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Darling could hold pre-election review 'to level' with voters

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:12:59 GMT

The Government could still hold a review of public spending before going to the country in a general election, Chancellor Alistair Darling indicated today.

David Cameron thinks that Canada can show us how to slash public debt. Is he right?

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

As a younger Gordon Brown was bolting the New in front of Labour in the mid-Nineties, he made frequent schoolboyish field trips across the Atlantic to study the slick campaign and policy lessons from Bill Clinton's victories in the US. This is the stuff of opposition, to learn from those who have blazed a trail you want to follow – and also to lodge in the public consciousness back home the idea that, yes, you are destined to follow them.

Ashcroft to be banned from giving more money to Tories

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Lord Ashcroft, the business tycoon who has given millions to the Conservative Party, is to be banned by law from giving any more unless he pays tax as a UK resident.

Tories may sacrifice Africa to fund climate change fight

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:02:33 GMT

A Tory Government could cut Britain's £9bn-a-year overseas aid budget by diverting up to £2bn of it to tackling climate change, aid agencies warned today.

Squatters ordered to quit MPs' house

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:50:12 GMT

Squatters living in a house owned by husband and wife Labour MPs, who are facing a formal sleaze probe over their expenses, were ordered to leave by a court today.

Sleaze watchdog probes MP couple's expenses

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:36:53 GMT

Labour MPs Ann and Alan Keen are facing a formal sleaze probe over their expenses, it was revealed today.

Public figures 'suing over phone hacking'

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:57:42 GMT

High profile figures whose phones were allegedly hacked by the News of the World are considering suing the newspaper, according to lawyers.

Targets urged to cut Heathrow stacking

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:46:37 GMT

Targets to eliminate excessive aircraft stacking - where planes queue up to land - must be set if a third runway is built at Heathrow, a report by MPs said today.

Targets urged to cut Heathrow stacking

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:46:37 GMT

Targets to eliminate excessive aircraft stacking - where planes queue up to land - must be set if a third runway is built at Heathrow, a report by MPs said today.

Ex-forces chief hits at lack of funding

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:27:23 GMT

A former head of the armed forces has accused the Government and the Prime Minister of spending the "minimum they could get away with" on defence in Afghanistan and putting soldiers at risk, it was reported today.

MPs' second incomes kept under wraps

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Key details of MPs' outside earnings remained a secret last night, despite new rules designed to boost transparency in Westminster coming into force.

Yard rules out inquiry as hacking row simmers on

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Scotland Yard announced last night that "no further investigation is required" into allegations that Rupert Murdoch's News Group newspapers conducted a massive phone-hacking campaign against thousands of phones – but the company's lawyers are braced for a rash of compensation claims from public figures who may have been targeted.

He may be implicated, but Coulson is too important to lose

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Denis MacShane, the sharp-eyed Labour MP, was one of the few people outside the Conservative Party to spot the embattled spin doctor Andy Coulson yesterday – in an inner courtyard of the House of Commons beneath Big Ben.

Prosecutors review phone-hacking claims

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:10:43 GMT

Prosecutors are to look again at claims of alleged phone hacking by the News of the World, it was announced tonight.

Proecutors review phone-hacking claims

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:10:43 GMT

Prosecutors are to look again at claims of alleged phone hacking by the News of the World, it was announced tonight.

Yard rules out phone-hacking probe

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:40:46 GMT

Scotland Yard will conduct "no further investigation'' of phone tapping allegations against the News of the World, the Assistant Commissioner John Yates said today. But the Crown Prosecution Service is to carry out an urgent review.

'Free speech' defeats incitement laws

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:18:20 GMT

Peers today defeated the Government's attempt to overturn a "free speech" defence to the law on homophobic hatred.

Harriet Harman defends £5.9m bid to cut teen pregnancies

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:54:24 GMT

Commons leader Harriet Harman today defended a £5.9 million Government drive to help cut pregnancies among disadvantaged teenagers which actually saw the numbers go up.

Police probe phone-hacking claims

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:47:09 GMT

The Metropolitan Police was urgently trying to "establish the facts" after claims that its officers failed to act on evidence that reporters targeted an array of politicians and celebrities with illegal methods.

Police chief to investigate phone tap claims

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:10:25 GMT

Assistant Commissioner John Yates is to "establish the facts" about claims that the News of the World hacked into mobile phones, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner said today.

Police chief to investigate phone tap claims

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:10:25 GMT

Assistant Commissioner John Yates is to "establish the facts" about claims that the News of the World hacked into mobile phones, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner said today.

Cameron backs Tory chief over phone taps

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:19:48 GMT

David Cameron offered his strong support for Tory communications chief Andy Coulson today as the former tabloid editor came under intense pressure over alleged phone hacking by News of the World journalists.

Prescott attacks Cameron over phone tap claims

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:35:25 GMT

The former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott attacked David Cameron today for failing to take action against his director of communications amid the phone tap allegations.

Commons to study phone tap claims

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:31:49 GMT

The chairman of an influential Commons committee is poised to summon newspaper chiefs to answer "serious" questions following fresh claims about the use of phone taps.

Cameron aide in phone hacking row

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

David Cameron was last night facing calls for his director of communications to be sacked amid a row over telephone hacking.