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Sturgeon Denies Secretly Backing Cameron For PM

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 04 April 2015 | 14.59

Nicola Sturgeon has "categorically" denied telling a foreign ambassador she would rather see David Cameron than Ed Miliband as PM after the election.

The SNP leader faced calls to explain a diplomatic memo, which recorded her saying privately that the Labour leader was not "prime minister material".

The claims appeared on the front page of the Daily Telegraph, and were followed swiftly by an angry denial from Ms Sturgeon.

In a direct tweet to the journalists who wrote the story she said: "Your story is categorically, 100%, untrue ... which I'd have told you if you'd asked me at any point today."

:: For full coverage of General Election 2015 click here

A spokeswoman for the First Minister added: "It must be a belated April Fool.

"As Nicola has said on numerous occasions, she wants to see the back of a Tory government which is decisively rejected by the people of Scotland and unlike Labour, the SNP is the only party that has promised to lock David Cameron out of Downing Street."

However the Telegraph published a leaked UK Government memorandum apparently written after Scotland's First Minister met French ambassador Sylvie Bermann.

The memo of the meeting in February detailed her apparent preference for Mr Cameron remaining in Downing Street.

The note was written by a British civil servant after a conversation with the French consul-general.

It said: "Discussion appears to have focused mainly on the political situation, with the FM stating that she wouldn't want a formal coalition with Labour; that the SNP would almost certainly have a large number of seats ... that she'd rather see David Cameron remain as PM."

A French embassy source told Sky News that Ms Bermann did meet Ms Sturgeon, but the pair did not discuss their political preferences.

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said it was a "devastating revelation" that exposes the uncomfortable truth behind the SNP's General Election campaign.

"For months Nicola Sturgeon has been telling Scots she wants rid of David Cameron yet behind closed doors with foreign governments she admits she wants a Tory government.

"If Scotland votes SNP in May then Nicola Sturgeon will get her wish - the Tories will be the largest party across the UK and David Cameron will return to Downing Street.

"Only a vote for Labour will deliver a Labour government."

Ms Sturgeon's performance in the televised debate has focused attention on her party's potentially pivotal role in forming the next UK government.

Tories described the prospect of a Labour government propped up by the votes of the Scottish nationalists as a "lethal cocktail".

The party said such an alliance would destabilise the country and undermine the economic recovery.

She was branded "the most dangerous woman in Britain" by the Daily Mail. Polls suggest the anti-austerity SNP could snatch dozens of Labour seats north of the border.

Meanwhile, campaigning continues into Easter with Labour unveiling a plan to build 125,000 homes by creating a £5bn housebuilding fund.

The Tories, meanwhile, are unveiling a pledge to force pornography websites to use effective age-verification tools to keep out under-18s.

Ms Sturgeon is due to join the annual Scrap Trident group march in Glasgow, only a short distance from the Faslane home of nuclear-armed submarines.

"Never before have the establishment Westminster parties been so unpopular - and never has there been a greater opportunity to build a progressive alliance across these islands to chart a different course," she is due tell the rally.

The latest Survation/Mirror poll puts Mr Miliband ahead of Mr Cameron, with 33% and 31% of the vote respectively.

UKIP polled at 18%, the Liberal Democrats 9%, the SNP 5% and Greens 3%.

These results are markedly different from a YouGov/The Sun poll which was published on Thursday night.

It suggested that the Conservative Party had hit a three-year high - with 37% of those questioned stating they would vote Tory if the General Election was tomorrow.

Labour was on 35%, the Lib Dems on 7%, UKIP on 12% and the Greens on 5%.


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Kenya University Massacre: Five Arrested

Five people have been arrested in connection with the massacre of 148 people at Kenya's Garissa University, as the al Shabaab terror group threatened more bloodshed.

The arrests were reported by CNN, citing Kenyan Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery.

They come after a reward of £148,370 was offered for the capture of alleged mastermind, former teacher Mohammed Mohamud.

