Politics Live: 6 March

Tweets: Miranda Green tells us that a debate could change everything: "The 2 main parties are stuck neck and neck so something has to happen."

Here's a bit more from former Tory chairman Lord Baker who suggested the Tories might have to form a coalition with - wait for it - the Labour Party. (see previous entry 23:22 GMT)

He told BBC 5 live's Stephen Nolan show: "I'm not advocating there should be a coalition between Labour and Conservatives. What I would like to see is the two parties coming to some sort of agreement. First, I think there should be a constitutional convention to try to resolve how devolution should happen in our country. You can't have devolution just given by one part of our country - Scotland. You've got to take into account the effect of that on Wales, on Northern Ireland and on England itself, which seems to be left out altogether. That means separate parliaments and how voting should be conducted in parliaments.

"One of the real dangers is that the SNP would be led in the Commons by Alex Salmond, who is a very shrewd politician. He could secure even more levels of devolution. That would lead more to the break-up of the United Kingdom. I think it would be a considerable threat. "

The subject of the election TV debates once again featured on Newsnight tonight. Tony Blair's former speech writer, Philip Collins, said David Cameron was prime minister and he "should just get on with it" and have the debates. Journalist Mirander Green from Newsweek said she found Mr Cameron's "one-man block a bit reprehensible". But Tory peer Lord Finklestein said the debates would take " huge amount of time for everyone" away from the campaign trail - and that will also feature in Mr Cameron's decision as to whether he thinks it's advantageous to take part in them.

A former chairman of the Conservative Party says a "grand coalition" between Labour and the Tories might be needed after the election to stop the SNP from holding the balance of power if no single party has a working majority. In interviews with the Independent and BBC Radio 5 live, Lord Baker (Kenneth Baker) says such a deal could be needed to "save the United Kingdom". Former prime minister Sir John Major has warned that the SNP would enter any deal with Labour with the "overriding aim" of "prising apart" the union.

The Daily Mirror is reporting that David Cameron is planning to expand the free school network if the Conservatives win the election. It says he is set to announce on Monday "plans for at least 153 new ones on top of the 255 already open". Free schools are funded by the state but are semi-independent.

In other news, large firms could be forced to reveal details of the gap between how much they pay male and female employees after the government agreed to implement the measure. The Liberal Democrats had been pushing for the policy in the face of Tory opposition, and Equalities Minister Jo Swinson said it was "fantastic news" that her party had won the "argument in government". The measure will be added to legislation currently going through parliament and could come into force within the next 12 months. The move will require firms with more than 250 employees to publish the difference between average pay for their male and female employees.

tweets: EXCL: David Cameron becomes first Tory PM to send his daughter to the local state secondary school

tweets: Saturday's Daily Mail front page: Exclusive - A mum, her son and THEIR baby #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers

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Journalist Toby Young, who is the associate editor of The Spectator, told BBC News: "I don't think that a gladiatorial contest is the best way to assess the merits of the leaders.

"You only have to look what happen in 1960 in America there was a great debate between Nixon and JFK and those who heard the debate on the radio thought that Nixon was the out-and-out winner, but those who saw the debate on television by an overwhelming majority thought JFK was the winner, and that's because JFK had just come back from a sailing trip and was beautifully tanned, beautifully dressed, was much better looking than Nixon - but is that really how we want to assess who the best prime minister is? Who's the best looking? I don't think it is."

IndepCopyright: Indep

Lord Baker, the former chairman of the Conservative party, says the Tories and Labour should consider forming a grand coalition "to keep the UK together", reports tomorrow's Independent.

tweets: ITV Hosting a Secret 'Leaders' Debate' Next Friday

tweets: Who do the BBC/ other broadcasters think they are? Completely unaccountable, now want to rig the election by deciding #electiondebate format

Labour's shadow culture minister Chris Bryant has described David Cameron as "slippery" because he had argued in favour of the debates when he was in opposition, and now appears unwilling to get involved with them. He did however concede that former prime minister Tony Blair also rejected proposals to have a TV debate when he was in power.

Tory Mark Harper said the prime minister was in favour of the debates "but not cramming them into the election campaign". He accused the broadcasters of getting "themselves into a right old mess".

The panel has moved on to issue of the UK's net migration figures. Leader of the Plaid Cymru group at Westminster Elfyn Llwyd described David Cameron's "no-ifs-and-buts" pledge as "the greatest faux pas in the last five years".

Minister for disabled people Mark Harper MP told Any Questions: "A number of professionals knew what was going on and significant numbers of children suffered significant abuse over a number of years. We need a dialogue [with professionals] but we need to take further steps to make sure children are protected."

The Any Questions panel have been talking about the government's plan to bring in legislation to make teachers and others in authority raise the alarm if they think a child is being abused. The idea is that this would be an extension of the crime of wilful neglect and it follows a report about the sexual exploitation of teenage girls and children in Oxfordshire. Leader of the Plaid Cymru group at Westminster Elfyn Llwyd MP said there were enough laws in this area already. "What we need is to ensure better training for professionals such as teachers, but we should not place a burden on them by making it mandatory," he said.

Political debate continues right now from Monmouth School in Wales with the President of the Liberal Democrats Sal Brinton, Labour's Shadow Culture Minister Chris Bryant, Minister for Disabled People Mark Harper, and the leader of the Plaid Cymru group at Westminster Elfyn Llwyd. To listen live click here.

Here's a bit more from former TV executive David Elstein: "The next step on this interesting chain of events would probably be going all the way round the second seven-way debate - the BBC one - all the way to the Sky and Channel 4 head-to-head with Miliband and if he [David Cameron] can drag that forward to the end of March, and the broadcasters willing, Ed Miliband says he's willing, it's actually a bit tricky then for Cameron to say well I'm still not going to do it.

"Me feeling is that he [David Cameron] is not going to do the second seven-way debate, I think that's pretty clear, so the BBC will have a rather awkward decision to make as to whether to make it a six-way debate. I don't think Sky and Channel 4 can possibly empty chair the prime minister in a two-handed debate; it then turns into an interview with Ed Miliband, and under the Ofcom code of conduct they would then have to offer Cameron his own 90-minute interview with or without an empty chair."

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Former TV news executive David Elstein said the game David Cameron and broadcasters were playing was "somewhere between tennis and chess".

