Cameron's Northern Visit 'Back On'

The Conservative leader David Cameron has said his visit to the North will now go ahead as scheduled.

Earlier, it was believed the trip would be cancelled because of a renewed ash cloud threat causing disruption to Northern Ireland's airspace.

The Tory team said he would not be able to come after flights into and out of NI were grounded until at least 1pm.

But it is said flights in and out of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will resume as normal after this time.

Mr Cameron is due to visit to back candidates standing under the joint Conservatives and Unionists banner.

Last month Mr Cameron caused controversy when, in an interview with Jeremy Paxman on BBC1, he mentioned Northern Ireland as a region in which the public sector is too big.

However the Tory leader is due to say that Northern Ireland will never be singled out over and above any other part of the UK for public spending cuts.

He will emphasise that a future Tory government will continue to fund Northern Ireland according to its needs, and will tackle the deficit while protecting essential frontline public services.

Meanwhile Labour's Ed Balls and Peter Hain have made the headlines this morning in their call for "tactical voting" to "keep the tories out".

Schools Secretary Ed Balls told the New Statesman that he always wanted Labour to win but recognised there was "an issue" in Lib Dem/Tory marginals.

But Gordon Brown told GMTV he did not back tactical voting and wanted people to "vote Labour" .

The Lib Dems have called it "desperate" while Mr Cameron said it showed how it could lead to Gordan Brown remaining as PM.

Tonight all the four main local parties are due to get their say when the BBC broadcasts the final leaders debate before voters go to the polls on Thursday.

(LB/GK)