The Independent stops short of offering outright support in its pre-election editorial to the Liberal Democrats.

However the paper, which has been strongly critical of Labour over Iraq and civil liberties, says it wants to see a "significantly larger force" of Lib Dem MPs and Gordon Brown replacing Tony Blair "sooner rather than later".

It also carries an election scorecard on its front page and a tactical voting guide inside, to help readers make their own minds up.

The Mirror also offers a guide to voters on how to "bury a Tory," with tips on tactical voting in certain constituencies, while the Mail publishes alternative instructions on how to give Blair a "bloody nose".

The Express uses its editorial to urge its readers to vote Conservative, concluding: "We want a government that prefers to find solutions rather than to spin and deceive."