He said: "Even as the broadcasters put out their fairly defiant statement, Sky and Channel 4 completely undercut it, by saying they were willing to move the head-to-head with Ed Miliband anywhere from 30 April right through to next week, that puts the ball back in David Cameron's court because what he has insisted is he is not going to do anything after 30 March.

"My guess is the way it will play out is this. The Conservatives will now try and unwrap the broadcasting cabal by going direct to ITV - who are scheduled to do the first seven-way debate on 2 April - and say look 'I'm willing to do it before 30 March you're trying to do it on 2 April why don't we compromise?' And given that the chairman of ITV happens to be a former chairman of the Conservative party you would have thought that was a conversation that might go reasonably well."

The Guardian considers the health of the SNP's election war chest, following the party's use of the site Crowdfunder to fundraise. The paper's Scotland correspondent Severin Carrell has blogged that: "Has this crowdfunding appeal flagged up an unexpected issue for the SNP? Is it running short of money, for what is emerging as the biggest and most expensive general election campaign in its history?"

In his look ahead to next week in Parliament, Mark D'Arcy says we will see "the (likely) final Commons speeches of Gordon Brown and Jack Straw, the completion (or maybe defeat) of a myriad of private members' bills - plus a series of tussles between ministers and backbenchers over plain packaging of cigarettes, EU issues and defence spending".

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Scotland will be able to "call the tune" at Westminster after the general election, working with Plaid Cymru and the Green Party, Alex Salmond has said. The former First Minister predicted "neither Tory or Labour will win an overall majority - neither are fit to govern". Speaking in Aberdeenshire, he said: "It is also clear that Scotland is swinging behind SNP candidates the length and breadth of the country. In that situation Scotland can call the tune in the next Westminster Parliament."

We have been asking for your views on today's political events, here's a selection of some of them:

Jamie Page:

Talk about the BBC getting too high an opinion of itself. Very unedifying. Do not pretend you are pushing ahead with your debate plans on my behalf because you most categorically are not.

Jim Quaife:

There is a fundamental question. When did it become acceptable for the media to call the shots? In the current climate of openness one is sometimes reluctant to go against a trend because it might appear to be negative, but regretfully on past performance the level of debate is uninspiring - more akin to a "television show" than serious debate.

Richard Le Vesconte:

Cameron and Milliband. Neither of them would say anything worthwhile. How about two empty chairs?

Keith Davey:

Cameron's bluff called - imagine he will now pull out entirely. Not a satisfactory way to treat the 22 mlln [sic] people who had enough commitment to the democratic process to watch last time. Tories showing contempt for the electorate if they think people are so gullible to believe their justification for just one debate - just running scared - more honest to say so. Suggest viewing PM Questions each week if you need further examples of contempt for the democratic process and valid questions simply ignored if raising inconvenient issues - see immigration target pledge and PMs response earlier this week.

You can get in touch by clicking on the "Get Involved" tab above.

The Green Party has voted to support free universal education and childcare for children aged one to six. The policy was proposed in a motion from the leader Natalie Bennett at the party conference in Liverpool. Despite her support, it does not automatically become a manifesto commitment - instead it will be one of the party's long term aims listed on its website.

Stay with the Politics Live page for the latest political news and comment. At 20:00, we'll be tuning in to Any Questions. Jonathan Dimbleby will be at Monmouth School in Wales with:

• President of the Liberal Democrats Sal Brinton
• Labour's shadow culture minister Chris Bryant MP
• Minister for disabled people Mark Harper MP
• Leader of the Plaid Cymru group at Westminster Elfyn Llwyd MP.

Tweets: This is why Plaid Cymru should never have been invited to #tvdebates. 1/7th as popular as SNP

TWitterCopyright: TWitter

Jonathan Levy, speaking on behalf of the broadcasters, said: "The debates will go ahead with the leaders that turn up and the invitation will remain open to the prime minister should he wish to reconsider his position."

He added that the group would welcome the opportunity to discuss its proposals with the prime minister.

If you've just joined us, a key story which broke an hour ago is that the broadcasters say they will press ahead with their plans for three TV election debates even though David Cameron has said he will only take part in one. Downing Street says it's "disappointing" the broadcasters have rejected its proposal for the prime minister to debate with six other party leaders. BBC political correspondent Carole Walker says there is a "tense stand-off" between the Conservatives and the broadcasters, "with neither side willing to step down".

The leader of the Labour party said: "I think these debates should happen whether David Cameron agrees to them or not, but I think it will be judgement day on the prime minister if he refuses to turn up to these debates because I think people will conclude that he's running from his record, that he can't defend what he's done in government, he can't explain what his future plans are and he's a Prime Minister running scared."

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"I think the broadcasters are getting above their station," according to Tory MP Philip Davies. He told Radio 4's PM: "I think the broadcasters have got to be responsible here, and given that we don't have a presidential system in this country... I don't really see why the broadcasters should turn it into one." He also said that he would be happy to debate with Ed Miliband, saying "No more empty chairs".

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Away from the TV debates reaction for a second..."Sometimes we forget just how far UKIP has come in a relatively short space of time," James Landale writes in a profile of the UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

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The Countryside Alliance magazine's spring issue will reportedly include a piece by David Cameron which includes a pledge that: "The Hunting Act has done nothing for animal welfare. A Conservative Government will give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote, with a government Bill in government time."

tweets: Just spent 24 hours in Scotland. Politicians & political journalists gripped by Ashcroft polling suggesting SNP landslide & Labour wipeout.

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said: "I'm delighted that the broadcasters are holding firm, it would have been wrong for one individual to dictate and change the terms of these debates. So I'm very pleased the broadcasters are sticking with their original plans and that people will have the option of listening and hearing the range of political opinion that's available on 7 May."

David Cameron's communications chief Craig Oliver has said: "I made the prime minister's final position clear in my last letter - he is willing to do a seven-way debate in the week beginning March 23. Clearly it is disappointing that you are not prepared to take him up on that offer. I am ready to discuss at your convenience the logistics of making the debate we have suggested happen."

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Former leader of the Lib Dems Paddy Ashdown said these debates belong to the British people. He said that he thought the broadcasters had got themselves into a "bit of a muddle" but "even if it is imperfect we [the Lib Dems] will take part".

Ed Miliband says it's "make up your mind time with David Cameron"...."he is a prime minister that is running scared".

The leader of the Greens, Natalie Bennett, said she thought the broadcasters were doing the "right thing" and it was time to "move on from the debate about the debates and start debating the issues". She accused David Cameron of "damaging trust in British politics".

