Labour would keep 50p tax rate

Chancellor makes admission on controversial rate as party accuses the Tories of £34 billion in unfunded promises

Big Dave is watching you: call the Samaritans

David Cameron channels the spirit of Kim Jong Il as he launches his election campaign with a huge poster of himself

Why party promises neeed independent scrutiny

The current system of costing manifesto claims is tarnishing the reputation and impartiality of the Civil Service

Bonds allow companies to sidestep the banks

The reason for the surge in bond finance is that the crippled banks have been shut out of the lending market

Tories’ NHS pledges vanish from manifesto

The Conservative Party draft manifesto on the NHS appears to downgrade, change and omit several key promises

Cameron stumbles over tax breaks for marriage

abour tonight claimed that the Conservatives are in disarray over their pledge to recognise marriage through the tax system

Live: election - the phoney war begins

Electioneering begins with a host of speeches and political campaign visits at the start of an election year

Navy 'facing a struggle for survival'

Warship report warns that the most important ships will be left unprotected as the Treasury looks to cut defence spending

Aspiration the buzz word for leaders

Gordon Brown and David Camerron occupy the same ground as the electorate shows an appetite for the promise of improvement

Tory manifesto ‘has £50bn black hole’

Alistair Darling courts controversy by using figures from Treasury civil servants to make claims against George Osborne

Fury on MacAskill plan to reveal suspects’ past

Justice Secretary accused of "playing to the gallery'" as he considers if juries should be told of previous convictions in wake of lessons of Tobin...

Futures Trust pays staff £1m ‘but has built nothing’

The Scottish Futures Trust has racked up more than £1 million in salary costs for senior staff but has yet to build a single school or hospital

Tories pledge to curb supermarkets’ powers

Ombudsman would handle complaints against retailers that squeeze the profit margins of farmers, growers and processors

Brown accused of debt 'fantasy' as he changes tack

PM is making himself 'look foolish' by reviving controversial claim that public spending will rise next year, Lib Dems say

Can the West avoid Russia's fate in Afghanistan?

Two former war heroes say the same mistakes are being made

The French empire strikes back

Its colonies are wildly expensive and troublesome, but France is too proud to let the sun set on the 'outre-mer'

My long march to be a Tory MP in Cumbria

Rory Stewart - a soldier, diplomat and charity founder who had worked in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan - now seeks votes

A sense of release

Kevin Dunion on giving power back to Scotland's people

Cuts will force universities to close courses

Government spending cuts of up to 30% will force universities to close hundreds of courses, according to one vice-chancellor

Family receives record £279,000 housing benefit

Figures released show London family are being paid £2,875 a week for a seven-bedroom house in the north borough of Brent