Most Voters Want Farage In Leaders' Debate

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

A new poll suggests most of the public believe Nigel Farage should take part in any televised leaders' debates ahead of next year's general election.

A Comres poll has found 51% of people think UKIP should be represented alongside David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Lib Dem Nick Clegg.

Even more - 53% - say the Prime Minister would look like a coward if he refused to take on Mr Farage.

It comes amid Conservative fears that the right-wing UKIP could top the polls in England in next month's European elections.

Mr Cameron said debates "sucked the life" out of the last campaign

The party is enjoying a popularity boost after Mr Farage easily won a television debate against Mr Clegg.

The party thinks its overall poll position - which at 15% is well ahead of the Lib Dems - means it ought to be included in any further debates.

And Mr Farage has warned that if the party is excluded he will provide "an alternative form of entertainment on the evening".

The poll was carried out for Grassroots Conservatives, a Tory pressure group that feels the liberal wing of the party has too much control over the leadership.

Mr Clegg, left, had challenged Mr Farage to a debate

James Joshua, executive director of the organisation, told Sky News that Mr Cameron would be most respected by party members if he took the UKIP threat on face to face.

But some senior Conservative strategists do not want their leader to take part in the clashes at all - because they believe three debates in quick succession before the 2010 election cost the party a majority.

Mr Cameron said the debates "sucked the life" out of the campaign.

Others argue that UKIP should not be included because they have not achieved any success in general elections with no seats, while other small parties excluded from the debates do have MPs in Parliament. 

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Scotland 'Should Determine Its Own Future'

By Niall Paterson, Scotland Correspondent

"Put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands." That is the message Alex Salmond will deliver to delegates today at the SNP's Spring Conference.

As the nationalist party committed to fulfilling an 80-year pledge to gain Scotland its independence from the United Kingdom continues to reduce the gap in the polls ahead of September's referendum, he is expected to maintain that the vote is not about him.

"This referendum is not about this party, or this First Minister, or even the wider Yes campaign," he will say.

"It's about putting Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.

"Our party is hugely popular, and we are currently five, 10 and 15 points ahead in polls for Westminster, Europe and Holyrood respectively.

"But a Yes vote in September is not a vote for me, or for an SNP government in 2016.

"It's a vote for a government in Scotland that the people of Scotland choose, pursuing policies the people of Scotland support."

The speech, much like the campaign, will make much of the fact that Scots have voted in a way at significant variance with the overall result of recent general elections.

He will say: "I tell you what (the government of an independent Scotland) won't be. It won't be a government led by a party with just a single MP in Scotland.

"A government dismantling our welfare state. Determined to privatise public services.

"In an independent Scotland we can give this guarantee: The era of unelected Tory governments handing out punishment to the poor and the disabled will be gone and gone for good."

Mr Salmond says a Yes vote is a vote for the future of Scotland

Results vary, but the Yes campaign is still significantly behind the No vote in all major polls, although the margin has narrowed in recent months.

And despite the fact the Yes campaign has yet even to come close to a majority in said polls, the SNP leader in Westminster remains upbeat, with five months of campaigning to go.

"When people are able to contrast the Yes case with the No case and understand the momentum is going in the direction of the Yes case, I'm confident we will get a Yes result," Angus Robertson MP told Sky News.

"It might surprise some people in the bunkers of Whitehall and Westminster when it does, but when they wake up they will realise this is about Scotland governing itself like so many other places have decided to do over recent decades.

"We will have excellent relations with our friends on these islands.

"But we will always have a government that we actually elect making better decisions for people who life here - regardless of where they are from."

Given their lead in the polls it's unsurprising that the Better Together camp remains positive, despite considerable media and public opinion branding their campaign negative.

Asked whether it was easier for people to enthuse about independence rather than maintaining the status quo, Lewis Macdonald, a Labour member of the Scottish Parliament, told Sky News: "It's important to say there's a lot to be enthusiastic about.

"The union has worked very, very well for many generations and it's delivered us many benefits. But this isn't about change versus the status quo. This is about devolution, the kind of change that people in Scotland have wanted for a long time.