But Peter Robinson, leader of the DUP and First Minister of Northern Ireland, said the debate negotiations had been the "greatest electoral shambles of all time". He said there was "very considerable doubt as to whether the debates will take place". He added: "The broadcasters are not in the position to dictate in the way they are seeking to do." He said they were allowing "parties which are smaller than mine" to take part.

David Cameron's communications chief Craig Oliver says they have made their final offer and are willing to discuss it, but are disappointed with the broadcasters' decision.

Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon said: "David Cameron is clearly running scared of having to answer for his government's record of failure and incompetence - and this arrogance in trying to lay down the law has become his comeuppance. It is entirely up to David Cameron to decide whether having an empty podium will do a better job for the Tories than he is capable of."

tweets: .@David_Cameron is "doing further damage to trust in British politics" by refusing to take part in more than one TV debate, @natalieben says

Stewart Purvis - former Ofcom partner for content and standards - has told BBC News that there is a "flash of steel" in the broadcasters' reply. He said he thought there was a feeling the broadcasters "had to reply" to the "really very aggressive" letter from the prime minister's communications chief Craig Oliver. He also described the seven-way debates as definitely having "public value", saying they would be "a very worthwhile programme".

tweets: Countdown until Clegg et al realise that broadcasters are now proposing to give Ed M his own show if Cameron says no, and so demand balance.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "I am pleased that the broadcasters have stood firm at last, but it would have been far better had they stuck with their original proposal, which included fewer parties. Nonetheless we accept the challenge."

Tweets: So it's Final offer v final offer in #ge2015 TV debates stand off

You will find more on the TV election debates here.

Tweets: The broadcasters' position is ridiculous: include Plaid Cymru but not the DUP?

tweets: Broadcasters appear to be standing by threat to hold debates - even without PM

The broadcasters say "there needs to be two seven-way debates of a minimum of two hours each, within the election campaign, allowing time to properly represent the views of all parties, covering a broad range of subjects". This has been the position broadcasters have outlined in the past.

You can read the full letter from the broadcasters on the TV debates here.

The statement says: "The broadcasters would like the prime minister to reconsider taking part in all of these debates. 22 million people watched the leaders' debates in 2010 and there is a public desire and expectation for them to happen again in 2015.

"The broadcasters' proposals have come after extensive work over the last six months to ensure the public have the opportunity to watch televised election debates once more. The group have worked in an independent, impartial manner, treating invited parties on an equitable basis. They have listened to the views expressed by all parties and adapted the proposals to take into account electoral support.

"The broadcasters will continue to work closely with all parties invited to take part in the televised debates to bring them to their millions of viewers across the UK. The heads of news of all four broadcasters would welcome the opportunity to meet Mr Cameron, or his representatives, to discuss the debates."

tweets: Quite a confrontation between broadcasters and PM just before election. Right or wrong, @David_Cameron isolated. May get quite nasty.

The broadcasters say the debates will go ahead on the following dates:

• 2 April: ITV produce seven-way debate with the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, UKIP, the SNP and Plaid Cymru

• 16 April: BBC produce seven-way debate with the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, UKIP, the SNP and Plaid Cymru

• 30 April: Sky News and Channel 4 produce head-to-head debate between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition

tweets: Come on @David_Cameron you haven't got your own way so accept it and take part. #tvdebates

This is a big decision for the broadcasters to take, because it runs the risk of allowing Ed Miliband the chance to get his message across unchallenged if David Cameron is "empty chaired".

The broadcasters - which include BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 - have released a joint statement regarding the TV election debates. They have said that the debates will go ahead as planned, in the same format as originally proposed, and they have asked the prime minster to reconsider his position. The broadcasters intend to forge ahead with plans for three debates to take place on 2 April ITV 16 April BBC and 30 April (Sky News and Channel 4).

Team change here and a good time to take a quick look back at some of the main stories of the day:

• Some Scottish Labour MPs are urging Ed Miliband to rule out a coalition with the SNP after the general election
• Free TV licences and bus passes for pensioners would stay under a Labour government, Ed Miliband has said, but winter fuel allowances would be taken from better-off pensioners
• At the Green party conference, leader Natalie Bennett said the poorest in society had been "blamed for the mistakes of the wealthy" and called for a "peaceful political revolution" to end the "failed experiment of austerity"
• Plaid Cymru demand equal funding for Wales and Scotland in any Westminster coalition talks after the general election in May
• Researchers at Oxford University estimate the number of migrants settling in England increased by 565,000 in the past three years, with two-thirds coming from other EU countries
• UKIP leader Nigel Farage says he will "do his best" to avoid personal attacks on his opponents during the general election campaign
• Drivers in England will get 10 minutes' grace before being fined if they stay too long in council-owned car parking spaces, the government has said

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The Comres/ITV poll mentioned below also asked respondents the words or phrases they associated with the Greens, UKIP and the Lib Dems.

The Greens were most likely to be thought of as "idealistic" (41%), UKIP most likely to be seen as "dangerous" (46%) and the Lib Dems most likely to be seen as "middle class" (38%).

The government is publishing a consultation paper on plans to give people with mental health conditions in England greater control of their care. Ministers promised changes after revelations about abuse at Winterbourne View hospital in Bristol. Care minister Norman Lamb says the changes would put people in charge of their care and promote community support as an alternative to hospital, admitting many families feel "their concerns are ignored".

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Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has told her party's spring conference in Caernarfon that she wants income tax powers to be devolved without any referendum. She told party activists: "The Westminster parties have entrenched Wales' funding disadvantage. They should be able to commit to the same funding per head for Wales as Scotland. An additional £1.2 billion for our public services and greater resources to strengthen our country's economic prospects and end Wales' fiscal dependency for once and for all." She also added that her party would create a drugs fund to boost access to new medicines.

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Labourlist has some robust criticism in response to David Cameron's refusal to participate in a head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband: "If he really thought he had a plan, he'd be willing to defend it on whatever TV format he could.

"His cowardice shows the modern-day Tory party has no heart or soul. It, fundamentally, doesn't know what it stands for."

The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has warned Russia of tighter sanctions over Ukraine. Speaking during a visit to Poland, Mr Hammond said the European Union was ready to take further measures and the conditions of the Minsk ceasefire agreement must be upheld.

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The DUP has released a statement saying it will not align itself with the main parties to seek narrow advantage in any coalition negotiations - but will focus on delivering for Northern Ireland.

