20/04/2015

0645

Every party it seems is obsessed with winning the votes of "working families" in this election - but what about those voters who have already reached retirement? The over 70s will make up nearly a quarter of the electorate on May 7th and they are the generation most likely to turnout, so has the so called "grey-vote" been forgotten, does it really still exist? In our latest visit to one hundred constituencies, Hywel Griffith has been to Aberconwy in North Wales, to find out.

0650

Rebel Houthi fighters, from the north of Yemen, are continuing their push for the city of Aden in spite of airstrikes by the Saudi led coalition. Orla Guerin is the BBC’s Middle East Correspondent.

0655

There is evidence to suggest a third horticulturist, Patrick Matthew, developed a concept of evolution by natural selection that pre-dates Darwin's by 27 years. Michael Weale, a geneticist at King's College London, argues that Matthews should have more recognition for his contribution. Michael Weale is the author of the report.

0710

The UN Secretary General says he is shocked and saddened by reports that a ship carrying as many as 700 migrants and refugees has capsized off the Libyan coast. European Leaders will meet in Luxembourg today to discuss the refugee crisis around the Mediterranean. The United Nations refugee agency said that if this is confirmed this would be the largest loss of life during a migrant crossing to Europe. Italy is co-ordinating a big rescue operation involving 20 ships and aircraft. Reports say the packed fishing boat capsized when people rushed to one side of the vessel hoping to get onto an approaching merchant ship. Katya Adler is the BBC’s Europe Editor.

0715

The Scottish National Party will today launch their manifesto with a pledge to use their influence at Westminster to ensure the next government introduces more "positive and progressive" policies. Scotland's First Minister will also claim her party will help ensure extra funds for the NHS. John Swinney is Deputy First Minister in Scotland.

0720

Our sports bulletins include the Premier League and the FA Cup but only on occasion do we report on the Women's Super League. The sport has lower attendances; finances and status than the men's game in this country but Manchester City are one of the clubs aiming to change that. Karthi Gnanasegaram went to meet the women, and men involved.

0730

This morning the programme looks at housing as an election issue. John Humphrys starts his report in his local area in west London.

0740                                                                                                                                   

Albert Ball was just 20 when he was killed in action in WW1. At the time, he was the Royal Flying Corps’ leading flying ace, with 44 victories to his name. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross for his bravery. What isn’t so well known is where he found some of that courage: his mum’s plum cake. He’s thought always to have flown with a slice of it on board. The original recipe has been found and to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Flying Corps, a competition has been run to recreate “Albert’s Ripping Cake”. Ross Mahoney is an aviation historian at the RAF Museum and David Ellingham is a catering student who won the competition to re-create the cake.

0750

The Post Office failed to find out why large cash shortfalls occurred at sub-post offices before starting civil and criminal proceedings against sub-postmasters. That's one conclusion of a damning report by forensic accountants commissioned by the Post Office and passed to the BBC. The report looked into complaints from sub-postmasters of unfair sackings and wrongful convictions caused by flaws in control systems. The Post office has rebutted the report's conclusions. Julian Wilson is from the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, a group which represents subpostmasters affected and   James Arbuthnot is a former Conservative MP who is leading the campaign to help sub postmasters.

0810

The UN Secretary General says he is shocked and saddened by reports that a ship carrying as many as 700 migrants and refugees has capsized off the Libyan coast (see 0710). Richard Bilton is the BBC’s Correspondent in Lampedusa; John Murray is the Marine Director for the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and Elly Schlein is an Italian MEP and a member of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee at the European Parliament.

0820                                                            

For the first time ever, all of PG Wodehouse’s book and stories are available in hardback and under the same publisher, Everyman. It’s taken fifteen years to do – there are 99 books in total. There’s a UK tour going on at the moment of a Wodehouse adaptation, as well the annual Everyman Wodehouse comedy book prize just about to be awarded. What’s the relevance of Wodehouse now, why are Jeeves and Wooster so enduringly popular. David Campbell is from the publishers Everyman and Robert Webb who is starring as Bertie Wooster in “Perfect Nonsense”.

0830

This morning the programme looks at housing as an election issue. Brandon Lewis is Minister for Housing and Emma Reynolds is Shadow Minister for Housing.

0835

The colour of light has a major impact on how our body clock measures the time of day, according to research by scientists at The University of Manchester. It's the first time the impact of colour has been tested and demonstrates that colour provides a more reliable way of telling the time than measuring brightness. Dr Timothy Brown is the study’s lead researcher.

0840

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby spent Sunday in Egypt to highlight the growing threats confronting Christians across the Middle East and parts of Africa. One of the greatest dangers is persecution by Islamic State. The Archbishop went to express condolences over the recent kidnapping and beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by Islamic State fighters in neighbouring Libya. Our chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet reports from Egypt.

0850

There is evidence to suggest a third horticulturist, Patrick Matthew, developed a concept of evolution by natural selection that pre-dates Darwin's by 27 years (see 0655). Professor Steve Jones is a Professor of Genetics at UCL and Dr Patricia Fara is a senior tutor of Clare College, Cambridge University.

All subject to change.