"It's a referendum that will be decided by the judgement people make at the end of the day. I think many people have made up their minds, some still have to choose.

"My expectation is that those people who still have to make up their mind will come to the same conclusion as those who have already made up their mind.

"At the moment, and for as long as I can remember the split has basically been two to one for remaining in the UK. I expect that the undecideds will come down in much the same kind of split.

"But only time will tell."

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Tories Attack CPS Over MP's '11 Months Of Hell'

Nigel Evans Prosecution 'Was Great Tragedy'

Updated: 3:24pm UK, Thursday 10 April 2014

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Friends of the former deputy speaker Nigel Evans have questioned the decision to prosecute the MP on charges of rape and sexual assault.

After a four-week trial at Preston Crown Court, the politician has been cleared on all charges.

Evans, 56, is regarded by many colleagues as one of the most popular MPs in Westminster. 

He was arrested after police turned up at his constituency home in Lancashire early one morning in May 2013.

A student who had stayed at Mr Evans' address several days earlier claimed he had been raped by the politician. 

From the outset the MP said the young man had consented to sex.

In relation to accusations of indecent or sexual assault from another six men, he insisted either that they did not happen or that he had misinterpreted signals from the alleged victims.

Despite the charges, friends said even before Mr Evans was cleared that they would stand by the MP.

Former MP Lembit Opik told Sky News: "I'm not a judge and I'm not a lawyer but I'm a human being and so is Nigel Evans and the great tragedy in this situation is, not withstanding the outcome of the case, he's been punished for two years.

"He's lost his job when he wasn't even found guilty of anything and we've really got to ask ourselves where is this country going if that's regarded as justice."

Mr Evans was a vice chairman of the Conservative Party and was promoted to the shadow cabinet after Iain Duncan Smith became party leader in 2001. 

He was one of three deputy speakers elected in a secret ballot of MPs in 2010. 

The politician is now openly gay, but he kept it a secret for most of his life, only coming out in 2010 after his mother died.

The prosecution in his trial had claimed that the MP "often when in drink, pressed his sexual attentions on younger men, on occasions using or trading on his position of influence."

Barrister Mark Heywood QC said that the defendant's behaviour had become more and more serious.

He told the court: "He not only abused those young men, in some instances very seriously so, but he abused the positions he held."

But the defence argued successfully that jurors could not rule out the possibility that some form of collusion had taken place between some of the complainants. 

The judge in the case, Mr Justice King, said in his summary that there was a "real possibility" that one of the alleged victims had put up some of the others to bolster his own account.

Many current and former MPs have come forward in support of Mr Evans.

His London flatmate, Conservative MP Brian Binley, told Sky News: "He is a congenial man and enjoys a drink, enjoys a glass of wine. He's also a tactile man as many of us are. And sometimes that can be misconstrued."

Novelist and former MP Edwina Currie has known Mr Evans for more than 30 years. 

Asked if she thought he would still be able to pursue his dream of becoming speaker of the House, she replied:  "I don't think it's appropriate to start thinking you can go back to exactly where you were. 

"You obviously can't after all of the trauma and the emotional pain of being faced by people you thought were your friends. 

"Nigel will need to move on after all of this and I certainly hope he does."

Mr Evans has much support in his Ribble Valley constituency.

Christine Dilworth is a friend and landlady of the pub adjoining his cottage in Pendleton. She said:  "We were most shocked for one morning police just to appear on your doorstep and take him off not knowing what for or anything.

"Basically, by being such a kind, open person, which he is, I think has been his downfall.

"His door was always open in the village when he was at home - always. Anybody passing would call in it was always an open house."

When he resigned as deputy speaker following his arrest, the MP quoted Winston Churchill, saying: "When you are going through hell keep going." 

Finally, he can start to leave the hell of this case behind.

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Co-op Bank In Record £1.3bn Annual Loss

The struggling Co-operative Bank has reported a pre-tax annual loss of £1.3bn and said it would not return to profit for at least two years.