DUP leader and Northern Ireland first minister Peter Robinson MLA said: "Our MPs will not be part of any government coalition. We will not be seeking any Cabinet seats or any narrow party political advantage. The DUP will use its influence to further the best interests of Northern Ireland and of the Union. Unlike other parties we are not ideologically tied to any one of the major parties at Westminster but can do business with either the Conservatives or Labour."

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tweets: ComRes/ITV poll on public reaction to GRN party policies

tweets: ‏THE WAITING IS ALMOST AT AN END. Green Party press officer says Fully Costed Manifesto will be published "towards the end of March"

tweets: "Visual minuting" of Natalie's speech #greensurge #gpconf

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tweets: Weekly polling review: Conservatives pulling ahead?

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"I say to you very simply, vote for the party that cares", Ms Bennett tells her conference as she brings her speech to an end. "Vote for the common good. Vote for the politics of the future. Vote Green."

There are people who want to see business as usual, Natalie Bennett says. To counteract them, we need people use their votes, she adds. If we all vote Green, "we can change Britain".

tweets: Free social care paid for by wealth tax, higher taxes on those earning over 100k, tax avoidance, Robin Hood tax under Green plan

Younger generations "have it tough", Ms Bennett says. That's not the fault of their elders, she adds. "We need to look out for each other."

tweets: Financial transactions tax - "Robin Hood tax" - and more tax on those earning over £150k going down well in hall #GreenSurge

A financial transaction tax would be introduced by the Greens and those earning over £100,000 "should pay more, says Ms Bennett.

Free social care for those over 65 would mean 200,000 new jobs and training places, Ms Bennett says. It will be a core pledge in their manifesto.

tweets: Natalie Bennett wants free social care for over 65s

The Greens will restore equal care for all - that principle should apply to social care too, Green leader Natalie Bennett says. "Those who have the most should contribute most - new taxes are needed."

That's why I'm delighted to work to introduce an NHS reinstatement bill that removes the market from the NHS, Natalie Bennett says.

In the NHS, the infiltration of the profit must be reversed, Ms Bennett says. The market "costs us big time", she adds.

‏tweets: 12 target seats Labour are worried they might not win because of the Greens labli.st/1KxwLym

The current model of economics and society serves those with power and wealth, says Green leader Natalie Bennett. We must be citizens first and foremost - paying to common funds to look after the old, weak, poor and sick. This is what the politics of the future will look like, she adds.

"Just imagine a strong group of Green MPs", Natalie Bennett says. That group would never support a Tory government, she continues. They would have a huge say and could help develop that new politics she has been talking about, she says.

Speaking about climate change, Natalie Bennett says "we have to be up to the task". She says change has to come - the market is short-sighted and short-term. It is blind and senseless and works for the 1%.

tweets: .@natalieben: "Noone should be worrying about a fracking drill burrowing into the heart of their community". Eh? #gpconf

Almost half jobs since 2010 are for self-employed people, but many of them are living in poverty, Natalie Bennett says. Individual charity isn't a substitute for collective justice, she says of food banks.

Tweets: Ed M last week "a society that works for all and not just a few"; Bennett today "society that works for the many not just the few"

Tweets: Bennett words almost identical to Miliband's — society that works for the many not just the few

Up and down the country campaigns demanding new politics are growing, Natalie Bennett says: "The demand for change is louder and clearer, at last, the people are fighting back."

The Green surge is more than a hashtag or numbers, Natalie Bennett says. It's the result of members' "commitment" and "hard work". The Greens are a "central player" in British politics, she says.

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Nobody should live in fear of not being able to put food on the table or going into debt to pay for education, Natalie Bennett says. The politics of the future is not the politics of transaction, she says. That is the "old" and "failed" politics.

The "politics of the future delivers for everyone" in our one planet, Natalie Bennett adds. "That's the politics of the Green Party."

"Britain could be a very different country on 8 May", Natalie Bennett tells delegates at the party's conference. The Greens can be the "agents of change" looking to the "politics of the future", she says.

Natalie Bennett says voters will have the chance at the election to start "a possibility of a peaceful political revolution". People will be able to stop the poor being punished for the mistakes of the wealthy, she says. "We can deliver a Britain which delivers to all people - a Britain which cares", she adds.

tweets: Punchy speech from Caroline Lucas - now Natalie Bennett needs to make sure she's not upstaged by the warm up act

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Natalie Bennett on her feet at Green conference now. She thanks Caroline Lucas for being "the stand-out MP" in the current Parliament. She's confident she will be in the next Parliament and beyond, too. It's been a momentous year for the party, putting it at the forefront of British politics and making it the third largest in England and Wales.

Caroline Lucas says the party will defend politics without austerity, nuclear power or demonisation of those who need the welfare state or those who come from abroad.

tweets: .@CarolineLucas says "opposition to austerity" links @theSNP & @TheGreenParty, calling for a "progressive alliance" between the two #gpconf

It's the Greens who set the agenda on a number of issues, Caroline Lucas says. She says the party will champion the NHS reinstatement bill - to reverse "marketisation" of the health service.

tweets: Caroline Lucas supposed to be introducing Natalie Bennett in show of support. Risk she might simply upstage her

"Just imagine what we can do if we elect more MPs", Caroline Lucas says, adding that leader Natalie Bennett is putting the Greens on course to do that.

With the rise of the SNP and Plaid, we have the chance to form a "progressive alliance", Caroline Lucas, the Greens' MP tells the party's conference. They've worked before on their opposition to austerity and after the election, they could do more is her message. If Labour are a minority government, the Greens could stop them pandering to big business, she says, adding: "Support them when they do the right thing, block them when they're wrong".

tweets: .@CarolineLucas tells Green party activists at the #gpconf that leader @natalieben is doing a "fantastic job"

On the general election, Caroline Lucas MP says the Greens are challenging from "a position of strength". This election is different, she says because they have something to defend - her seat in Brighton and Pavilion. That victory has given the party a voice in Parliament, to show "you can be a force for good in politics without selling out your principles".

Paying tribute to Natalie Bennett, Caroline Lucas MP says she is proud to call her a colleague and friend.