At least 148 people were killed and 79 hurt as Somalia's al Shabaab extremists targeted Christians, some praying at a lecture hall.

The hall was one of the first sites the gunmen targeted.

That suggested the masked attackers, who were strapped with bombs and armed with AK-47s, planned their operation extensively, said students.

They claimed many victims were forced to phone their parents and urge them to call for Kenyan troops to leave Somalia - before they were shot.

Others appeared to have been killed by knives in the attack in eastern Kenya, near the Somali border.

But some students were freed, apparently because they were Muslim.

The 12-hour siege ended with four gunmen killed and one suspect arrested.

The militant group has struck Kenya several times in recent years including at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in 2013 where 67 people were killed.

Al Shabaab said the attack was in retaliation for Kenya sending troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the militants and stabilise the Mogadishu government.

They warned of "another bloodbath" in a "long and gruesome war", saying in an emailed statement: "Not only are you condoning your government's oppressive policies by failing to speak out against them, but are reinforcing their policies by electing them.

"You will, therefore, pay the price with your blood."


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The Debate: Seven Leaders, Seven Key Moments

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 03 April 2015 | 14.59

After seven party leaders vied for attention from undecided voters in the studio audience and at home, Sky News looks at seven key clashes between the politicians.

Nigel Farage vs Leanne Wood: Health Tourism

Many leaders spoke out against the privatisation of the NHS during their opening statements. But Nigel Farage decided to grasp another nettle: health tourism.

In the free-flowing debate, he claimed that 7,000 people are diagnosed as HIV positive every year - but 60% of them are not British nationals.

"You can come into Britain, from anywhere in the world, get diagnosed with HIV and get the retro-viral drugs which cost up to £25,000 per year, per patient. We need to put the National Health Service there for British people and families," the UKIP leader said.

Leanne Wood, from Plaid Cymru, was the first to reply to Mr Farage's point – and battled through his interruptions to secure the first round of applause of the evening.

"This kind of scaremongering rhetoric is dangerous. It divides communities and creates a stigma to people who are ill. I think you should be ashamed of yourself," she replied.

Nick Clegg vs Ed Miliband: The Economic Crash

Another barbed exchange was between Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, after the Labour leader took the Deputy Prime Minister to task over his U-turn on tuition fees back in 2010.

"It was a broken promise, you betrayed the young people of our country," he said.

Mr Clegg described his rival's stance as "pious", shooting back: "This is the man who was part of a government that said 'no boom and bust in the economy' and crashed our economy - jeopardising the future generations and life chances of millions of people.

"I've apologised, I've taken responsibility for the mistakes I've made. Why don't you, in the front of the British people, say 'I'm sorry for crashing the British economy?'"

Mr Miliband ducked the question - but brought David Cameron into the row, replying: "The banks were under-regulated, but there was a global financial crisis. David, as leader of the opposition, you were saying banks were over-regulated, so I'm not going to take any lectures from you on the global financial crisis."

Both received applause.

Leanne Wood: "I Agree With Nicola"

One of the biggest buzz-phrases which emerged during the last general election in 2010 was "I agree with Nick", as Gordon Brown extended a friendly hand towards the Liberal Democrats - kingmakers during the first hung parliament in decades.

Five years on, and Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru had slightly adapted the phrase to "I agree with Nicola", as she aligned her party with the SNP on several major issues.

Nicola Sturgeon vs Cameron, Miliband and Clegg: The EU

The SNP leader certainly made things interesting when she launched a challenge to three parties at once - asking them to make a pledge to the four countries that comprise the United Kingdom ahead of any in-out referendum on the EU.

She said: "Nigel Farage wants to take the UK out of Europe - and David Cameron is taking us dangerously close to the exit door.

"They spent a lot of time talking about the UK family of nations during the Scottish referendum, but will they give a commitment that if there is an in-out referendum, no one part of that family of nations will be taken out of Europe against its will?

"Will the vote be counted separately in each of the four nations so none of us can be dragged out?"