The bank also confirmed it would not make £4.97m deferred annual bonuses to its former bosses.

Chief executive Niall Booker said an overhaul plan known as the liability management exercise (LME) had "kept the bank alive".

Taking into account a profit made by the LME, it said the loss was reduced to £586m for the year ending December 31.

Mr Booker said: "The results today reflect the magnitude of the issues that have come to light since I jointed the Co-operative Bank ten months ago.

"It is early days but initial progress on our business plan is encouraging and we remain enthusiastic about the long-term potential for the bank."

The embattled parent mutual, the Co-operative Group, lost overall control of its banking arm to US hedge funds in December as part of its rescue plan. It now holds a 30% stake.

The £1.5bn funding 'black hole' was added to in March when it revealed a further £400m gap, forcing it to seek further investor funds.

The institution, which continues to market itself as having "ethical principles", said it cut assets last year by £2.1bn and reduced staff levels by 14% - around 1,000 employees.

It said it would try to restore its capital position, and refocus attention on being a bank for householders and small to medium-sized businesses.

Part of the plan includes reducing its product range, along with improving digital and branch-based banking services.

Although former executives would miss out on deferred bonuses, Mr Booker is to receive a £2.9m pay package and £1.2m bonus - dependant on its future performance.

The bank's annual results were published on Friday after two earlier delays to the release.

The parent Co-op Group also continues to struggle to find its way in an increasingly competitive environment.

 Earlier this week the former City minister, Lord Myners, quit the board amid opposition to his planned reforms of the business.

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Co-op 'Power Struggle' As Myners Quits Board

The former City minister, Lord Myners, has quit the board of the troubled Co-operative Group amid opposition to his planned reforms of the business.

News of his resignation emerged just hours after Midcounties Co-operative, which operates Co-operative Energy as well as Co-op-branded food stores, voted against his early proposals.

Euan Sutherland resigned one month ago

His full report was not due to be completed until the end of the month but the work will continue despite his decision to step down as an independent director.

In interim findings released last month, after chief executive Euan Sutherland quit citing the group's structure as 'ungovernable', Lord Myners warned the group would collapse unless drastic steps were taken to overhaul a "massive failure" of governance.

His shake-up plans include a move to abolish its 21-member board, splitting it into two with a plc-style panel responsible for commercial decisions and representatives from its traditional membership sitting on a separate body.

It is reported that Midcounties is not the only regional board set to oppose the reforms though the board did accept his interim report's findings.

Lord Myners was appointed to the board in December and tasked with the independent review after a disastrous year for the Co-op in which its banking arm needed to be rescued by hedge funds following the discovery of a £1.5bn hole in its finances.

It has twice delayed the release of its banking division's results - now due on Friday - while the bank faces a series of investigations into what went wrong, as well as continuing questions over the appointment of bank chairman Paul Flowers despite his lack of knowledge of the sector

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Half A Billion Pounds 'Wasted' On Anti-Flu Drugs

By Thomas Moore, Science and Health Correspondent

Flu drugs stockpiled by the government for use in a pandemic have little benefit, according to researchers who've carried out a comprehensive new analysis.

The Department of Health has spent £473 million on the antiviral medicine Tamiflu - and another £136 million on the similar drug Relenza - since 2006.

There are enough doses in storage to treat more than half the population.

But researchers from the independent Cochrane Collaboration and the British Medical Journal (BMJ), who have been given access to the full clinical trial data for the first time, conclude there is "no good evidence" that either drug reduces flu-related hospital admissions or the complications of the disease, such as pneumonia.

And they add that claims that they prevent people spreading the flu virus to others are "unproven".

Craig Heneghan, a doctor at the Cochrane Collaboration, said there was particular concern about Tamiflu because it increased nausea, vomiting, psychiatric events and kidney problems.

He told Sky News: "I am now clear this drug is not to be used in a pandemic situation."

The manufacturers have robustly defended their drugs, insisting that they are safe and effective.

The Department of Health has also underlined the importance of the antiviral stockpile.

