10pm ToryDiary: Whose Britain is it? Today's restrained, dignified mourners? Or the outnumbered protesters?
6pm Update: More reaction from commentators to Margaret Thatcher's funeral
3.30pm WATCH: Another set of videos from this morning's service:
2.30pm Mark Fox on Comment: The Bishop of London did Mrs T proud. The nation owes him a debt of gratitude.
1.30pm ToryDiary: The full text of the Right Rev Richard Chartres' address at Margaret Thatcher's funeral
12.30pm WATCH: Two videos from this morning:
12.15pm ToryDiary: The poetry of Margaret Thatcher's funeral
11am ToryDiary: Commentators react to Margaret Thatcher's funeral
10.45am MPsETC: Conservative parliamentarians react to Margaret Thatcher's funeral
10.15am ToryDiary: Why the significance of yesterday's IMF intervention shouldn't be overstated
ToryDiary: Margaret Thatcher's legacy should be a Conservatism For Bolton West
Members of Thatcher's Cabinets have had their say. So have members of David Cameron's. But it's right that today a "foot soldier" – in his own words – of the Thatcher revolution should have his say. Brian Monteith on Comment: On the day of her funeral, Margaret Thatcher is alive: the inspiration of my generation of conservatives – and of future ones, too
Also on the subject of Margaret Thatcher, Henry Hill's Red, White and Blue Column: Devolved politicians contest Thatcher's legacy
Local Government: Margaret Thatcher was not a centralist
Also on ToryDiary: A Government website has won a design award?! It’s true and, what’s more, it’s deserved
The Deep End: The lost tribes of British politics – day 3: the Labour left and the palaeo-socialists
WATCH: The Met discusses the scale of the security operation for Margaret Thatcher's funeral
Margaret Thatcher's funeral takes place this morning
"Through busy streets, past some of the landmarks of her time in office, Baroness Thatcher was returned to Parliament yesterday, scene of some of her greatest triumphs. … After so long out of the public eye, the former prime minister was allowed to take centre stage again on this, the first leg of her final journey. … There were no military bands, no massed crowds lining the streets, and none of the pomp and ceremony that will accompany her funeral today." – Daily Mail
> Today:
> Yesterday:
As William Hague pays tribute to the Iron Lady
"Margaret Thatcher ‘would not be the slightest bit upset’ by the controversy generated by her death and modern Britain needs a dash of her resolve, William Hague said last night. … Devoting his entire annual speech at the Lord Mayor’s Easter Banquet to her memory, Mr Hague suggested the Tories needed to show Thatcherite determination on issues ranging from reform of public services to tax rates and Britain’s future in Europe." – Daily Mail
The Daily Telegraph suggests that the Tories adopt "Thatcher Blue" as their colour
"…Margaret Thatcher liked blue, but her fashion adviser Margaret King knew that lighter blue did not always look good on her. So she found a less brash blue for Linton Tweeds suits for the party conference. It came to be known as conference blue. Now it might be called Thatcher blue. The Conservatives could do worse than to adjust their own blue livery to match it." – Daily Telegraph editorial
Further remembrance and comment
The IMF's warning for George Osborne
"The International Monetary Fund slashed its UK growth forecasts to a mere 0.7 per cent in 2013 and 1.5 per cent in 2014 – a 0.3 percentage point cut for each year. … The highly respected global watchdog also said the Chancellor should consider watering down his plans to cut the deficit as its doubts hardened over his tax hikes and spending cuts." – Daily Mail
And a warning from MEPs, too: the EU might sting us for an extra £2 billion
"Brussels has already angered ministers by demanding an extra 11.2 billion euro (£9.3 billion) this year to plug a black hole in its budget – landing Britain with an extra £1.4 billion bill. … But MEPs have now warned that the true hole in the EU budget will hit 16.2 billion euro (£13.5 billion) this year – potentially landing the UK with a demand for another £2billion." – Daily Mail
The Government on libel reform: watch this space
"MPs rejected plans passed by the House of Lords which would have made it impossible for a company to sue unless they could show that they have suffered significant financial loss. … But Justice Minister Helen Grant last night offered to look again at the issue of financial losses – hinting that the government would bring in a fresh amendment in the House of Lords next week to strengthen the safeguards." – Daily Mail
The Government on planning reform: watch this space
"…after complaints that the planning relaxation would set neighbour against neighbour, Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, said that he was willing to agree a 'sensible compromise'. … Mr Pickles had been facing a rebellion among Tory and Lib Dem MPs but he averted a damaging Commons defeat by promising to present the compromise in the Lords next week." – The Times (£)
"Sam Gyimah, the Prime Minister's parliamentary private secretary, is campaigning against a development of up to 140 homes in his local area." – Daily Telegraph
> Yesterday's video to WATCH: Today's debate on the Growth and Infrastructure Bill – including the Government's compromise offer on planning
A design award for a Government website
"The government rarely receives accolades for design but on Tuesday its website won the Design of the Year award for 2013. … The new site (Gov.uk) brings together the hugely disparate sources of information, forms and regulations for everything from benefits and citizenship to taxation and business, previously strewn across a plethora of websites." – Financial Times
> Today on ToryDiary: A Government website has won a design award?! It’s true and, what’s more, it’s deserved
New charges in the NHS? Jeremy Hunt isn't keen on the idea…
"Jeremy Hunt, health secretary, said on Tuesday he would 'oppose' the introduction of new user charges into the NHS, as he responded to comments made by the chairman of NHS England to the Financial Times." – Financial Times
The battle between Lord McAlpine and Sally Bercow rages on
"Speaker's wife Sally Bercow is not 'some kitchen table blogger' and her tweet about a Tory peer had a major influence on him being falsely identified as a paedophile, a court heard yesterday. … Only a 'moron in a hurry' would have failed to understand that the comment she sent about Lord McAlpine referred to false claims that he had abused boys at a care home, it was alleged." – Daily Mail
Labour's 35 per cent strategy: the Mail quotes Lord Ashcroft's ConservativeHome post in its coverage
"Former Tory treasurer Lord Ashcroft said the 'unambitious' 35 per cent target showed that Mr Miliband knew Labour's opinion poll lead was 'soft'. … He said Labour appeared to be 'turning away from reality' by opposing every cut put forward by the Government." – Daily Mail
> Yesterday:
Harriet Harman's warning for newspapers: sign up to the regulator, or we'll get full-on statutory
"Labour will support 'full-on statutory regulation' of newspapers if they do not join an approved regulator, the party’s deputy leader said yesterday. Harriet Harman indicated that Labour was prepared to pass legislation forcing newspapers to comply with an authority established by the Government." – The Times (£)
Jonathan Powell takes on the civil service
"Britain’s civil service is like an insular 'monastic order' that thinks the same way and 'lacks the skills for coping with a modern society', according to Tony Blair’s former chief of … Jonathan Powell said there was a 'strong case' for a royal commission to be set up to forge a new system of governance, admitting piecemeal reforms had failed during his decade working with Mr Blair and subsequently." – Independent
Almost one-in-ten pupils will miss out on their first-choice primary school due to demand brought about by the baby boom and immigration – Daily Mail
> Yesterday:
After the Boston tragedy, the Times's Richard Beeston asks: "Are we really winning the War on Terror?"
"The West has successfully blunted the campaign by al-Qaeda and other terror groups to launch spectacular attacks like 9/11, 7/7, Bali or Mumbai. But it would be wrong to assume that we are winning the war." – Richard Beeston, The Times (£)
> Yesterday's video to WATCH: President Obama's statement in response to the Boston tragedy
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