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Green Party leader Natalie Bennett is introduced by the party's MP Caroline Lucas. Ms Lucas welcomes the party's new members. She says the party is "truly democratic". "Your votes count as much as mine," she adds.

tweets: Love that the live prompter in front of the stage at Green Party conference leaves gaps for applause

tweets: ITV, I'm told, NOT thinking of going it alone & accepting Downing St proposal for 7-person debate. TV cos to unveil united plans very soon

We're just about to get going with Natalie Bennett's speech to the Green Party conference in Liverpool.

tweets: Standing ovation for @natalieben and all she's done is walk onto the stage #GreenParty

tweets: It's very green here: now know what it's like inside a mange tout

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The BBC's health editor Hugh Pym reports that draft legislation which would repeal the Health and Social Care Act is to be debated in the Commons next week.

Green MP Caroline Lucas is to introduce the National Health Service Bill, which attempts to restrict the role of commercial companies in the NHS, as a private members bill next Wednesday.

Mark Steels uses his column in today's Independent to express 'sympathy' for Nigel Farage for the supporters his party attracts.

He writes: "You have to feel for Nigel Farage, because all he set out to do was construct a party around the idea that Britain could only be great again if it won back its independence from meddling foreigners ... and for some reason this party seems to attract a few racists."

Iain Dale has described the moment on his live radio show when Conservative MP Bob Stewart threatened to resign over defence spending cuts.

In his conservativehome column, Mr Dale writes: "I put it to him that it was politicians, not generals, who make defence policy and that, as a member of the Defence Select Committee, perhaps it would be better if he took the lead and led by example. Much to my surprise, he took up the cudgels and said that not only might he resign from the committee but he was thinking of resigning his seat too."

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Eric Pickles MP has described his harrowing experience of getting a parking ticket.

The communities secretary told the World at One he had a ticket in his hand, stopped to speak to someone briefly but by the time he got back to the car he had been given a fine. "It made me a very bitter person and twisted my life," he said.

A Green Party press officer has denied the party has ever had a policy to ban cars.

The Green Party Spring Conference agenda has a section for discussion titled "Removing Our Policy to Ban All Cars". Lower down in the text it says the "current transport policy has a line that would ban almost all currently roadworthy cars" and goes on to add that "this would probably prove unattractive with the electorate".

But a Green Party press officer said that it had never been party policy and the member who'd put the motion down had used his words cleverly to get his motion to the top of the agenda.

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Scottish Labour are downplaying the prospect of a deal with the SNP.

Speaking to the World at One immediately after SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie MP - who was far more optimistic - Glasgow MP Ian Davidson said he didn't think there was "any possibility" of a confidence and supply deal with the nationalists.

tweets: [Labour MP Ian] Davidson:"There isn't any possibility of a confidence and supply motion" with SNP #wato

Deputy Leader of the SNP Stewart Hosie says the SNP's position on Trident doesn't "necessarily" rule out a deal with Labour.

Asked whether disagreement over the issue would prevent a pact with Labour, Mr Hosie told the World at One: "Not necessarily - three quarters of Labour candidates back the SNP's position."

Professor and psephologist John Curtice has told the World at One that the independence referendum proved to be a "two-year free advert" for the SNP's vision of Scotland.

But he added that he SNP's vote is very sensitive and the "tide doesn't have to be reduced by much" for Labour to hang on to its seats. But there is a desperately short time for Labour to turn things around. For the latest of play on the SNP and Labour read this.

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Ed Miliband is taking questions from the public, including Labour Party members, in Redcar. He has just said Labour would look at increasing the minimum wage for young people - currently £3.50 an hour for 18 to 20-year-olds - but not by so much that it would "have an effect on young people's employment".

The World at One coming up shortly on Radio 4. You can listen via our Live Coverage tab.

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Molly Scott Cato, the Green MEP, says her party wants a politics that moves beyond austerity - hence support for a "progressive alliance" with the SNP and Plaid Cymru, which could hold the balance power after May's election.

She says she doesn't know anyone in the party who wants Caroline Lucas to replace Natalie Bennett in the TV debates (if they happen) - both are excellent performers, she adds (bookmakers are offering odds of 2-1 that Lucas will represent the party in any debates).

The MEP says the party's housing policy - which led to Natalie Bennett's famous "brain fade" in a live LBC radio interview - would cost £19.5bn over the next parliament. The party is "committed to the principle" of the citizen's incomes and will open the figures up for debate soon. She claimed earlier that there was a "great sense of sisterhood" among the Green Party's leaders.

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Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru's leader, admits her party has "some way to go" before Wales has a referendum on independence - "we've got a challenge", she tells Andrew Neil. But she says there is no doubt there is increasing support for more powers.

Ms Wood, speaking from her party's spring conference in Caernarfon, says she would not prop up a Conservative government after the election. From Labour, she would want a end to "the politics of austerity" and a new devolution deal for Wales. Follow the party's conference here.

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English nationalism is always seen as something negative, unlike Scottish and Welsh nationalisms, says Julia Hartley-Brewer. The panel are discussing the role of the English Democrats with the party's leader Robin Tilbrook, who says he wants England as a single, independent nation - not broken up into constituent parts, but standing alone.

tweets: 1 month until biggest reforms to pensions in a century come in. Your money, your choice #pensionfreedoms

We can't "go around preaching" to other NATO countries that they should spend 2% of their GDP on defence and not do it ourselves, says Bob Stewart. But he says he won't resign from the Conservative Party on the issue. Journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown suggests the UK needs a "different kind" of defence.

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Ed Miliband is in Redcar, on the Yorkshire coast, to set out his offer to pensioners at the general election. "Even in these tough times," he says, "we will strengthen the protection for pensioners." The party would cut the winter fuel allowance for better-off pensioners, but all other benefits, including TV licences for the over 75s and bus passes, would be untouched if Labour wins power. Full details here.

tweets: I hear ITV contemplating going unilateral and hosting a 7 way debate as per No10 offer, as they have 1st one. Would send BBC/Sky apoplectic.

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Colonel Bob Stewart, the Tory MP, says he feels "horror" at the prospect of defence spending falling after the election. The former British Army officer says defence is the first priority, and we are already "down to the bare minimum". He disputes the idea there are no votes in defence, saying the public cares about the issue. Debate is raging in the Conservative Party over whether defence spending should be ring fenced at 2% of GDP.

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On the subject of a possible Labour/SNP deal after the election, journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown says Ed Miliband should not rule out a possible pact - it would "be a mistake", she thinks. Julia Hartley-Brewer agrees - "everything is to play for", but Mr Miliband should set out what his red lines are and what deals he might do.

But is it a nationalist trap to facilitate the break-up of the UK? "One should not be automatically suspicious" says Alibhai-Brown. Nicola Sturgeon is different from Alex Salmond, she adds, praising the SNP leader as "very appealing" (and as having "beautiful nails").

tweets: Just how crumbly is the Palace of Westminster?

@JPonpolitics went through the keyhole

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has been speaking about a potential Labour/SNP deal after the election. He says such a deal would "mean more debt than our children could ever hope to repay, higher taxes on hardworking people and economic chaos for our country."

He adds: "Ed Miliband and the SNP have signed the pre-nup and are now half-way up the aisle.

"Day after day, vote after vote in Parliament, Ed Miliband would be forced to negotiate with Alex Salmond - the man who tried to break up Britain - about how to run Britain."

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Robin Tilbrook of the English Democrats has been speaking about the difference between his party and UKIP. Asked whether his policies are the same as Nigel Farage's party he said he "didn't know about that" and described Mr Farage as having torn up his own party's manifesto in a "fit of pique".

Mr Tilbrook went on to set out the English Democrats' hopes for the election: "I don't think we will win a seat to be fair, we're not aiming to do that what we are aiming to do is to fly the flag for England."

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Stewart Hosie MP has labelled John Major's comments on a potential Labour/SNP deal after the election as "embarrassing" for Labour.

The SNP Deputy leader said in a statement: "For a former Tory prime minister to tell Labour what to do on the eve of their conference in Scotland is hugely embarrassing for Jim Murphy.

"John Major wants the Tories to be re-elected in May, and therefore he wants Labour to rule out an agreement with the SNP, because that would stop the Tories. There are no circumstances in which the SNP would put the Tories into government - the question is if Labour have the same commitment, with a number of senior Labour figures promoting voting Tory in Scotland, and even the idea of a 'grand alliance' between the Tories and Labour.

"A strong team of SNP MPs elected in May means a powerful voice for Scotland - and that is really what the Westminster establishment, Labour and Tory, are really scared of."

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Green MEP Molly Scott Cato has just been setting the Greens' electoral ambitions. She told the BBC's Eleanor Garnier electoral success would mean holding former leader Caroline Lucas's Brighton Pavillion seat and gaining Bristol West

She said the now notorious Natalie Bennett LBC interview was just a case of the leader having an "off day", which no one outside Westminster is talking about. And she suggested the media now moves on.

Another politician has been caught playing on their tablet during a meeting. Lib Dem councillor Martin Elengorn was snapped by a Tory rival playing a sneaky game of Scrabble during a town hall meeting in Richmond, South London, reports the Evening Standard. The incident has put him off the game for life, apparently.

According to today's Scotsman, there is a row in Scottish Labour over where to concentrate resources ahead of the election. The paper says several MPs have "demanded" the party gives up on trying to save the west of Scotland, with one even saying they should abandon Glasgow - previously a hot bed of Labour support, but which voted in favour of independence at the referendum. This comes after a poll suggested Labour could lose most of its seat north of the border. More here.

For those looking for something to make their Friday lunchtime go with a swing, here's UKIP candidate for Stockton Mandy Boylett singing her cover version of Abba's Chiquitita, with rewritten lyrics tackling the government's record on immigration and criticising her electoral opponent, Labour MP Alex Cunningham.

All together now...

tweets: .@TheGreenParty welcomes over 1,300 attendees to @ACCLiverpool for the Party's largest ever Conference. #gpconf

AND

tweets: .@TheGreenParty membership stands at almost 56,000 #gpconf #GreenSurge

More on immigration, with the Telegraph reporting that population increases fuelled by immigration have helped to contribute to cuts of almost 50 per cent cut in council services in parts of the country.

The paper cites IFS analysis that shows councils which had big influxes of immigrants were among those hit the hardest by cuts to local authority budgets.

tweets: Nigel Farage's response to the woman who called him the Messiah is hilarious!

Amid all the calls for Ed Miliband to rule out a coalition with the SNP, an alternative take on politics.co.uk. The piece argues that ignoring SNP electoral success would push Westminster further from Scotland, whereas Ed Miliband and Sturgeon arm-in-arm would send a powerful "better together" message.

tweets: "The vision I've got for Wales is one where no individual is left behind & more autonomy is how we can achieve that" Leanne tells students

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More comment on a possible Labour/SNP coalition from Phil Collins in today's Times (subscription required).

He writes: "Give or take a few Lib Dem seats, the rise and fall of the SNP and Labour is a zero-sum game. The SNP hurts Labour and benefits the Conservatives. This is a split in the left that will surpass the damage that UKIP can do to the Conservatives south of the border."

He calls for Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy to, therefore, rule out a coalition with the SNP.

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Ed Miliband is to set out his party's offer to pensioners at a campaign event in Yorkshire later today.

The Labour leader will pledge to maintain the 'triple lock' on the state pension and guarantee free bus passes and free TV licences to all those currently eligible. But he will say he will take away winter fuel payments from the richest five per cent of pensioners.

More here.

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Today's Telegraph may make reassuring reading for Green party leader Natalie Bennett, ahead of her party conference speech this afternoon.

Although the paper reports some knives out for Ms Bennett among the membership, following her performance during 'that' LBC interview, the piece says the numbers dissatisfied are not enough for any move against her as leader. A petition of ten per cent of the membership is required to trigger a leadership election.

We will be covering Natalie Bennett's speech here around 14:00 GMT.

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Plaid Cymru is holding its conference in Caernarfon today. In her speech - expected early this afternoon - party leader Leanne Wood will urge the "Westminster parties" to promise Wales an extra £1.2bn a year. You can follow the proceedings here.

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The Local Government Association has been responding to the government's announcement that drivers will get 10 minutes' grace before being fined if they stay too long in council-owned car parks in England. Cllr David Sparks, the body's chair, says many councils already allow grace periods.

He adds: "We are concerned that government has rushed through today's announcement and failed to fully consult councils on the detail of the regulation. Beyond the headlines, what is particularly worrying is the detail of these proposals which could make roads less safe for vulnerable pedestrians and inconvenience millions of motorists and commuters.

"We have serious concerns about the decision to ban the use of CCTV on zebra crossings and bus routes. This decision could endanger vulnerable road users such as children, blind or disabled people and create delays for millions of bus users."

A bit more from Nigel Farage on the tone of the election campaign.

The UKIP leader has ruled out making personal attacks on his opponents for the duration of the campaign and blamed the influence of American advisers for what he predicted would be the most negative contest ever.