The Cochrane Collaboration reviewed data from 20 clinical studies of Tamiflu and another 26 of Relenza.

They found they reduced the duration of flu symptoms by 16 hours, compared to dummy placebo pills.

Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor of the BMJ, urged the Department of Health to carefully consider the new evidence before refreshing the Tamiflu stock nearing its expiry date.

"If the government spends any more money on this drug they are not listening to the evidence," she said.

"I think it would be a strange decision to purchase more of this drug on the basis of the information we have available to us."

However, the Department of Health said the drug stockpile is a vital part of Britain's emergency response to a pandemic, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

A spokesperson said: "Tamiflu is licensed around the world for the treatment of seasonal flu and is a licensed product with a proven record of safety, quality and efficacy.

"We regularly review all published data and will consider the Cochrane review closely."

UK medical director of Roche, Dr Daniel Thurley said the company "stands behind the wealth of data for Tamiflu".

He added the researchers methods were "unclear and inappropriate, and their conclusions could potentially have serious public health implications....(antiviral drugs) are a vital treatment option for patients with influenza."

A spokesperson for GSK said: "We were committed to giving the Cochrane team access to the data they required from the outset and we are pleased to have been able to support their research.

"We continue to believe the data from Relenza's clinical trial programme support its effectiveness against flu and that when used appropriately, in the right patient, it can reduce duration of flu symptoms. Relenza remains an important option for health professionals who are responsible for deciding when these medicines should be used."

Other doctors have also come to the drugs' defence.

Professor Wendy Barclay of Imperial College London said reducing symptoms by a day was significant.

"In the community this gets people back to work and school, and having the drugs available also serves as a safety net to treat people who get sick enough to go to hospital."

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Arts Subjects Made Tougher In Exams Revamp

GCSE and A-level arts subjects are to be made tougher in the latest stage of a major reform of the exams system.

Nine GCSE subjects and six A-levels will be reformed, with Education Secretary Michael Gove insisting he wants schools to "nurture creative talent in every child".

In September 2016 new GCSEs in art and design, music, drama, dance, citizenship, computer science, design and technology, PE and religious studies will be introduced.

Improved A-levels in music, drama, dance, design and technology, PE and religious studies will be introduced at the same time.

"I am passionate about great art, drama, dance, music and design, and I am determined to ensure every child enjoys access to the best in our culture," Mr Gove added.

"That is why I am delighted that new high-quality qualifications in creative and cultural subjects will be made available to all students."

Music Education Council chair Richard Hallam welcomed the latest announcement.

He said: "This inclusion sends a renewed message of the educational importance of music and other arts subjects."

The new GCSEs and A-levels are part of a major programme of exam reform that will be phased in from next year.

GCSE grades in England are to be replaced with a numbered system to allow examiners to distinguish between the brightest students.

The new scale will see an extra grade added into a revamped qualifications system from one to nine - with nine being the highest mark available.

In the reforms, students taking A-levels will no longer sit exams after one year, and will instead be tested at the end of their two-year course.

AS-levels will be separated from A-levels and become a separate qualification.

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Maria Miller Resigns As Culture Secretary

The Culture Secretary, Maria Miller, has resigned after a week of mounting pressure over her expenses investigation.

In a letter to David Cameron Mrs Miller told him she was "very grateful" for his personal support during the growing row over her expenses but feared it "has become a distraction from the vital work this Government is doing."

Mr Cameron said he was saddened by her departure but hoped she could make a return "in due course".

Mrs Miller finally stepped down six days after she was forced to apologise in the House of Commons for her attitude to an inquiry into the allowance claimed on her second home.

The Prime Minister, who had consistently backed his minister, had been under increasing pressure in recent days to sack her from Tory activists and MPs, and Mrs Miller's position had become untenable.

Maria Miller's 32-second apology in the Commons was incendiary

Mr Cameron was facing a difficult time at Prime Minister's Questions at lunchtime and had to tackle Tory back benchers at a meeting of the powerful Conservatives 1922 committee later.

However, following the announcement of her resignation, there was criticism that it had taken so long for her to step down and questions over Mr Cameron's leadership.

