60 Second Briefing: May 02
Labour
Tony Blair marked the 10th anniversary since coming to power with a final pre-election attack on nationalism, while Jack McConnell said he wants Scotland to be not only part of the UK, but the best part. Having said he will announce his departure timetable next week, the Prime Minister anticipated Gordon Brown becoming "an excellent" Prime Minister.
SNP
Alex Salmond challenged Chancellor Gordon Brown to work with an SNP administration if he becomes First Minister, after Mr Brown refused to say he would. The SNP leader said there would have to be mechanisms for Whitehall and St Andrew's House to work together if there were different parties in charge.
Lib Dems
Nicol Stephen visited yet another nursery school, this time in Edinburgh, to stress how positive he is about young people. Tavish Scott, the LibDem campaign director, said a Tory vote was a wasted vote.
Conservatives
Annabel Goldie went to the gates of Barlinnie jail in Glasgow to illustrate her intention to get tougher about prison sentences. She also marked the Union's 300th anniversary by arguing "it opens doors for Scotland, so why slam them shut?"
Others
- In Inverness, Nigel Farage MEP, leader of the UK Independence Party, said English nationalism is more of a threat to the UK than Scottish or Welsh because of the current imbalance in powers.
- Greens delivered a final "First Vote Green" message.
- The Electoral Reform Society brought 35 Americans to study Scotland's first use of its new proportional council voting system.
- The charity Children in Scotland said any partnership agreement after the election must make investing in early years a priority.
- Final day of campaigning.
- The Rodents and The Remedies are two of the acts appearing at Edinburgh's Mambo Club, educating people in how to use their single transferable votes.
- Annabel Goldie ends her campaign at a Starbucks cafe in Edinburgh.
- The SSP campaigns at Glasgow's Gaelic school on free school meals.
- Alex Salmond will visit key constituencies in Fife, Dundee and Aberdeen in his election helicopter .
- Jack McConnell will be in Glasgow making the point that "every vote matters".
- Nicol Stephen will be in Dunfermline to challenge the other party leaders to back the key Liberal Democrat policies.
- Alan Cochrane, a political commentator and Unionist has long joked with Nationalists about fleeing south to avoid independence. Yesterday he was alarmed to find British Midland seemed to know the result of the election. He received an e-mail from the airline stating: "The great getaway starts on Friday morning."
- Robert Carlyle surprised even the SNP with an endorsement on Radio Four reversing the generations of Carlyle Labour loyalty.
