8.30pm: In case you haven't become familar with the live feed for CentreRight that now appears in the centre column here are some CentreRight highlights:
- Iain Duncan Smith is becoming a gay icon (apparently!);
- Jill Kirby would like to see more British Council offices closed;
- Greg Hands is unhappy at how UK foreign policy seems to be evolving to serve the re-election hopes of Labour MPs.
AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION... LOUISE BAGSHAWE IS ON QUESTION TIME TONIGHT.
7.30pm: BritainAndAmerica: Today's 'All you need to know'
12.30pm CF Diary: Hamish Stewart makes the case for social action and Samuel Coates wonders whatever happened to it
11am Parliament: Damian Green urges Government to take immediate action against human trafficking
11am PlayPolitical: Seven of the best Rory Bremner sketches
ToryDiary: What the Tories should do next
Platform: Less Woman's Hour, more Moral Maze - the Radio 4 that Peter Whittle would create
PlayPolitical: Telegraph TV launches its new 'Right On' politics programme. It's a very good twelve minute watch and in this launch edition Ann Widdecombe and Andrew Pierce debate Tory selection and Iain Dale confronts Simon Heffer about his view that most MPs couldn't get proper jobs outside of politics.
Click here for CentreRight updates.
Two Labour MPs report eighty Tories to Electoral Commission over 'mis-reported' donations
Conor Burns' reaction: "Permatan is up to his neck in the £103k mess from the think tank that has not thought up any ideas or published any reports (maybe they have been behind the advice to Brown which could explain his car crash of a Government?) so these two backbench stooges decide to try and throw a lot of mud at the other side to distract attention. The result? Even more people will be saying on the doorstep 'you are all the same' or 'you are all in it for yourselves'."
Guido has a look at the unsavoury nature of the two Labour MPs making the allegations.
Conservatives step up attack on Peter Hain
"Answering questions in his role as Welsh Secretary and speaking in a debate as Work and Pensions Secretary, Mr Hain faced a maelstrom of criticism of his handling of the donations affair. The Tory MP Nigel Evans told him: "Given your growing lack of credibility and the mire which now surrounds you, wouldn't the best prospect for new jobs in Wales be for you to quit your two jobs today?" Another Tory MP, Philip Dunne, described the minister as a "dead man walking". The Tories also attacked the Department of Work and Pensions over claims that it handed out national insurance numbers to thousands of illegal immigrants. Chris Grayling, the shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: "Just when the Secretary of State thought that things couldn't get any worse the chaos spreads to another part of his job."" - Independent
The Government is urging MPs to reject a recommended pay rise for themselves of 2.56% - Sky News
"In an effort to persuade MPs to accept a staged pay rise of 2.56%, Gordon Brown yesterday offered to forgo a large slice of his PM's pension and a salary rise of £26,000 to £215,000, by 2010." - Guardian | Ben Brogan
"Allowances are often wrongly portrayed either as personal expenses or as an addition to pay. In most cases, they are legitimate costs to allow MPs to deal with their constituents. The answer is to pay office and employment costs directly and to separate these from cash passing through MPs’ hands." - Peter Riddell defends MPs' allowances in The Times
Taxpayers being ripped off by PFI
"According to the National Audit Office, private contractors are running rings around the naive bureaucrats who manage the Private Finance Initiative. From the smallest items, costing tens of pounds, to the largest, costing tens of millions, they are getting away with charging almost whatever they like." - Daily Mail leader
The Herald suspends reader comments: "The Herald has been forced to suspend reader comments on its political stories because of persistent and unacceptable levels of personal abuse posted by some contributors. The decision has been made pending a review of the way our stories are commented on."
Watchdog seeks levy on £9bn electricity profits windfall - FT
Neil Kinnock's son arrested in Russia's latest attempt to bully Britain over British Council - Guardian
Paddy Ashdown has agreed to be UN envoy to Afghanistan - Guardian
Gordon Brown heads to China - ePolitix
Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary...