10pm ToryDiary: 21% ahead with ComRes
5.30pm Samuel Coates on CentreRight: In defence of Hug-A-Hoodie
5pm ToryDiary: Fastest ever fall in personal ratings for a PM
2.45pm Seats and candidates: David Davis launches ‘Ten Promises To Protect British Freedom’
2.15pm Seats and candidates: Getting blood out of a stone (a little more transparency on MEP selection)
1.30pm: PlayPolitical videos: ITN report on Henley result and Andrew Lansley explains why Polyclinics endanger the doctor-patient relationship
11.45am ToryDiary: Schools should be able to make profits
11am Peter Whittle on CentreRight: Samir Shah forced to resign from BBC (not)
10am: PoliticsHome has David Cameron’s reaction to Henley
ToryDiary: Massive victory for Conservatives in Henley, Labour come fifth
ToryDiary: Caroline Spelman should quit says Portillo
Local Government: The other by-election story…
Platform: Ben Jones charts the rapid progress of the Conservatives in Liverpool
Simon Chapman on CentreRight welcomes Tory opposition to the Planning Bill… and hopes we might make more of our standing up to big business.
PlayPolitical video: 100 second Sky video reviews Brown’s first year
Tories 18% in YouGov/ Telegraph poll – ToryDiary
"New Labour has long since lost its reputation as the party of economic competence. Only two years ago, at the time of the last election, Labour’s lead over the Conservatives on the crucial economic issue was 22 points. Now the Tories lead by 15 points. Those numbers will almost certainly not be reversed again during the next two years." – Anthony King in The Telegraph
"Mr Brown’s problem ÂÂ- and it may be insurmountable – is that MPs, the media and voters are no longer listening." – Peter Riddell in The Times
Cameron orders Tories to ‘go easy’ on Brown – Daily Mail
Caroline Spelman’s former secretary was first to question payments to nanny
"A former secretary of Caroline Spelman has rejected claims by the Tory party chairman that she used her nanny for constituency work and was justified in claiming her wages from parliamentary expenses. Sally Hammond, who became a part-time secretary to Spelman in 1999, told the BBC2 Newsnight programme that she was "shocked" to discover just how much her former employer was paying Tina Haynes." – Guardian
Wendy Alexander, Labour’s Scottish leader, faces one day ban for dodgy donations – BBC
David Cameron wins gushing praise in France – Telegraph
The Telegraph reports that Mr Cameron did not meet President Sarkozy. That’s NOT our understanding. ConservativeHome understands that Mr Cameron and the French President met for 20 minutes on the margins of the IDU; a gathering of centre right parties.
Ealing rape victim will stand against David Davis – Independent | Seats and candidates
Sir Simon Milton calls for profit-making schools
"Private companies should be allowed to run state schools at a profit and be free to dismiss teachers who are not up to the job, the head of the Local Government Association (LGA) said yesterday." – Times
Need more than tactical tricks
"Some time soon the Conservatives need to get serious. If Gordon Brownâs
government is buckling under the burdens of office, David Cameronâs
party scarcely looks ready for them. Hit-and-run politics is fine if
you expect to stay in opposition. A government-in-waiting has to come
up with a few answers." – Philip Stephens in the FT
Nick Robinson looks at whether the Tories are ready to govern – BBC
96% of small business leaders dissatisfied with Government – FT
Business leaders warn that Harman’s Equality Bill will be bureaucratic nightmare – Daily Mail | ToryDiary
30 peers employ staff who are also lobbyists – Independent
Annie Lennox backs Scottish independence – Scotsman
Oprah Winfrey and Elton John join birthday party for Nelson Mandela – Daily Mail
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