hello. welcome to the programme. we start this hour here in the uk with the general election campaign. labour says it s committed to reducing the number of people legally migrating to britain if it forms the next government. but speaking earlier, the shadow home secretary yvette cooper refused to set a target or any date by which a reduction would be achieved. net migration, the difference between the number of people arriving in the uk and leaving, stood at 685,000 last year. labour s plans include more apprenticeships in jobs that are currently reliant on a significant level of migrant workers. here s our political correspondent ione wells. immigration is a sticky issue in this election campaign, and both major parties say they want to control it. labour says it would train more uk workers to fill skills shortages and it says firms that pay exploitative wages would be banned from hiring foreign workers. but labour have not put a figure on how much they would reduce it by, a
the scottish national party leader, john swinney, will formally launch the party s general election campaign in the next hour or so. let me take you live to the scene in glasgow, where the speeches have begun. he will urge people to vote snp to put scotland s interests first and will say independence offers the country a better future . let s speak to liz lloyd, former chief of staff to former snp leader and first minister nicola sturgeon. thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news. i mention independence will be part of his message. how do you think that independence message will be from the snp in the general election campaign? t will be from the snp in the general election campaign? election campaign? i don t think independence election campaign? i don t think independence will election campaign? i don t think independence will be election campaign? i don t think independence will be the - election campaign? i don t think l independence will be the forefront of this camp