David Cameron vs The Heckler: Homeless Veterans

The Prime Minister was praising the "brave and professional" armed services around the world when he was interrupted by a heckler from the audience.

Victoria Prosser made an intervention and shouted about how many homeless veterans were on the streets after completing their service.

Mr Cameron replied: "The lady makes an important point. There are people coming out of the armed services who have difficulties, and we should put money into armed forces charities helping homeless people."

After the debates, Ms Prosser explained: "He is using their name to garner votes because it might be a vote winner."

Nick Clegg vs Nigel Farage: Foreigners

During the segment on immigration, UKIP's leader claimed that, at 300,000, net migration now is 10 times higher than it was during World War II.

Mr Clegg decided to take Mr Farage to task, saying: "I'm married to a foreigner, you're married to a foreigner. Let's be open-hearted and generous-spirited."

Earlier, Nicola Sturgeon had said: "There isn't anything Nigel Farage won't blame on foreigners."

David Cameron vs Ed Miliband: Jobs

Towards the end of the debate, Ed Miliband returned to one of his pet subjects: zero-hours contracts, and claimed the Conservatives' "trickle down" economic experiment had failed.

Mr Cameron simply said: "Never mind zero-hours; with Ed there'd be zero jobs."


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No Winner: Debate Polls Point To Coalition

After two hours of debating on the NHS, immigration and the economy, no clear winner emerged from the televised showdown between seven of Britain's party leaders.

The first poll for YouGov gave the win to the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage second.

A ComRes poll for ITV had Ed Miliband, David Cameron and Mr Farage level-pegging on 21% and an ICM/Guardian poll had the Labour leader in top spot with a 1% lead over Mr Cameron. Survation put both leaders on 25%.

The high-stakes debate was the only chance for the two men who could become prime minister on 7 May to challenge each other face to face before the election.

But the inconclusive result and the strong performance by the outsiders pointed to another coalition for Britain.

Mr Farage emerged as the "Marmite figure" of the contest with the highest number of people thinking he performed both best and worst.

His remark that 60% of the 7,000 people diagnosed with HIV were "not British nationals" and that they were taking a toll on the NHS drew the most comments on Twitter.

They also drew angry responses from Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood and Ms Sturgeon.

Ms Wood told the UKIP leader: "This kind of scaremongering rhetoric is dangerous. It divides communities and it creates stigma to people who are ill. I think you should be ashamed of yourself."

And Ms Sturgeon added: "When someone is diagnosed with a dreadful illness, my instinct is to view them as a human being - not consider what country they come from."

Ms Sturgeon's success is likely to be claimed as a body blow for Mr Miliband in Scotland where Labour is predicted to be virtually wiped out by her nationalist party.

She challenged Mr Miliband on a number of points, taking him to task for signing up to the £30bn of austerity cuts proposed by the coalition.

Ms Wood stuck the knife in by telling Mr Miliband that the biggest threat the NHS faced in Wales was cuts and Labour.

However, Ms Sturgeon said she supported Mr Miliband's plan to increase the top rate of tax - although she would not agree on continued investment in Britain's nuclear deterrent.

The SNP leader teamed up with Ms Wood on a number of occasions. Both demanded if there was a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union it should be held separately in each of the four countries.

There were a number of significant clashes, not least between Mr Clegg and Mr Cameron who exchanged angry words on coalition differences over the past five years, with Mr Clegg savaging the Prime Minister on education cuts.

The Tory leader accused his Lib Dem counterpart of taking a "pick and mix" attitude to the coalition and told him: "We sat in the Cabinet Room together, we took decisions together."

But, ultimately, both of them appealed to voters in their closing arguments to let them "finish the job".

Another heated encounter saw Mr Clegg demanding an apology from Mr Miliband for "crashing the economy" after the Labour leader criticised his U-turn on tuition fees.

Mr Clegg said: "This is the man who was part of the government who said no boom and bust in the economy and crashed our economy, jeopardising the future generations and life chances of millions of people.

