Election 2015: Back to basics for party leaders as final week of campaign begins

The Conservatives kicked off the final week of the election campaign by denying David Cameron has already admitted he will fail to win outright at the poll on 7 May.

Visiting the Bexhill bypass near Hastings on 4 May, the prime minister – replete with hard hat and hi-vis jacket – insisted voters had an "inescapable choice" between himself and Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Responding to rumours while campaigning in the south east and south west, an aide to the Tory leader denied Cameron has already told Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg he does not expect to form a majority government.

Labour leader Miliband was expected to face voters at a question and answer session hosted by the charity behind the living wage, Citizens UK.

He called the general election a "clash of two visions" about wages and the National Health Service.

Miliband was in central London a day on from his "policy rock" stunt, which saw the Labour leader next to a slab of stone with policies inscribed upon it, which web users duly – and inevitably –modified for laughs and other purposes.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Clegg has been on a whistle-stop tour of the London constituency held by his turbulent ally and business secretary, Vince Cable, in Twickenham.

The Lib Dems vow to plough money from fines levied on big banks into health care and have said the £227m Deutsche Bank must pay out for rigging the inter-bank lending interest rate – aka Libor – would be spent on "lifesaving health equipment".

With campaigning nearly over and no party having broken into a lead in this neck-and-neck race, bank holiday Monday looks like the time the leaders will return to their main messages to shore up support.

Elsewhere in the campaign, Ukip was due to launch its manifesto for Scotland with only four days to go until voters go to the polls.

Fresh from being endorsed by Russell Brand – the comic who told citizens to not vote – Green Party leader Natalie Bennett was due to give a speech on immigration.