Mr Farage laid blame for the tone on "Washington spin doctors" - the Conservatives' Jim Messina and Labour's David Axelrod.

"What I'm seeing in this election is the influence of these big American advisers and it's becoming the most negative, personal and nasty campaign I've ever seen," he said.

The UKIP leader hit out at criticism of his Labour counterpart, telling LBC radio: "I don't agree with what most of Ed Miliband stands for but he's a perfectly decent human being.

"For him to be attacked personally day after day after day - how is that taking us forward? I'm going to do my best over the next 60-odd days to rise above it."

tweets: Green conference doc: policy to ban almost all cars "would probably prove unattractive to the electorate"

There is recognition at Westminster - across the political divide - that immigration really matters to millions of people, our correspondent says. You only have to flick through the literature the party have been churning out to really get a sense of how important immigration is, he adds.

"We had a massive PR problem with our 2010 manifesto", Nigel Farage admits on LBC. "A 12 page document that was put to me and signed off was fine. Behind it were 486 pages of detailed notes then deemed to be the manifesto." He says much of the content was "intellectual wonderings" and accuses other of playing "academic games".

Max Hastings sets out his views on the prospect of a Labour-led coalition with the SNP in today's Mail.

He doesn't spare the hyperbole: "If this sounds a nightmare scenario for the English people, and indeed for everybody with a head on their shoulders throughout the UK, it is the way events could turn out if the polls are right."

He concludes: "The grim prospect for English taxpayers is that Miliband himself, and many of his supporters, would be more than happy to support the SNP's almost Stalinist agenda for raising borrowing and soaking the rich, purely to sustain their Labour and Scottish client votes."

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Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is in Warsaw for talks with his Polish counterpart Grzegorz Schetyna

Nigel Farage is having a fun over on LBC.

When one caller said she felt Mr Farage had been sent from on high to protect us, presenter Nick Ferrari asked Mr Farage if he had, in fact, been sent by God. The UKIP leader modestly responded: "I am not the Messiah, I'm a very naughty boy" - a reference, of course, to the famous Monty Python sketch,

tweets: Ukip immig policy premised on leaving EU - but wd take two years+ of negs after "out" referendum vote. Unclear what wd happen in interim

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Nigel Farage is voicing strong support for increasing the UK defence budget on his LIBC show.

He says it is "absolutely astonishing" that a Conservative-led government has upped the foreign aid budget but cut the defence budget.

He added: "Internationally we are no longer being referred to as a serious player."

Nigel Farage comes out fighting against Nick Clegg over on LBC.

Responding to the Lib Dem leader saying Mr Farage was "having a nice time of it", the UKIP leader said he didn't want to trade insults, adding: "I'm trying to turn the other cheek."

But he went on: "when it comes to inconsistency on policy the Lib Dems are absolutely at the top of the tree."

Mr Farage said this election campaign was becoming one of the nastiest he had ever seen but he would do his best to rise above it.

Nigel Farage is talking immigration with Nick Ferrari on LBC.

He asks: "I'm reading Tory literature talking about controlling immigration - but how can you control immigration if you have an open door policy?"

The UKIP leader went on to say this is the issue Mr Cameron is afraid to debate.

tweets: #PhoneFarage: Mr Cameron doesn't want to face the questions about how he's doubled the national debt in just 5 years

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Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has been speaking to BBC Scotland about his party's polling performance, which suggests they could lose almost all of their seats north of the border. He told Good Morning Scotland: "There's still a long way to go. In voting for an SNP MP, people will get a Tory government." More on his interview on our Scotland Live page.

Has the government's Prevent scheme - a key element of its counter-terrorism strategy- failed? Frank Gardner, our security correspondent, says it has worked in some cases, where people have been steered away from extremism at the last minute. But in other cases it has been counter-productive. The scheme has a problem of perception - it is seen by many Muslims as unfairly focussing on their communities, he adds.

Our correspondent spoke to experts about the scheme. We'll post a link later.

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José Manuel Barroso says Europe must not accept Russia seeking to redraw the borders of Europe.

He told Today: "Putin is saying he respects the sovereignty of Ukraine. But at the same time we know this is the biggest Russian operation since the Second World War in military terms. It's a kind of undeclared war."

The former President of the European Commission went on to say that he expects the situation to get worse before it gets better.

Fraser Nelson says the Tories need to be more ambitious if they are to win an overall majority.

Writing in today's Telegraph, he says: "On its own, 'long-term economic plan' just won't be enough. It will lead not to victory, but to a parliamentary no-man's land."

Is Trident a red line for the SNP? In another video posted by the Guardian, Nicola Sturgeon suggests her party could still back a Labour government if it backs renewal of the weapons. But the SNP leader rules out her party voting for it.

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The Telegraph is reporting Ed Davey's criticism of the faith some Conservatives have in fracking.

The Lib Dem Energy Secretary said parts of the Conservative Party are "crazy" because they want to "frack every bit of croquet lawn" in Britain.

tweets: Someone needs to explain to me how telling Scottish voters "vote SNP and we disenfranchise you" helps make the case for the Union.

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Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, has been a vocal advocate of women's rights since taking over from Alex Salmond. It might come as a surprise to some, therefore, that she still irons her husband's shirts. She made the revelation in a video interview with the Guardian. Her husband is SNP chief executive Peter Murrell.

As part of a series of videos, the SNP leader also said she couldn't rule out another independence referendum.

Our correspondent says the Green Party has seen a huge surge in membership over the last year and even had to change venue to fit in all the activists it expects to turn up.

But leader Natalie Bennett is under some pressure after a poor interview performance last month and our reporter says Ms Bennett "really does need to bounce back."

There is unprecedented opportunity at this conference, but also unprecedented scrutiny, she concludes.

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UKIP MP Mark Reckless is on Today defending the party's immigration policy. Asked why the party don't have a target for immigration, Mr Reckless said: "What we are going to do is control the quarter of a million people who come from the EU last year."

He went on to set out policies including tighter border controls and a points-based system and said: "What that will do will hugely reduce that number of people coming to this country."

tweets: We'll be discussing the UK Govt's controversial 'Prevent' strategy to counter extremism at 0830 on @BBCr4today

Over on the Guardian, Martin Kettle argues the UK needs its own Abraham Lincoln. If Britain proves to be "a house divided against itself" in coming years, especially with the rise of nationalism, "it will also require someone to fill Lincoln-sized shoes if the house is to continue to stand, both within these islands and in the union with Europe", he says. But he's not confident David Cameron or Ed Miliband have shown they can match the former US president's oratory skills. You can read his piece here.