"I have prioritised, taken responsibility for the mistakes I made. Why doesn't Ed Miliband apologise for crashing the economy? You got it wrong on banking regulation."

There was little deviation from the script from any party, the only unexpected intervention was a heckler who asked how many homeless people on the streets were once in the Armed Forces. She was eventually removed from the audience.

There was tough talk on immigration from all three main parties, with Mr Miliband promising no immigrants would get benefits before two years, and Mr Cameron promising four. Mr Farage said as long as Britain was a member of the EU immigration could not be controlled. 

The UKIP leader attempted to set himself apart from the other leaders consistently describing them as "all the same" and in his closing speech told voters they didn't understand "ordinary people" and his party was the only one to offer "plain spoken patriotism".

However, as the debates closed it was the smaller parties that promised to offer an alternative - and the coalition parties offered to "finish the job".

In the end Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband finished the debate much as they started: "it's a choice between the two of us".

And the polls simply proved that, come 7 May, it will indeed be the closest of close contests.


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Seven Party Leaders Set For Debate Showdown

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 02 April 2015 | 14.59

The leaders of Britain's seven main political parties will do battle in a high-stakes TV showdown tonight, marking the only time David Cameron and Ed Miliband will debate each other in the General Election campaign.

The two-hour event sees the Prime Minister, the Labour leader and Nick Clegg joined by the leaders of UKIP, the Greens, the SNP and Plaid Cymru for a live debate before a 200-strong studio audience in Salford.

The event is the first and only debate featuring all the leaders to be held before voters go to the polls on 7 May and has the potential to shape the course of the remaining five weeks of campaigning.

:: For full coverage of the General Election 2015 click here

During the debate - which is hosted by ITV - the leaders will give an uninterrupted one-minute answer to each question posed by the audience.

There will then be up to 18 minutes of debate for each question. ITV said "four substantial election questions" will be addressed in all.

Leaders will not be given advance notice of the questions, which have been selected by an "experienced editorial panel".

Sky News will broadcast the debate live from 8pm until 10pm, with coverage also available online and via Sky News apps.

Greens leader Natalie Bennett will make the first opening statement, while Mr Cameron is scheduled to speak last.

Campaigning is expected to be largely placed on hold today as the party leaders make their final preparations for the event.

Key issues in the first three days of the campaign have included the battle between the Conservatives and Labour over economic policies and support for business.

Labour has been campaigning heavily on the use of zero-hours contracts, saying it will outlaw "exploitative" contracts if it wins power.

The Liberal Democrats have sought to highlight mental illness as a major issue.

Speaking at Bishopbriggs in East Dunbartonshire on Wednesday, Mr Clegg insisted he would not be losing any sleep ahead of tonight's event.

"I have been in politics long enough now to know that you shouldn't over-think these things or over-rehearse them," he said.

"I will try and answer the questions as best as I can and make sure that the Liberal Democrat voice is heard loud and clear in the cacophony of other political voices that will be represented on that stage."

Mr Cameron is also apparently relaxed about the debate, according to his wife Samantha who spoke as she made a solo appearance on the campaign trail in the Rochester and Strood constituency.

Asked how her husband was feeling, Mrs Cameron said: "He doesn't seem too nervous, but I have to say I'm very glad it's him and not me."

The three-way debates in 2010 saw a boost in the polls for Mr Clegg, although this year's debate is more likely to present an opportunity for one of the smaller party leaders such as Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP or Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood.

While campaigning at a factory in Huddersfield on Wednesday, Mr Miliband said the debate was a good opportunity to speak directly to Britons.

"The way I'm going to prepare for this debate is by coming to talk to good people here and keep campaigning," he said.

"The thing I value about the debate is the chance to talk directly to the British people, as I am doing today, about the things that matter to me and how I want to change the country," he added.

UKIP's campaign chief Patrick O'Flynn said Nigel Farage is preparing "rigorously" for the event.

"Obviously this will be the only chance he gets to be on the same stage as David Cameron and that's David Cameron's doing, not Nigel Farage's, so that again means that there will be key arguments to put there," Mr O'Flynn said.

