The Conservatives say that they would start cutting Whitehall spending plans from day one of a David Cameron Government, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said for the first time that Whitehall budgets for the financial year which starts in April would be ripped up. He confirmed that it meant some middle class tax breaks will be scrapped.
Osborne added that the Tories needed to show they were willing to start cutting costs immediately.
“Programmes that …

The Tories pledged to ditch the units system for labelling alcoholic drinks today, instead, details will be given on what volume of alcohol beverages contain, as well as how many calories, the Daily Mail reports.
The Conservatives are also unveiling proposals for tackling issues such as obesity, drug use and teenage pregnancy.
A payment by results scheme for local councils and NHS services would be introduced, with extra rewards for improving the health of the poorest.
Advertisers will …

According to a recent poll, the support for Labour has slumped two points since early December to 28% – the lowest level since last September, the Conservatives have gained three points to 41%, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The Lib Dems are down one point on 19%.
However, despite claims that Prime Minister Gordon Brown was presiding over a “dysfunctional” shambles following last week’s putsch attempt, voters still believe he is the best person to lead the Labour …

Prime Minister Gordon Brown suffered a blow today when two opinion polls showed an increased Tory lead, the Guardian reports.
A YouGov poll showed the Tory lead had increased by three points and they are now on 42%, while support for Labour is down 1% to 30% and the Lib Dems are also down one point, to 16%.
A separate ComRes poll suggested that 60% of voters saw Labour as the most divided of the main parties. …

Conservative leader David Cameron and his Liberal Democrat counterpart Nick Clegg demanded immediate General Election to be called after yesterday’s coup attempt by former ministers against Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Both Cameron and Clegg said that Labour was no longer fit to govern. “If ever there was a time when our country needed strong leadership and a united Government, it’s today,” Cameron said, according to the Guardian.

The Conservatives say that Britain has only eight days of gas supplies left based on current usage levels, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Figures obtained by the Tories suggested that if the icy weather conditions continue, storage supplies could begin to run out early next week.
Shadow Energy Secretary Greg Clark accused the Government of negligence over the issue, claiming they had ignored repeated warnings over potential shortages.

Conservative leader David Cameron confirmed that he would offer tax breaks for married couples if he wins the next election, the Daily Telegraph reports.
“It’s something we will definitely do in the next parliament,” Cameron said.
Shadow Chief Secretary Philip Hammond added that it’s a clear commitment for the first term of a Conservative Government. “We will introduce a recognition of marriage in the tax system,” he said.
In today’s world it’s certainly important to offer people incentives …

The Conservatives launched their agenda on health and the NHS today, emphasising that they will never change the idea at the heart of NHS – “that healthcare in this country is free at the point of use and available to everyone based on need, not ability to pay”.
The Conservatives said in a press release that Labour promised to save the NHS but today, despite the massive increase in spending, the gap in health outcomes between …

Shadow immigration minister Damian Green promised that a Conservative Government would make police forces stop storing innocent people’s DNA, politics.co.uk reports.
Green’s own DNA was deleted from the Metropolitan police’s records as he was an “exceptional case”, he claimed, after he was arrested last year on suspicion of assisting a Government leaker.
Over one million people continue to have their DNA records stored on the databases of police forces, however.
The Tories’ research into the database has shown …

The Tories have called on Labour to do more to help firms through the recession after figures obtained by the party show almost 27,000 have gone bust since last year, Sky News reports.
Data from the Insolvency Service reveals 17,500 more companies have been made bankrupt in the current economic crisis than during the 1980s’ recession, and 3,000 more than in the 1990s.
“Despite Alistair Darling’s attempt to cover up the truth, this confirms what many people …

A recent poll shows that the gap between the Conservative Party and Labour has narrowed to just nine points, epolitix.com reports.
If repeated at the General Election, Conservative leader David Cameron would be denied an overall majority by five seats.
The survey puts the Conservatives on 38 per cent, up one point on last month and nine points ahead of Labour who were up two points on 29 per cent. The Liberal Democrats were down one on …

Tories promise to reinstate people’s right to self-defence and allow householders to use reasonable force to defend their families against intruders.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling raised the election stakes on crime by promising law-abiding citizens extra rights to defend themselves. If the Tories win the election, he said, they would tear up the law which lets householders use only reasonable force to defend their families against intruders, Daily Mail reports.

Conservatives’ shadow cabinet, altogether 28 senior Tories, are to pay back a total of £24,782 in expenses following Sir Thomas Legg’s inquiry, the BBC reports.
New revelations include defence spokesman Liam Fox, who must repay £7,984 in mortgage interest, repairs and council tax.
The Conservatives say they have taken the lead on expenses transparency by publishing the list.

According to the latest poll, the Conservatives lead over Labour has been cut to nine points, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The Conservatives now stand on 40 per cent, down two, Labour are on 31%, up two, while the Liberal Democrats are on 18%, down one.
It would still be enough to give David Cameron a Commons majority, but is a significant reduction from the 17 point gap recorded two months ago and is the fourth successive month …

Conservative leader David Cameron says that because of the measures unveiled by Chancellor Alistair Darling in the pre-Budget report, Labour have lost all right to govern, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Cameron accused the Government of ”irresponsibility, basic deceit and a complete lack of moral principle”. He compared Darling and Prime Minister Gordon Brown with “a couple of joy riders… not caring about anyone who might have to take over the mess they have created”.
Cameron also said …

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said that the Labour party should never be trusted with people’s money again and that the pre-Budget report today was a catastrophe, the BBC reports.
Every family in the UK would be paying the price for Labour’s mistakes, he said, adding that anyone earning more than £20,000 would pay more tax as a result. Labour’s pledges on spending and deficit cutting were not credible, he said.
In contrast, he said that the Tories …