Guido thinks that overnight counting is an anachronistic waste of people’s time and the civilised, sensible thing to do would be to count the votes the next day when everyone has had a good sleep. Only political junkies love the drama of the late night count.

Iain is claiming victory for his campaign to keep the overnight count.  However there will he admits himself still be nearly thirty pioneering constituencies for next day counting on Friday 7 May. 30 constituencies could easily be the difference between victory and defeat in this election so the result might not be known on the night...

The “we have no plans to raise VAT” formula of words that Tory spokesmen keep spinning is weak and actually suggests the opposite. The LibDems have rightly seized on this to launch their own attack poster – in a style which imitates past Tory posters from the days when they won elections on tax cutting manifestos. Guido won’t believe the Tories don’t expect to raise VAT unless they rule it out in the manifesto on Monday. It isn’t hard is it?  “We will not raise VAT in government”.  They will have no mandate for a VAT hike if they are not honest with voters…

UPDATE: Where Guy News goes first the BBC soon follows:

This morning’s Times is reporting that the Met are considering an investigation into the Transport Minister for a very dodgy receipt. Khan had his expenses claim rejected for birthday cards after the Fees Office  told him in no uncertain terms that his claim was against the rules.

Khan’s printing company Public Impact, run by former Labour Party staffers, then sent another invoice which Khan submitted to the Fees office. Crucially this one did not identify the bill was for greetings cards, the Fees Office coughed up for it the following month.

This goes beyond sleaze and is borderline fraud, over to you Scotland Yard…

Dave has got Sir Michael Caine to back his National Citizen Service – non-military national service – for teenagers. It is a voluntary two month summer programme part of the Big Society initiative delivered by independent charities, social enterprises and businesses. 

At the Press conference Dave has just used the “blow the bloody doors off” line…

Update: It only took three hours today for the Guardian to succumb to the Guidoisation of politics:

Michael Caine said

“You’re saying to poor people, ‘let’s tax those rich gits’ and I understand that. You slice up the cake, give everyone a chance, but don’t destroy the people that are making the bloody cake! I really believe about taking care of people, I don’t mind paying tax. It’s how the government spends my tax that I detest, really detest, because I see the waste. More money than all our income tax is spent on benefits. Now you tell me there is nothing wrong with that system.”

Finally we know how Charlie Whelan had free reign of the parliamentary estate:

Mr. Dunne: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 24 March 2010, Official Report, column 295W, on Charlie Whelan, what type of pass Mr. Whelan holds; when it was issued; and who the sponsor is of the pass.

Nick Harvey: Mr. Whelan holds a temporary pass (light blue) issued in June 2009. It is sponsored by the parliamentary Labour party from within an agreed allocation.

It was speculated that he was there on as a union officer,  but in light of this revelation, his claims that he is not officially connected to the Labour campaign look particularly shaky. What was the justification for this high level access granted to, essentially, a lobbyist for vested interests?

UPDATE: PA are now reporting that Bercow is to look into the reasons behind why Whelan was given the pass.  Michael Fabricant asked the House: “You will recall that the Prime Minister asserted in previous Prime Minister’s questions that he is in no way connected with the Labour party. Has any indication been given to you that the Prime Minister now wishes to correct his original assertion, which was untrue?” Quite.

Above is the Guy News rolling poll of polls from the last seven days. Tories and Labour down slightly, LibDems benefitting. Others unchanged.

Elsewhere YouGov reveal that 43% of voters are bored with the campaign already…

Gordon Brown implausibly claims…

“What people are saying to me is look, we have come through a lot and it has been a very difficult global financial recession, we’re coming through it, we’re coming out of it – Britains on the road to recovery, now don’t put that at risk”