ToryDiary: David Cameron declares war on the "nonsense" of the "over-the-top health and safety culture"
Dale Bassett and Luke Tryl on Platform: A rigorous academic education must be a right, not a privilege
Seats and Candidates: Selection timetable for West Suffolk
Local Government: Why is Boris recruiting press officers?
ThinkTankCentral: Profile of MigrationWatch
Patrick Cusworth on International: How the debate over emissions trading has helped create turmoil for the Australian Liberal Party
Another poll predicts a hung Parliament
"Britain is on course for a hung parliament after the general election amid growing optimism about the economy, according to the latest ComRes poll for The Independent. It puts the Conservatives on 37 per cent (down three points on last month), Labour on 27 per cent (no change), the Liberal Democrats on 20 per cent (up two points) and other parties on 16 per cent (up one point)." - The Independent
John Curtice: Now Cameron has reason to worry - The Independent
Allister Heath: A hung parliament would fuel UK crisis - City AM
> Last night's ToryDiary posts:
David Cameron in savage attack on Labour's 'pathological' refusal to accept that marriage IS key to happy families
"Labour was accused of a 'pathological' opposition to supporting marriage by David Cameron yesterday as he promised a Tory government would reward every wedded couple. The Conservative leader drew battle lines for the general election with a scathing attack on Children's Secretary Ed Balls, who had said marriage was not the key to a happy family." - Daily Mail
"Raising children is hard – but it is even harder to go it alone. That's why government should promote the best institution there is for keeping families together." - Jill Kirby in the Daily Telegraph
> Yesterday in LeftWatch: Who was that woman attacking Tory policy on marriage this morning?
Baroness Warsi pelted with eggs by Muslims
"The most senior Muslim politician in Britain was pelted with eggs yesterday and accused of supporting the death of Muslims in Afghanistan. Baroness Warsi, Shadow Minister for community cohesion and social action, was attacked by a group of Muslim men during a visit to Luton, the scene of race riots this year." - The Times
> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Sayeeda Warsi confronts Muslim extremists after they pelt her with eggs
Tories question Labour plan to find IT savings
"Tory claims that the government was guilty of a “complacent” lack of ambition on saving public money on IT sparked a row as government insiders accused the opposition party of misinterpreting a document leaked ahead of next week’s pre-Budget report." - FT
Zac Goldsmith says he would not be corrupted by power...
"Zac Goldsmith, the Tory candidate for Richmond, and one of David Cameron's closest advisers on the environment, insisted yesterday he would not be corrupted by power, and said politics had to enter a new era of transparency and integrity to regain trust, including on green taxes. In remarks lasting over an hour, he insisted no new nuclear power stations would be built under a Tory government, admitted he would not want the support of Rupert Murdoch's Sun and described the paper's campaign against Gordon Brown over his treatment of bereaved relatives in the Afghan war as repulsive." - The Guardian
...as The Guardian accuses him of hypocrisy
"At the weekend it emerged that the man who must be the richest would-be Tory MP, Zac Goldsmith, is non-domiciled in the UK for tax purposes. This is not, as the Conservatives say, a minor and private matter. It exposes an obvious hypocrisy: that while the party preaches austerity, in practice that may mean austerity for everyone other than the rich." - Guardian editorial
> Melanchthon on CentreRight yesterday: As I understand matters, Zac Goldsmith is legally entitled to non-dom status...
Rachel Sylvester: Would Cameron end sofa government?
"With his Notting Hill dinner parties and his close coterie of aides, the Tory leader is at least as cliquey as Mr Blair — and equally reluctant to listen to dissenting voices. If he becomes prime minister not only will he have a sofa in the Downing Street den — but it may well be purchased from his mother-in-law’s furniture shop Oka." - Rachel Sylvester in The Times
Michael Brown on the return of class warfare
"As Mr Cameron stands on the threshold of power it looks as though the issues of Tory toffery and class will, once again, raise their ugly head as the pre-election campaign threatens to turn nasty." - Michael Brown in The Independent
David Cameron apologises to MPs over Hizb ut-Tahir error - but stands by his point about the inappropriate use of taxpayers' money - BBC
> Yesterday in Parliament: David Cameron apologises to the Commons for error over Islamic school funding
Michael Gove: Public funds must not be used to propagate an Islamic state
"If we are to defend faith schools run in accordance with the principles of all our great religions, including Islam, then we need a proper investigation of organisations like the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation and Hizb-ut-Tahrir and an absolute guarantee that public funds cannot be funnelled to extremists behind the Government's back." - Michael Gove writing in the Daily Telegraph
Dozens of MPs reportedly refusing to obey Legg demands on expenses
"Dozens of MPs are thought to be refusing to pay back public money they were paid in excessive parliamentary expenses claims. Sir Thomas Legg, the retired senior civil servant who audited all MPs’ claims since 2004, has been sending out final requests for tens of thousands of pounds worth of claims to be repaid." - Daily Telegraph
Michael Martin complains about the power of the press over MPs' expenses
"Lord Martin of Springburn told the House of Lords of the "awesome power" of the press, and spoke of "vexatious" and "tit- for-tat" complaints being made against some MPs for minor infringements, while others engaged in more serious infringements went unpunished because no complaints had been made." - The Scotsman
Bercow: Parliament must reach out
"House of Commons select committees must be used to reach out to voters disenchanted with politics, Speaker John Bercow has argued. He said committees - which deal with single topics like education, health and defence - allowed MPs to "look at issues which matter enormously". - BBC
David Cameron's World AIDS Day message - Pink News
LeftWatch: Can you believe what the Prime Minister says?
Tim Montgomerie on CentreRight: What's your favourite political slogan?
ToryDiary: Eric Pickles blasts draft plans to give the BNP more broadcast time
WATCH:
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