Ms Sturgeon described the debate as "historic" and added: "Tonight's debate will hear a real progressive alternative to Westminster cuts.

"The SNP will be a positive and constructive voice, willing and ready to join forces with others in a progressive alliance to end austerity and to protect vital public services like the NHS."

In a video posted on Twitter by the Green Party, Ms Bennett said she was "really looking forward to the debate".

She added: "Finally, the debate about the debates has finished and we can now start talking about the issues."

Ms Wood, who believes her party could hold the balance of power after the election, wrote a message on her Facebook page this morning which said: "Big day for Plaid Cymru today. A big thanks to all for your kind messages."

:: Watch the seven-way leaders' debate live and in full from 8pm on Sky News, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132, Freesat channel 202, and on the Sky News website.


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What's At Stake For The Seven Party Leaders?

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Tonight's TV debate is the big one, in terms of the number of party leaders taking part.

Seven leaders, including an initially-reluctant David Cameron, will clash for two hours in a debate chaired by ITV's Julie Etchingham, formerly of Sky News.

After Mr Cameron and Ed Miliband endured bruising interrogations by Jeremy Paxman in the Sky News/Channel 4 showdown, this time it's different: a real debate between the seven.

Still to come is a debate involving the leaders of the five smaller parties and then a Question Time-style event with Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Nick Clegg.

:: For full coverage of the General Election 2015 click here

But tonight is the only opportunity for the PM, Leader of the Opposition and DPM to challenge each other in debate, and perhaps also to be embarrassed by the leaders of the smaller parties.

So what do the seven stand to gain or lose?

:: David Cameron (Conservative)

Gain: The PM surely can't be as ill-prepared and exposed as he was by Jeremy Paxman's blistering opening questions on food banks and zero-hours contracts.

He is likely to be better-briefed on the sort of questions that could leave him open to the charge that he's out of touch with ordinary voters.

Lose: After notoriously shouting "Calm down, dear!" across the despatch box at Labour's Angela Eagle in PMQs, he needs to be careful how he deals with his three female opponents, particularly the formidable Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP.

Any "Bullingdon Club" or "Flashman" temper would be disastrous on TV.

:: Ed Miliband (Labour)

Gain: He needs to build on his "Hell yes!" toughness that began to emerge towards the end of his Paxman clash.

At the same time, if he can appear more statesmanlike and more measured than the leaders of the smaller parties he may convince the many doubters among voters that he could be PM material after all.

Lose: If he's poor on the economy he'll be in big trouble.

He will be attacked as a spendthrift socialist by Cameron and Clegg, but denounced for backing Tory cuts by Sturgeon and the Greens' Natalie Bennett.

A member of the audience is bound to ask about his brother again. He was wobbly on that, too, first time.

:: Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats)

Gain: This is his big chance, after being shut out of the Paxman interviews.

He has a chance to claim the credit for coalition successes like raising income tax thresholds.

He can also sound moderate on the economy by attacking Tory cuts and Labour spending.

He will have allies in the debate, too, for his pro-EU stance.

Lose: The same pro-EU stance will leave him vulnerable to attacks from UKIP's Nigel Farage, who roughed him up in last year's Euro-election debates.

He also risks looking like an also-ran by being lumped together with the leaders of the minor parties.

He will be accused of betrayal over his tuition fees U-turn too.

:: Nigel Farage (United Kingdom Independence Party)

Gain: A great opportunity to display his man-of-the-people common touch and kick lumps out of the established parties and portray them as "the Westminster elite".

His humour and flamboyant style should come over well in a TV debate and if he's on form he could make his opponents look wooden and aloof from voters.

Lose: At the same time, his style alienates some voters, who regard him as "the pub bore" who's anti-everything and wants Britain to return to life as it was in the 1950s.

He's vulnerable, too, on accusations against some Kippers of expense-fiddling, racism and homophobia.

Needs to be careful debating against women opponents.

:: Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party)

Gain: Scotland's new First Minister has the potential to be the star of the show and inflict more misery on Labour.

She's more serious and business-like than the flamboyant Alex Salmond.

She will attack the two big parties on austerity and Trident and David Cameron would be foolish to under-estimate her.

Lose: If the SNP has a weakness, it's that it can be guilty of complacency, though that was a fault of Salmond rather than Sturgeon.

Mr Miliband will want to use the debate to fight back against the SNP.

Critics also claim that on the economy, oil prices and the future of sterling the SNP's sums don't add up.

:: Natalie Bennett (Green Party)

Gain: For the Greens, this is the sort of publicity the party could only have dreamed of, Mr Cameron - in his determination to damage Mr Miliband and Labour - insisted on them being invited to the party.

It's a great chance to spell out the Green Party's policies and pinch votes off the Lib Dems as well.

Lose: Ms Bennett will need to be better briefed than when she self-destructed in a radio interview with LBC's Nick Ferrari, blaming a cold.

She will be attacked by her opponents over the Greens' record in local government, particularly in Brighton.

And many viewers may wonder why she's leader and not Caroline Lucas.

:: Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru)

Gain: Just being included is already a gain for Plaid. Both they and the SNP currently have fewer MPs than the Democratic Unionist Party, who weren't invited.

It's great publicity for a party that doesn't get much media attention UK-wide and has had nothing like the success of the SNP in Scotland.

Lose: Short of a Bennett-style disaster, Plaid really has nothing to lose.

They're there at the table with the big boys and girls, sharing a platform with a PM, a DPM and a Leader of the Opposition and a First Minister whose poll ratings and popularity are to die for.

:: Watch the seven-way leaders' debate live and in full from 8pm on Sky News, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132, Freesat channel 202, and on the Sky News website.


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Labour To Crack Down On Zero-Hours Contracts

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 01 April 2015 | 14.59

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

Workers on zero-hours contracts will be able to demand a regular contract after 12 weeks under proposals set to be announced by Ed Miliband.

The Labour leader will promise to outlaw "exploitative" zero-hours contracts in a commitment to be included in Labour's election manifesto.

The proposal strengthens Labour's previous policy on the contracts, which sought to give workers the right to a regular contract after 12 months.

:: For full coverage of General Election 2015 click here

Mr Miliband first set out the 12-week proposal in 2013 at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference, but later backtracked.

A spokesman for the party leader said the change back to 12 weeks would incorporate 92% of people on the controversial employment terms.

The proposal is expected to include exemptions for employees such as so-called bank nurses, who request a zero-hours contract so they can work at another hospital as well as their usual job.

The Coalition Government sought to prohibit exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts, but the Labour Party argues this does not go far enough.

The announcement comes after Prime Minister David Cameron admitted that he could not live on a zero-hours contract during questioning from Jeremy Paxman on Sky News' Battle For Number 10 programme.

Mr Miliband is expected to say zero-hours contracts have become a symbol of a low-wage, low-skill economy.

In reference to Mr Paxman's interview with the Prime Minister, the Labour leader will say: "If Cameron can't live on it, nor should you - Labour will give workers a legal right to a regular contract, not a zero-hours contract.

"Today I can announce that in our first year of government after the election, Labour will legislate for a new principle: If you are working regularly, you have a legal right to a regular contract."

But a Conservative spokesperson has accused Labour of "presiding over zero-hours contracts" for 13 years.

"Zero-hours contracts account for just one in 50 jobs in our economy," the spokesperson said.

"This Government has already banned the abusive ones - and all the while Labour presided over zero-hours contracts with no safeguards for three terms and 13 years while they were in power.

"Tony Blair even promised to ban them entirely as far as back as 1995 and then did nothing.

"The fact is that three quarters of the new jobs since this Government came to office are full-time - these are families across the country getting into work with the security of a regular pay packet."

:: Watch the seven-way leaders' debate live and in full from 8pm on Thursday on Sky News, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132, Freesat channel 202, and on the Sky News website.


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