What's happening

Today Local, mayoral and assembly elections take place across the UK. Referendums are held in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wakefield on whether to introduce directly-elected mayors

Today Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato general secretary, visits London and meets David Cameron and William Hague

9.45 The High Court hears a challenge to the Parliament Square protest eviction brought by campaigner Maria Gallastegui

10.00 The National Institute for Economic and Social Research holds press conference to launch its quarterly forecast for the UK and world economies

12.30 Pensions minister Steve Webb makes a speech to the all-party parliamentary group on occupational pensions

What's been said

These local elections will measure the role of English ignorance towards Scotland and Wales in Britain's disintegrating union, says Martin Kettle in The Guardian

The Murdoch and News Corporation scandal has positioned Cameron's party as the last defender of a collapsing empire, says Peter Oborne in the Daily Telegraph

It’s easy to kick Nick Clegg’s party for its mistakes, but it’s absurd to want to vote them into political oblivion, says Anushka Asthana in The Times (£)

London is a better place for the Mayor, and largely because of Livingstone's policies, says Steve Richards in The Independent