Campaign kick-off: 15 days to go

The general election campaign is beginning to feel a little staid. Maybe there was too much excitement over the attacks and TV debates, or maybe the parties are running out of big policies. But there are still some announcements: Labour will continue its ‘NHS week’ with promises of more health care spending while the Tories will talk up their caring side. To help guide you through the melée of stories and spin, here is a summary of today’s main election stories.

1. Vote Labour, save the Union

The Tories’ attacks on the dangers of voting Labour and getting the SNP have hit a road bump. Two senior former cabinet minsters have suggested that Conservative voters in Scotland should back Labour in the upcoming election, to keep out the nationalists. Norman Tebbit, former Tory party chairman under Margaret Thatcher, has said:

‘From the Tories’ point of view we are not going to come home with a vast number of seats from Scotland.