BBC Nine'o'clock News, 4 April 1997

Michael Buerk presents the Nine'o'clock News on Friday 4 April 1997. The election news is dominated by the Liberal Democrat election manifesto. Reports: 1) Robin Oakley on the publication of the Liberal Democrat manifesto. 2) Niall Dickson looks at why the Liberal Democrats are calling for more money for education and health. 3) Peter Jay on the Liberal Democrats' economic policies. 4) Jeremy Vine on the dispute over Labour's devolution plans and what it means for their tax pledge. 5) Jon Sopel on John Major's rally at the Royal Albert Hall. In the second part of the programme: 6) Anne Perkins' campaign newsdesk: claims about Labour spending commitments, Cherie Blair wins an award from the legal profession, Carolyn Quinn reports from Paddy Ashdown's battlebus, and a Liberal Democrat has tripped up on a step at their manifesto launch. 7) Mike Baker on the party policies on education. 8) Brian Taylor and Robin Oakley discuss the campaign in Scotland and across the UK. Followed by Newsroom South East in which Mike Embley introduces a report from Jonathan Beale on Liberal Democrat proposals for London.