THE national election campaign shows no sign of slowing as polling day draws ever closer.

Yesterday, Ed Miliband claimed Conservative failures to tackle immigration have damaged trust in politics as he challenged David Cameron to match Labour’s plans to reformthe system.

The Opposition leader, who has previously admitted his party “didn’t get this right” on immigration when in government, pledged immediate action if he wins on May 7 with an Immigration Bill introduced in the first Queen’s speech.

David Cameron said his party will create 50,000 apprenticeships using £200million in bank fines from Labour’s “failed past”.

The Conservatives attacked a TUC study that suggests the period between 2010 and 2014 was the worst five-year stretch for living standards for at least half a century, with a party spokesman claiming: “This is desperate stuff from Ed Miliband’s union boss donors, just days away from a general election.”

Meanwhile, Nick Clegg admitted he sometimes imagines he is beating up Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls during his weekly kickboxing classes and also revealed in an interview with Classic FM that he has finally managed to give up smoking, despite all the pressures of the general election campaign.

Ukip would provide a “middle way” on benefits between the Tory attitude that all people on welfare are “scroungers” and the left which is too soft, deputy party chairman Suzanne Evans has said.

Ms Evans stressed the “benefits lifestyle” should not be promoted, but described measures, such as the so-called bedroom tax, as too tough.

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused political opponents of resorting to scare tactics as she claimed the SNP is the only party putting forward a positive vision in the general election campaign.

She will be challenged by Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy to support a freeze on energy prices as he campaigns with Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint in Glasgow.

Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson visited a bingo hall in Edinburgh to highlight her party’s pledge to ensure pensions rise every year.

TV property experts Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer have called on political parties to work together to create a longterm solution to Britain’s housing shortage.

They said building more houses was the main solution to the country’s housing problem, but the parties were just focusing on short-term policies to win votes.

Spencer said: “I’d say the chief problem of the housing market, which has built up over decades, is a housing shortage. We don’t have enough houses to the numbers of people.

“The political parties don’t have a unified policy on the important bits.”

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