Labour MP John Mann, who made the original expenses complaint against Mrs Miller, said: "Why has it taken five days in what was a clear cut case she had to leave Government that she could be responsible for media freedom in this country after her behaviour?

Mr Cameron repeatedly backed his Culture Secretary

"I mean where was the Prime Minister's leadership on this? He should have sacked her straight away when she refused to go."

Mrs Miller's camp had on Tuesday night attempted a fight-back after days of newspaper headlines and the faltering support for her within Government.

Her aide Mary Macleod appeared on Sky News to claim she was a victim of a witch-hunt because she was dealing with press reforms recommended in the Leveson report.

She also claimed that Mrs Miller was unpopular because she was responsible for steering through the legislation on gay marriage.

In her resignation letter Mrs Miller said: "Of course, implementing the recommendations made by Lord Justice Leveson on the future of media regulation, following the phone hacking scandals, would always be controversial for the press.

The second home at the centre of the row

"Working together with you, I believe we struck the right balance between protecting the freedom of the press and ensuring fairness, particularly for victims of press intrusion, to have a clear right of redress."

Her departure leaves three women in the Cabinet: Home Secretary Theresa May, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, and International Development Secretary Justine Greening. Baroness Warsi sits in the Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio.

Mrs Miller issued a much-derided 32-second apology on Thursday after Parliament's sleaze watchdog upbraided her for her attitude to an expenses inquiry into her claims for a second home.

She was also ordered to pay back £5,800 of wrongly claimed allowances on the house in Wimbledon, southwest London, which she sold for a £1.2m profit in February.

However, it emerged that the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards had found that Mrs Miller should have paid back £45,000 in expenses claimed on the home but this was over-ruled by the Standards Committee of 10 MPs and three independent members, who do not have a vote.

It led to calls for an end to a system where MPs are allowed to police their own expenses, with the head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Sir Ian Kennedy, saying they should not "mark their own homework".

More follows...

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Shrien Dewani Extradited To South Africa

A British man suspected of arranging the murder of his new wife on honeymoon in South Africa has been extradited to face trial.

Shrien Dewani was taken from Fromeside Hospital to Bristol Airport accompanied by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Extradition Unit.

Officers were met at the airport by representatives from the South African authorities who have escorted him on the flight to Cape Town.

Dewani was put on a flight from Bristol Airport bound for Cape Town

Dewani is accused of being behind a plot to kill his new bride Anni, 28, who was shot dead after being kidnapped during a taxi ride through a township on Cape Town's outskirts.

Three men have been convicted already and are serving jail terms. Prosecutors allege Dewani ordered the killing of his wife, who was a Swedish national.

The extradition of Dewani, 34, from Bristol, brings to an end a three-year battle to bring him to court after her death in November 2010.

Dewani's lawyers argued he should not be forced from the UK to face trial until he had recovered from mental health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mrs Dewani's uncle Ashok Hindocha told a news conference on Monday he was relieved his family would now have an opportunity to get justice.

He said: "(I am) relieved. Hopefully this case from now onwards will be about Anni.

"Until now, it hasn't really been about her. You cannot really blame anyone. It's the justice system and the way it is.

"Obviously, we were extremely surprised that it took so long."

Hitman Xolile Mngeni is serving a life sentence for Anni Dewani's murder

Her brother Anish Hindocha added: "It's been very difficult. There is no life in our family any more, we struggle.

"With the help of the South African people, with the help of the British people, we are at least trying to cope.

"We need justice for Anni. That's the only thing in our minds, and we will hopefully get it soon."

Dewani is due to appear in court later where he will be formally charged.

It is understood if he is found fit to do so, Dewani could stand trial in September.

The three men who have already been convicted and jailed over Mrs Dewani's death include taxi driver Zola Tongo, who was given 18 years after admitting his role in the killing.

Xolile Mngeni, who prosecutors claim was the hitman, and another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, who pleaded guilty to murder and received a 25-year prison sentence.

