Parties keep campaigning low-key

Political leaders are attending the blessing of Prince Charles' marriage

Election campaigning remained low-key on Saturday as the main party leaders attended the royal wedding celebrations in Windsor.

Campaigning had paused while Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy attended the Pope's funeral.

Parliamentary candidates are now back seeking votes around the UK.

Three opinion polls for Sunday's papers suggest Labour has a lead of between 2% and 7% over the Tories, with the Lib Dems another 14% behind.

The surveys were done between Wednesday and Friday.

An ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph suggests Labour leads on 38%, with the Tories on 34%, Lib Dems on 20% and other parties on 8%.

A Mori/Observer/Sunday Mirror poll, showing only those certain to vote, puts Labour on 40%, Conservatives 33%, Lib Dems 19% and others 8%.

A YouGov/Sunday Times has Labour on 37%, Tories on 35%, Lib Dems on 21% and others on 7%.

Blair-Brown 'marriage'

Labour's first party election broadcast is set to show Mr Blair and Gordon Brown talking together and the pair has given what is thought to be their first joint newspaper interview for about a decade.

Mr Blair tells Sunday's News of the World all prime ministers and chancellors occassionally disagree but he and Mr Brown are united in their desire for a fairer society.

"So the personal bond, like a marriage, is also a political bond," he says.

What do I expect? A pack of lies as usual John C, Bath Your views: Party manifestos Early polls suggest Labour lead

During Saturday's subdued campaigning, Mr Brown said the government was prepared to give more money to help firms hit by the MG Rover crisis.

Liberal Democrat spokesman Malcolm Bruce accused the government of failing to act earlier against "bad governance" at the company.

His comments came as he visited Edinburgh where he spoke at Cabinet colleague Alistair Darling's adoption meeting as Labour candidate for Edinburgh South West.

Mr Brown also visited a housing development in the city, while Respect candidate Salmana Yaqoob was meeting Longbridge union leaders in east London.

The Conservatives meanwhile launched a plan to save GPs surgeries, which they say could be put at risk by government proposals.

Football campaigning

In Scotland, the Greens promised to put people and communities before business interests as they unveiled their election pledges at their spring conference in Glasgow on Saturday.

Scottish Nationalist Party leader Alex Salmond was among those speaking at a Save the Regiments rally in London.

The Scottish Lib Dems have condemned the SNP's tactic of auto-calling Scottish households broadcasting recorded messages from supporter and former Bond star Sean Connery.

Meanwhile, members of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) were at Priestfield Stadium in Kent where the party was match sponsor for Gillingham's home game against Burnley.