With a hung parliament the most likely outcome after the election, the main parties have set out their red lines for coalition negotiations in the coming days.
Labour
Getting rid of non-dom status. Ed Miliband said in a BBC interview that he would only lead a government that abolishes non-domicile status. Non-dom status allows ultra-wealthy individuals who reside in the UK to pay far less tax than a typical UK citizen, perfectly legally. The rule is based on the principle that people may live in the UK but regard a foreign country as their true home. For example, Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, is a non-dom.
A possible red line for Labour is cutting tuition fees to £6,000 a year. In February Miliband said he would slash tuition fees in England from £9,000 to £6,000 a year and increase maintenance support for students by £200m, funded by higher interest rates for wealthier students repaying their fees.
Conservatives
A referendum on the EU. Asked during the Question Time leaders’ debate which policies he would be prepared to compromise on in coalition discussions, David Cameron said: “The British people really do deserve a referendum on whether to stay in a reformed European Union or leave … I will not lead a government that doesn’t honour that pledge. That’s a red line.”
Liberal Democrats
The Lib Dems have six red lines:
• Protect education funding and spend £5.2bn more than the Conservatives and £2.5bn more than Labour have promised.
• A “stability budget” in the first 50 days setting out a commitment to balance the books fully and fairly. There would also be a commitment to investing in public services, including schools and hospitals.
• An increase in the personal tax allowance, to £12,500 from £11,000.
• Invest £8bn a year by 2020 in the NHS. This is the amount the NHS says it needs.
• Pay rises for public sector workers. The Lib Dems would introduce a minimum pay rise in line with inflation for the next two years and guarantee real-terms increases in pay once the books have been balanced.
• The party also wants Britain to play a lead role in the Paris 2015 climate negotiations to try to keep global temperature rises within two degrees of pre-industrial levels.
Nick Clegg has refused to rule out supporting Conservative plans for a referendum on EU membership if the Lib Dems go into coalition.
Scottish National party
No renewal of Trident. “Under no circumstance would we ever vote for the renewal of Trident or the spending of money on the renewal of Trident,” Nicola Sturgeon has said.
No support for the Conservatives. “The SNP would never, ever put the Tories into government.”
Democratic Unionist party
The DUP, which held eight of Northern Ireland’s 18 Westminster seats in the last parliament, has said it is willing to make a deal with the Conservatives or Labour as long as they commit to more money for Northern Ireland. The party’s other red lines include the scrapping of the so-called bedroom tax and an EU referendum.
Ukip
Ukip says it will only support a party that will hold an in/out referendum on the EU. “If Ukip do well on 7 May and find ourselves in a position of influence at Westminster, our absolute red line for trying to help anybody form a government would have to be that we want a referendum,” Nigel Farage has said.
Green party
The former Green leader Caroline Lucas has said none of the party’s policies should be treated as red lines in the event of a hung parliament.