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In an interview with House magazine, Chuka Umunna has praised the selfie. He said: "The thing about selfies is so often you do these posed, formal shots whereas when you are doing a group shot like that, it's a little bit more relaxed, you keep it real. Certainly with young people, it just relaxes the whole thing. And that is what my constituents say: keep it real."

The Shadow Business Secretary also told House that he finds it awkward being praised for his looks: "I feel a little bit awkward, if I'm honest about it". He added: "It amuses my family, my friends take the piss out of me royally about it."

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The stumbling performance by Green leader Natalie Bennett in a radio interview last month was a "serious failure" that showed she had failed to prepare and left her colleagues "taken aback", according to the Green leader on Liverpool City Council John Coyne.

He told the BBC it wouldn't happen again as Ms Bennett would in future rehearse her performance in mock interviews.

Mr Coyne said: "It's a failure that she was underprepared we know why that happened and we know it will be fixed for the future."

The criticism comes as Greens meet in Liverpool for their spring conference, gathering in the Liverpool Riverside constituency - which they are targeting at the general election - and where Mr Coyne is a sitting councillor.

Mr Coyne is chair of the Green Councillors Association and was the first Green on Liverpool council after defecting from the Liberal Democrats.

He said: "It was a serious failure and we thought it might be damaging to us but one thing that perhaps is saving us from that is people who are attracted to the Green Party tend to have a more generous disposition anyway."

Asked about the reaction of Greens to a performance he described as "excruciating" he said: "We were taken aback but again in the Green Party we are compassionate and it certainly helped to indicate that we have someone who's a human being."

Bennett apologised to members after the interview.

Home Affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani digests today's immigration story on his blog. He writes: "The old way of thinking about immigration and how it affects the UK needs to be tossed into the dustbin."

He adds: "Today's migrants - particularly those from Eastern Europe - may be found in all manner of locations because of the effects of globalisation and the single market."

Research from Oxford University shows immigration has increased the population of England by half a million in the past three years.

tweets: Green leader Natalie Bennett will do mock interviews in future to prepare, Liverpool councillor tells me before Liverpool conference

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Sir John Major has also been giving his views on the rise of the SNP in Scotland. The former Tory prime minister, writing in this morning's Telegraph, says Ed Miliband should rule out a coalition with the nationalists. He says "the SNP would enter into any agreement with Labour with one overriding aim: to break up the United Kingdom". You can read the Telegraph's news story here and Sir John's piece here.

tweets: PM: To everyone in the UK, India and around the world celebrating the festival of colour and arrival of spring, I wish you a happy #Holi!

In the latest of Today's 100 seats in 100 days series, John Humphrys has visited Watford to explore what effect marketing has on voter choices. You can listen to his package here.

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Plaid Cymru say they will demand equal funding for Wales and Scotland in any post-election Westminster coalition talks.

At the party's spring conference in Caernarfon, party leader Leanne Wood will urge the "Westminster parties" to promise Wales an extra £1.2bn a year.

More on this.

Paul Waugh from Politics Home has tweeted a video from Labour contrasting David Cameron's positive and negative stances to TV debates.

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John Harris takes up Nick Clegg MP's "Downton Abbey" characterisation of David Cameron's decision on the debates in his column in today's Guardian.

Harris writes of the PM: "Once he styled himself as a leader who was open and up for a challenge; now he looks more than ever like a cold power politician with a tinge of aristocratic contempt for rules and rituals that need only apply to others."

Clegg told LBC radio yesterday: "I can't get over the lofty pomposity of the Conservatives. It's as if they think they are ordering a drink in the drawing room of Downton Abbey, telling everybody else what they should do."

Ewan Crawford, a former SNP special adviser, says the trouble for Labour is they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Conservatives during the referendum. At the time, they said there would be no threat to public services and promised "strength and security", Mr Crawford argues, but now they say the Tories would be a disaster. Mr Crawford says the SNP would push Labour to do what Labour actually wants to do. And SNP influence on a Labour government is "desirable", he adds.

Ian Murray, a Labour MP in Edinburgh, is speaking about the latest polls, which indicate a disastrous result for his party in Scotland could be coming. He admits if his party loses Scotland, Ed Miliband won't be prime minister. He says Labour doesn't want or need a coalition with the nationalists.

The government has announced drivers will be given 10 minutes' grace before being fined if they stay too long in council-owned car parks in England. Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, says he wants to end the "war on drivers". The leeway is set to take effect later this month. And it will apply to free and paid-for parking spaces both on streets and in off-street car parks. More here.

As the Green party heads to Liverpool for their conference today, it's worth remembering that they are believed to have more members than UKIP. In January BBC Online reported the party had 43,829 members compared with UKIP's 41,966. We'll be covering the Green party conference throughout the day.

Daily Mail, The iCopyright: Daily Mail, The i

This morning's national newspapers feature a number of political stories. Alex Kleiderman has the newspaper review here.

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The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has urged the government to speak up in support of democracy in Hong Kong or risk damage to the UK's reputation there. The MPs said they were "profoundly disappointed" at ministers' response when China blocked committee members from visiting the former UK colony. Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said the UK wanted democratic "transition". More here.

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The Greens are expected to call for a "progressive alliance" with the SNP at their party conference in Liverpool later today.

Green Party MP and former leader Caroline Lucas will say: "With the rise of the SNP, and with our own Green surge, we have the chance to forge a new grouping in Parliament. A progressive alliance.

"Of course, in Scotland and in Wales we'll be fighting hard for our distinctive values and policies. Just as we do against those individual Labour and even Lib Dem candidates with whom we have something in common." More here.

A major analysis by the University of Oxford estimates that the population of England has risen by 565,000 since 2011 because of immigration. The Migration Observatory unit says it came up with the projections because similar official data will not be available before the general election. Two-thirds of the rise is attributed to people from the European Union. We'll bring you all the reaction.

Hello and welcome to Friday's political coverage. Nick Eardley and Sarah Weaver will bring you all the action, reaction and analysis in text and you'll be able to watch and listen to all the main BBC political programmes, from Today and Breakfast through to Newsnight and Today in Parliament. Don't forget you can get in touch by emailing politics@bbc.co.uk or via social media @bbcpolitics. Here's how Thursday unfolded.