‘There has never been anything splendid about isolation. It was our interdependence that put the Great into Great Britain – and it is what sustains our living standards today. In such a world, a dislike of foreigners is not merely offensive, but absurd…Far from being a party that tolerates pejorative comments about people’s heritage and background, Ukip in 2015 has to show that we have a serious internationalist agenda. We stand to realign our trade relations precisely because we wish to join in with the rest of the world.’ – Douglas Carswell MP, Mail on Sunday
>Today:
‘Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, commissioned research from his department in an attempt to demolish what he sees as the five biggest “jobs myths”. It found that 19 out of 20 new positions created this year were full time and the number of part-timers seeking full-time positions was down by a record 148,000. Two-thirds of the rise in employment since 2010 has been in managerial and professional occupations, according to the research.’ – Sunday Times (£)
‘George Osborne’s economic plans are the Conservative version of Michael Foot’s election “suicide note”, the chancellor’s former deputy David Laws will declare today. Osborne is planning public spending cuts on a scale that will make Margaret Thatcher look like Tony Benn, the Liberal Democrat minister for schools said in the most outspoken attack yet on his coalition partners.’ – Sunday Times (£)
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: The economic battle will be won in millions of hearts, not in the big picture
‘Paterson is unfancied by bookmakers. But he will emerge as leader of the Conservative ultras determined to take the party out of Europe. If David Cameron loses the election, Paterson will run for the leadership and he stands a chance of winning. Boris Johnson, however, will be back in parliament by then and despairing Tories will be looking for a vote-winner.’ – Peter Oborne, Sunday Telegraph
‘Miliband’s allies have accused Mr Alexander of ‘sulking’ after Miliband put Lucy Powell in charge of day-to-day campaigning in the Election. Alexander’s friends have hit back, claiming he is ‘frustrated’ by Miliband’s ‘inability to act decisively’…A well-placed source said: ‘The tension is palpable when Miliband and Alexander are together. Alexander talks down to Ed and Ed bristles at it.’ – Mail on Sunday
‘Ed Miliband’s election strategists have written off almost a third of Labour’s 106 official target seats, according to party insiders. The Labour leader’s team are now focusing on gaining around 75 constituencies, which would put him in Downing Street, but with a narrow majority.’ – Sunday Times (£)
‘Rail services in and out of London’s King’s Cross yesterday were cancelled as “essential work” continued a day longer than expected. The mayhem continued as passengers were re-directed to nearby Finsbury Park. The station there was swamped and forced to temporarily close due to overcrowding. Last night the Office of Rail Regulation watchdog launched a probe into disruption caused by Network Rail’s late-running works.’ – The Sun on Sunday (£)
‘Security chiefs have taken the dramatic step of withdrawing Royal Guards from their high-profile posts outside palaces amid mounting fears of ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attacks. Elite soldiers of the Queen’s Guard have pulled back from public positions at many landmarks in response to possible threats from Islamic extremists. For the first time since the height of the IRA’s terror campaign, the soldiers are also no longer allowed on sentry duty alone.’ – Mail on Sunday
‘Benefits cheats stole £1.13billion from taxpayers last year by lying on working and child tax credit forms, a report reveals. An estimated 420,000 people fibbed to bag an income boost, while a million made errors on forms leading to £880 million being wrongly paid.’ – The Sun on Sunday (£)
‘Taxpayer subsidies for large-scale solar farms on fields where crops once grew will this week be banned because they are a “blight” on the countryside. Liz Truss, the Environment Secretary, said that the sight of “row upon row” of large-scale solar farms on once productive agricultural land “makes the heart sink”.’ – Sunday Telegraph
>Yesterday: Liz Truss MP on Comment: Never forget the economic power of the countryside
‘Health bosses have issued official advice on how to combat a hangover — saying the best method is to stay sober. Experts state the obvious in a guide on the NHS Choices website.’ – The Sun on Sunday (£)
‘Fly-tippers face losing the cars or vans they use to illegally dump old furniture and rubbish. Under tough new laws, enforcement officers are to be given the power to seize vehicles from outside offenders’ homes or businesses without having to go to court for a warrant. Last year, councils reported 852,000 fly-tipping incidents in England.’ – Mail on Sunday