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Irish President Makes Historic State Visit

Rocking In The Castle With Michael D

Updated: 4:47am UK, Tuesday 08 April 2014

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

"When will my time come?" is the title of one of his poems. Almost a century after Ireland secured its independence from Britain, the poetic president's time has come to pay a historic state visit to the next door neighbours.

Michael D Higgins is more than a poet. The 72-year-old head of state, a native of Limerick, is a veteran champion of human rights, Irish arts and sport. He's affectionately known, the length and breadth of Ireland, as Michael D.

He was the first member of his family to attend university and lectured in politics in Galway and Illinois in the United States before running for office himself. He's arguably the most eclectic of the nine presidents in Ireland's history.

Don't be deceived by his grandfatherly appearance. The Irish President has fire in his bones. He's a recipient of the Sean MacBride International Peace Prize, has campaigned tirelessly for victims in Chile and Cambodia, and vigorously opposed the war in Iraq.

A former Labour government minister for arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht (Irish language), he helped to establish the country's first Irish language TV channel (TG4) and oversaw the removal of Section 31, which had censored Sinn Fein from Ireland's airwaves.

Anglo-Irish relations have changed beyond recognition since those days. Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, now Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, will attend a state banquet in Windsor Castle during the president's official visit and meet the Queen for a second time.

Long before his installation as Ireland's ninth president, Michael D Higgins had been elected President of Galway Football Club. The Hollywood actor Martin Sheen, who studied in Galway University, describes the Republic's current head of state as a "dear friend".

His fan base includes the former chart-topping Saw Doctors. The band once wrote a song in his honour, entitled 'Michael D Rocking in the Dail (Parliament) Bar'. The military bands around Windsor may not be familiar with that particular track.

President Higgins and his wife Sabine have four days of engagements in the UK, four days which, according to Ireland's Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, "will not just write another chapter in Anglo-Irish relations but take us well into the book".

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Brit Killed On Costas: Friend Tells Of Shock

A friend of millionaire businessman Andrew Bush, who was found shot dead at his home on Spain's Costa del Sol, has said he is "trying to comprehend" his death.

Mr Bush, 48, originally from Bristol, was found lying in a pool of blood with two gunshot wounds to his head at around 3am on Saturday.

Friend Paul Orchard, who had also been Mr Bush's personal trainer, said he was "devastated".

"It will take me a long time to come to terms with this," he said.

"I've been his personal trainer since last September but I knew him for longer than that.

"We struck a good rapport and I only spoke to him on Friday evening, we were going to meet next week.

"When I was first told, I questioned whether it was true and I kept on saying it can't be. Now I feel just a little bit empty, almost like I'm trying to put pieces together.

Estepona is on the Costa del Sol

"I'm trying to comprehend that it's happened.

"My thoughts go to him and his family. He'll be greatly missed."

Firefighters and police discovered Mr Bush's body after forcing their way into the beachside villa in Estepona where he lived.

The company director's girlfriend alerted police with an emergency call after the attack.

The pair are said to have been ambushed by a woman, who police suspect may be Mr Bush's ex-girlfriend.

She is thought to have been lying in wait for them inside the five-bedroom house.

The house is a village between the resorts of Estepona and Marbella

Mr Bush and his current girlfriend, who is reported to be British, had just returned to their home from a trip abroad.

The suspected killer is still on the run after escaping from the scene in the dead man's Hummer vehicle.

A source close to the investigation said: "It is being treated as murder and police are hunting the dead man's ex on suspicion of committing this crime.

"They are probing the possibility she may have let herself into the property while the occupant was away and waited for several days for him to return."

The businessman's body has been taken to Malaga for a post-mortem examination.

Mr Bush owned a number of businesses in Bristol including a jewellery shop, according to reports.

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Miller: Pressure Mounts Amid Fresh Questions

Maria Miller 'Got Off Lightly' Over Expenses

Updated: 8:13pm UK, Saturday 05 April 2014

The former head of the Standards Committee, Sir Alistair Graham, has told Sky News that Culture Secretary Maria Miller "got off lightly" over her claims for parliamentary expenses.

