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Darling urges action on climate change

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:57:41 GMT

Chancellor Alistair Darling today urged the world's most powerful finance ministers to treat climate change with the same urgency they gave to the world economic turmoil.

Brown calls for global 'social contract'

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:56:14 GMT

Gordon Brown today called for a new global "economic and social contract" with the financial institutions to ensure taxpayers around the world would never again have to bear the cost of banking failure.

Council defends 'minimal' spying

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Poole Borough Council has defended its use of controversial laws to spy on a mother and her family 21 times in three weeks, saying it only invaded their privacy "minimally".

Village people: Conspiracy corner at the Queen's Speech?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

It was not Gordon Brown who called in Sir Christopher Kelly to report on MPs' expenses and staffing arrangements, but the whole traumatic business has increased the longing among some Labour MPs for a leader in whom they could have more confidence. But how can Brown be removed?

Kelly reforms are 'merely assumptions' and may be rejected

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Key reforms designed to clean up the MPs' expenses system may now be thrown out. All three major party leaders have thrown their support behind the myriad of reforms recommended by Sir Christopher Kelly's inquiry this week, and Sir Christopher said his measures should be implemented in full by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).

Schoolboy confronts Griffin at memorial

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, has paid a secret visit to a First World War memorial in Belgium – only to become embroiled in an angry confrontation with a 13-year-old schoolboy, The Independent has learnt.

Peers give up lobbying jobs in advance of Lords reforms

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Peers have already begun surrendering lucrative lobbying jobs ahead of the introduction of sweeping reforms designed to clean up the Lords and restore its tarnished reputation, The Independent can reveal.

Brown tells Karzai to sort out corruption or else...

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Gordon Brown issued a stark warning to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai that Britain will not continue to put its forces "in harm's way" in his country unless he is prepared to root out corruption.

DUP’s secret plot to oust Ian Paisley

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:55:38 GMT

Ian Paisley’s abrupt resignation as First Minister came amid secret DUP plotting to ease him out of office, a controversial new book claimed today.

Tory leader David Cameron speaks of 'faith in God'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:03:19 GMT

David Cameron has spoken frankly about his faith in God and his dread of losing another child.

Expenses row MP in 'election U-turn'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:17:36 GMT

A Conservative MP who said she would stand down from Parliament after being caught up in the expenses row has asked to be considered as a general election candidate after all, it was reported today.

Andrew Grice: The surprise sting in the tail in Brown's Afghanistan speech

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:47:06 GMT

Brown: We must not walk away from Afghanistan

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:58:31 GMT

Prime Minister Gordon Brown defended Britain's military mission in Afghanistan today, insisting "we cannot, must not and will not walk away".

Ex-Ukip MEP faces jail over expenses scam

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

A former MEP is facing a seven-year prison sentence after he admitted fiddling his expenses by tens of thousands of pounds, using the money to fund a love of fine wine and a new car.

Backlash at Cameron over Euro referendum

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

David Cameron suffered a backlash at home and abroad yesterday as his new policy on Europe upset Tory Eurosceptics and some of Britain's European Union partners.

Tories to raise entry requirements for teachers

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:01 GMT

A Conservative Government would make it harder to become a teacher by raising entry requirements for the profession, the party's education spokesman Michael Gove declared tonight.

More MPs set to stand down at next general election

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:42:47 GMT

More MPs are set to stand down at next year’s general election in order to take advantage of “golden handshakes” of up to £65,000 that will not apply at future elections.

Andy McSmith: Labour and the Soviet influence

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:13:24 GMT

Reading extracts from the diaries of the Soviet apparatachik Anatoly Chernyaev in the Spectator reminds me how long I have been on this earth.

Shadow minister cleared of breaking expenses rules

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:09:50 GMT

Shadow prisons minister Alan Duncan was cleared today of wrongly claiming tens of thousands of pounds in mortgage interest payments on his second home.

Amol Rajan: In defence of Tony Blair getting very rich

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:44:57 GMT

, I wanted to flag up a piece by Edward Heathcoat-Amory in last Saturday's Mail. It's entitled 'Inside Blair Inc'. It's what we in the industry call a cuts job.

Tories dismiss EU backlash

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:14:21 GMT

The Tories said a backlash from Europe "won't make a difference" today as David Cameron was accused by a leading French minister of "castrating" Britain's influence in Brussels.

MPs should get a pay rise – but will lose second homes

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

MPs shamed in the expenses scandal will still receive "golden goodbyes" of nearly £65,000 each from the taxpayer at the election after the sleaze watchdog decided not to penalise them. Sir Christopher Kelly's long-awaited plans for cleaning up the discredited allowances system demanded radical action to rebuild public confidence in Westminster.

Cameron backs down on EU treaty referendum

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

David Cameron declared yesterday that he would not allow his premiership to be dominated by a "massive bust-up" with the European Union as he shelved any Europe referendum for at least five years.

Cameron promises referendum on future EU changes

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:27:26 GMT

David Cameron promised today to change the law so that no further powers could be transferred to Brussels without the approval of the British people in a referendum.

Jane Merrick: MPs' expenses and the IPSA factor

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:43:36 GMT

After PMQs, a quick statement by the Speaker on the new chairman of what we have to call IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, who is Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, who I suppose we should refer to as PSIK.