Image source, Sky News

"The SNP would be happy and proud to lead the opposition to the repeal of the Human Rights Act in the House of Commons," the party's justice spokesman Joanna Cherry says. She refers to the SNP's "contacts with Tory backbenchers" - "some informal channels" - and says that as a lawyer herself she speaks to other lawyers within the Conservative Party. "From a legal perspective", she adds, withdrawing from the act is "unsupportable". 

She says it's hard to imagine what David Cameron could possibly put in place that would give citizens the same protection as the Human Rights Act.

Sky News

Sky News

Image source, Sky News

Mary Creagh, one of those Labour leadership hopefuls, has been speaking to Dermot Murnaghan. She was asked whether she supported Ed Miliband's plan for a mansion tax.

"I think that the mansion tax played into the anti-business message we had as a party..." she said. "The mansion tax was a symbolic thing. I think it was almost impossible to administer on a local basis." 

Asked whether she argued against it behind closed doors, she adds: "It was something that was presented quite late on as the way of funding the NHS and it was presented without shadow cabinet discussion."

Carole Walker
Political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Labour's change of heart on Europe brings the party's overall position into line with that already taken by several of the candidates hoping to be its new leader. What'll be interesting to see is whether Labour will actually whip all of its MPs to support continuing EU membership when it actually comes to the crunch. We don't often hear about it, but there is a significant minority in the party that is Eurosceptic 

For now, though, I think this is Labour facing up to reality - for them to be saying, 'No, no, we don't want people to have a say in this' just wouldn't be the best direction to pursue.

John Pienaar
Pienaar’s Politics

A discussion now on the Labour leadership. Dan Hodges, a political commentator, says Labour MPs aren't clear in their own minds about what sort of leader they need. Some think they need a new Blair, someone who can totally change things, he tells Pienaar's Politics, but what they definitely need in terms of a contest is "blood on the floor" - "Labour does need to have a fight." 

Isabel Hardman, from the Spectator, says all the candidates are basically saying the same thing - it would almost be nice if someone said they didn't care about aspiration or business, she jokes. Kieran Stacey, political correspondent for the FT, says it's a bit dangerous for all the candidates to distance themselves from everything Ed Miliband campaigned on. "What you're essentially saying to voters is, 'we were lying to you.'"

John Pienaar
Pienaar’s Politics

Image source, EPA

You must be at least a bit relieved to see a Tory majority because it surely makes it easier to push for another independence referendum, Stewart Hosie is asked.

"That's absolutely wrong. We did not want to see a Tory government..." he insists, adding: "Arguments for and against independence will stand on their own two feet."

John Pienaar
Pienaar’s Politics

Stewart Hosie, deputy leader of the SNP, tells John Pienaar that his party has "a stonking mandate" and "a very powerful position" in Westminster. We'll be on every committee, we'll have committee chairmanships, he says, and hints that the Conservatives might see the influence of the SNP if they try to abolish the Human Rights Act.

Sky News

On the issue of defence spending, Liam Fox says it's one of the few areas of government outlay that is "not discretionary" - ultimately you have to spend what you need to spend to deal with the threats and protect the nation, he argues. Among those threats, Dr Fox cites "an aggressive, expansionist Russia, redrawing the boundaries of Europe by force" and Islamic State. 

Sky News

Image source, Sky News

Liam Fox, former defence secretary, is over on Sky News. He's talking about EU renegotiation and insists immigration isn't the number one thing that bothers UK voters. "It's a question of sovereignty," Dr Fox insists, and about where UK laws are made. "It's a question of the direction of travel in Europe. It's moving inexorably towards greater integration." He says the EU is "moving towards statehood... and we need to make it clear to them that is not the destiny we see for the UK".

John Pienaar
Pienaar’s Politics

"We should be radical and imaginative. What have we got to lose?" says Rushanara Ali. Give us a big idea then, says John Pienaar. Ms Ali doesn't really come up with one - but she says she wants to build a bigger movement behind the Labour message, starting with young people.

Who are you backing for leader? "I'm going to meet every single one of them. I will reserve my right to use my nomination powers to help someone struggling in the race get what they need to stand," she says.

And who's backing you? Keith Vaz and Tristram Hunt are two of the names Ms Ali picks out.

Rushanara Ali joins a number of others who have declared their deputy leadership hopes - Stella Creasy, Tom Watson, Ben Bradshaw, Angela Eagle and Caroline Flint.

John Pienaar
Pienaar’s Politics

"I'm going to start with going after UKIP voters who left Labour. We have to talk to people who rejected us," Rushanara Ali says. "We have to listen to them."

But many of those voters have problems with multi-culturalism and Muslim people even, it's put to her.

"I grew up in a working-class community. Some of my neighbours were not very friendly," she replies. "I'm used to rejection so I think I have something to offer... I know what it feels like to be an outsider trying to get in.. I think a lot of our voters feel like that - that they just couldn't get through to us."

John Pienaar
Pienaar’s Politics

Rushanara Ali, Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow. tells John Pienaar she wants to run for the deputy leadership.

"I have a huge amount to offer," she says.

John Pienaar
Pienaar’s Politics

Is David Cameron a revolutionary? "He's got a radical heart. But he's also got a responsible head," Steve Hilton says.

He also insists that Mr Cameron's cabinet colleagues and the civil service are open to change - "it's the system" that makes the status quo hard to shift.

Mr Hilton hints that a mayoral job might appeal to him in the future too. 

John Pienaar
Pienaar’s Politics

We're switching our attention to Pienaar's Politics now on BBC Radio 5 live. Steve Hilton has popped up there too. David Cameron's former adviser says public services have become so bureaucratic that they've lost all touch with ordinary people.

What will be different now then that the Tories are in government alone, he's asked.

"I think number one is more power moving down to local communities and neighbourhoods," he says. "You've already seen that with George Osborne talking about city mayors." He says the public will start to see the benefits of that sort of devolution. 

The Andrew Marr Show

In the post-interview sofa chat, David Cameron's former adviser, Steve Hilton, heaps praise on Harriet Harman for her consistent championing of gender equality. She says she "must really be on my way out if I'm getting praise from a Conservative", but thanks him for his kind remarks.

Steve Hilton won't throw his weight behind any particular Labour leadership candidate, but agrees the party must take time to work out what went wrong. Ms Harman says it will be an incredibly open election process.