Midnight Lord Ashcroft on Comment: Liberal Democrats 5% ahead in Eastleigh
7pm ToryDiary: Michael Fallon launches Thatcherite attack on Labour's failed approach to regulation of banks and the NHS
4.30pm Andrew Lilico on Comment: Why we lost the AAA and what it means now
4pm MPsETC: Seven more Tory candidates are selected
2.30pm Anthony Peto on Comment: Why Robert Buckland is wrong about the Justice and Security Bill
1pm Jesse Norman MP on Comment: We should celebrate the Children and Families Bill
11.30am LeftWatch: The Three Golden Rules that have guided the Liberal Democrats over the Rennard claims
Plus a video of Nick Clegg claiming that he's "outraged" at suggestions he did not take the Rennard allegations seriously and Simon Hughes insisting the Tim Farron-led inquiry will be independent.
11am Iain Anderson on Comment: Osborne should stay on his immediate course but chart a bolder future
ToryDiary: The Budget will be remarkable for its continuity. This Chancellor – rightly – isn't for turning.
MPsETC: It's final countdown time in the battle for Eastleigh. Can you help elect Maria?
MPsETC: Has Lord Ashcroft stopped giving to the Conservative Party?
Marc Glendening on Comment: Invasion of the Euro-McCarthyites — EU sceptics should be prepared to be smeared.
Cllr Alex Williams on Local government: Trafford Conservatives Council Tax freeze highlights stark contrast with Labour in Greater Manchester
The Deep End: Tim Montgomerie is wrong about wealth taxes, but so are his critics
Clegg insisted he didn't know about sex allegations against peer but now admits he ordered probe FIVE YEARS ago into 'non specific' claims of assaults – Daily Mail | Telegraph | Guardian
"Mr Clegg said he was made aware in 2008 of "indirect and non-specific concerns" about inappropriate behaviour towards women by the peer. The deputy PM said his office acted to deal with the allegations, which have been strongly denied by Lord Rennard." – BBC
"Initially the Deputy PM denied knowing the first thing about them until last Thursday. Yesterday, he admitted his office WAS told years ago, and that his own chief of staff was sent to grill Lord Rennard over them. So Clegg DID know." – The Sun Says
> Yesterday's LeftWatch: Nick Clegg's full Rennard statement
Commentators line up to slam the Liberal Democrats' and Nick Clegg's handling of the allegations…
A prominent and powerful 'Rasputin figure' who ruled the Lib Dem machine – The Independent profiles Lord Rennard.
Tory backbenchers call for Osborne to get serious about spending and cut taxes
The No-Turning Back Group will call for tax cuts: "David Ruffley, a leading member of the group, said: “Some of us would like him to cut public spending even more in order to fund tax cuts to inject a fiscal stimulus int o the UK economy at the Budget.”" – FT (£)
"David Davis, the former Tory leadership contender, argued that Mr Osborne, who has made the rating central to his austerity programme, had been undermined. “In part we are seeing the consequence of rhetoric outdoing reality. We have taken a tough position on spending cuts but we haven’t delivered it. We need to embark on a real cuts strategy,” he said. John Redwood, chairman of the Tory parliamentary economic affairs committee, said that the downgrade was a verdict on coalition policy and urged an immediate switch towards tax cuts and prioritised spending." – Times (£)
Tim Montgomerie: Britain deserved to be downgraded, the British political class simply isn't serious about cutting spending – The Times (£)
Kenneth Clarke and Lord Lawson predict longer-term problems for currency and economy after Moody's AAA rating downgrade – Guardian
FT leader-writers (£) criticises Osborne's decision to highlight Britain's AAA rating: "While the hallmark of a triple A rating has symbolic significance, George Osborne is guilty of elevating it far out of proportion. He pinned his colours to the rating agencies’ mast by using the preservation of the triple A as a justification for austerity. If the downgrade shatters his credibility with voters, that is an unforced political error."
> Today's ToryDiary: The Budget will be remarkable for its continuity. This Chancellor – rightly – isn't for turning.
It would hardly be "surprising" if the Conservatives lost the
Eastleigh by-election, Ken Clarke has said, becoming the first Tory
Cabinet minister to publicly admit the prospect of defeat – Telegraph
Trevor
Kavanagh looks forward to the Eastleigh by-election campaign: "If the
Tories lose, they have only themselves to blame. The seat was there to
be taken the moment Huhne was caught fiddling his speeding points.
Instead they sat on their hands and picked Maria Hutchings as their
lacklustre candidate." – The Sun
One thing’s clear about Eastleigh: it’ll be a wretched day for Labour – Boris Johnson in The Telegraph
Vicky Pryce's retrial begins today – Telegraph
> Please volunteer for the Tory campaign in Eastleigh.
John Kerry is due to meet Cameron and Hague, as part of first trip abroad as US secretary of state – BBC
Leader of Welsh Tories proposes tax relief for 40p taxpayers – Western Mail
Finance mogul, Michael Spencer, who handed the Tories £3million 'to be given a peerage' – Daily Mail
The chairman of David Cameron’s local Conservative association has resigned in protest at his support for gay marriage – Telegraph
The Electoral Reform Society claims police commissioner elections "failed both candidates and voters alike" – BBC
Don’t worry, there’ll be no flood of Romanians – Victor Ponta, Romanian Prime Minister, for The Times (£)
"Harriet Harman has signalled Labour’s willingness to reach an all-party agreement over Lord Justice Leveson’s proposals on press regulation, but warned Prime Minister David Cameron that “watered-down” plans would not be acceptable." – Scotsman
Spain's crisis could not have come at a worse moment – for her and for Europe – Rob Marchant for The Independent
Is marriage now just a middle-class institution? Today less than half of working class people wed but rates rise among high income earners – Daily Mail
> Last week's Comment piece from Harry Benson: Nearly one in two fifteen year olds experience family breakdown. That fact should shock us.
And finally… Andrew Mitchell to auction his bike for charity
"A friend of the politician said that the Conservative MP for Sutton Coldfield believes that the bike, with its distinctive basket, is too easily recognised after it appeared in the “plebgate” row he had with police in Downing Street. Since then, it has been targeted by thieves twice, while tourists and supporters have been stopping the MP to have their photograph taken with it." – Times (£) and the Huffington Post
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