The Conservatives are keeping up their attack on pension provision, highlighted in yesterday's announcement from Michael Howard that he would fund a £10 tax credit per £100 of pension saving if the Tories won power. The Conservatives also ran with pensions at Friday's press conference, making it one of the most sustained themes of their campaign so far.
Today Mr Howard reiterates yesterday's pledge, as part of a five-point plan on pensions – the other promises being to cut red tape on pension funds, to end means testing and restore the pensions link to earnings, to offer a rebate of up to £500 on the council tax for pensioner households, and, finally, to use the "unclaimed assets of banks to replenish the pension funds of people who lose out when a scheme fails."
9am: David Willetts, the party's pensions spokesman, challenges Labour's leader of the Commons, Peter Hain, to detail what his party's pension proposals are. Mr Hain told the Financial Times there will be a pensions bill straight after a Labour victory "which will surprise everyone".
Legislation straight after an election is "not supposed to surprise everyone", says Mr Willetts, who says proposals should be in the manifesto.
9.10am: Open to questions. I don't think compulsion is inevitable, says Mr Howard, saying it's not the role of the government to tell young couples how to use their money, but to offer them tax breaks if they do save.
As is his wont during these early morning press conferences, the party's advertising guru, Lord [Maurice] Saatchi, stands guarding the door against late-comers, and watching his leader's performance.
9.15am: Nick Robinson of ITN turns the questioning onto health. Mr Howard says he is quite happy to sign Labour's petition, launched today, to keep the NHS free at the point of use.
As the clock ticks towards Labour's press conference at 9.30am, journalists start eyeing the door nervously – although it's only next door, it can take a good 10 minutes to get through the heavy security at these events.
The Independent asks what priority the Tories give to the environment, especially if they are committed to cutting English Nature's budget. Mr Howard says he was the environment secretary at the time of the 1991 Rio Earth Summit, and persuaded George Bush senior to sign up to the precursor agreement to Kyoto.
