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Reaction to the Tory manifesto – 8 in the morning, April 14th

By Alex Smith / @alexmsith1982 * The Tories' manifesto could lead to massive VAT rises, experts have warned. * John Rentoul says the Tory manifesto is "the flying pig manifesto, lighter than air and rhetorically describing a Britain that is…

8am

By Alex Smith / @alexmsith1982

* The Tories’ manifesto could lead to massive VAT rises, experts have warned.

* John Rentoul says the Tory manifesto is “the flying pig manifesto, lighter than air and rhetorically describing a Britain that is never going to be.”

* Ken Clarke has vowed to give business a laissez faire attitude should the Tories win the election.

* One new poll this morning shows Labour to within three points of the Tories, but others show that the opinion polls are still volatile.

* Jonathan Freedland says: “the manifestos talk of the future, but this campaign is all about the 1980s.”

* In an interview with ITV tonight, Gordon Brown will admit that there was not enough regulation of the banks in the run-up to the financial crisis.

* The Lib Dems will launch their manifesto today, with an attack on Labour’s record on civil liberties.

* Has the BBC handled the manifesto coverage fairly, asks the New Statesman’s James Macintyre…