor says.
We have to build more homes; it's a big strategic challenge for the country, Ed Balls adds. I was able to buy a house with a mortgage in my late 20s - about 20 years ago, he says - but he doesn't think many people of that age can do the same now.
Dan Maceypublished at 15:44 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
tweets:, external @edballsmp looking good and confident on #AskTheChancellors
GB should stay in Europepublished at 15:43 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March 2015
Sky NewsThe Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is quizzed about Europe and warns: If you walk away from the biggest market in Europe, you are walking away from Toyota, from other big employers...
"It's a really risky moment," he says, adding that the way to be influential is to stay in the EU and make your case.