The Culture Secretary has paid back £5,800 of expenses she had wrongly claimed for a second home and made a 32-second apology for her "unhelpful" attitude towards the investigation.

But she remains under pressure after it emerged the 10-member standards committee overruled the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards' findings that she should return £45,000.

Sir Graham told Sky News: "I'm genuinely shocked by the degree of pressure that Maria Miller seemed to be putting on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards as she carried out her investigation.

"I think there are some pretty serious matters that have come up through the investigation and I have to say I think she's got off pretty lightly."

The comments came as Prime Minister David Cameron avoided further questions about Mrs Miller's future today.

Arriving at the Conservative Spring Forum, Mr Cameron refused to respond when asked if Mrs Miller should lose her job.

A transcript of a conversation in which Mrs Miller's aide highlights her role in the Leveson inquiry to a journalist investigating Mrs Miller's expenses has been released.

In the phone call from 2012, Joanna Hindley, Mrs Miller's special advisor, told Holly Watt: "Maria is obviously been having quite a lot of editors' meetings around Leveson at the moment.

"So I am just going to flag up that connection for you to think about."

Mrs Miller was reported to the commissioner in December 2012 over concerns she had improperly claimed around £90,000 on a southwest London property between 2005 and 2009.

Ms Hindley criticised journalists for knocking on the door of the property, which was answered by Mrs Miller's father.

"I should just flag up as well, while you're on it that when she doorstepped him, she got Maria's father, who's just had a [removed] and come out of [removed]," she said in the phone call to Ms Watt.

Ms Watt replied: "You can't possibly know that until you've knocked on someone's door."

Ms Hindley answered: "Well no, Holly, but you could possibly know that had you spoken to people a little higher up your organisation, who do know that."

In a statement to Sky News, Ms Hindley defended her remarks, saying: "This conversation must be seen in context that this reporter had tried to door step Maria's elderly dad and she was calling to complain. 

"In regards the Leveson comment, this was simply stating fact that Maria Miller was meeting lots of newspaper editors about Leveson and she would raise reporters behaviour with Tony Gallagher, then the Telegraph's editor.

"She did and Tony Gallagher apologised, apparently in written form."

The Prime Minister has stood by Mrs Miller but on Friday he was accused of misleading the public over the situation.

In an interview with Sky News, David Cameron said MPs had not been allowed to "police themselves" as independent members on Parliament's Standards Committee had made the "casting vote" on how the Culture Secretary should be dealt with after an expenses investigation.

However, it is clear from the rules governing the committee that independent committee members do not get a vote on how MPs are dealt with.

Downing Street later admitted Mr Cameron had made a mistake in suggesting lay members had made the decision on Mrs Miller's treatment.

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Food Waste 'Is Morally Repugnant', Say Lords

The scale of food waste, which sees 15 million tonnes of food dumped each year in the UK and at least 90 million tonnes across the EU, has been branded "morally repugnant" by a House of Lords committee.

The Lords EU Committee said supermarkets should abolish "buy one get one free" offers and not cancel orders of food from farmers after the produce has been grown, a practice which leads to edible food being ploughed back into the fields. 

They also suggested that more unused food sold by retailers should be donated to food banks, rather than sent for composting or landfill as is often the case at present.

In a report, the committee said EU efforts to reduce food waste were "fragmented and untargeted" and called for the new European Commission to publish a five-year strategy within six months of taking office later this year.

Committee chairwoman Baroness Scott said: "Food waste in the EU and the UK is clearly a huge issue. Not only is it morally repugnant, but it has serious economic and environmental implications.

The committee says taking action against food waste cannot be delayed

"The fact that 90 million tonnes of food is wasted across the EU each year shows the extent of the problem and explains why we are calling for urgent action.

"Globally, consumers in industrialised nations waste up to 222 million tons of food a year, which is equivalent to nearly the entire level of net food production of Sub-Saharan Africa.

"We cannot allow the complexity of the issues around defining and monitoring food waste to delay action any further.

"We are calling on the new European Commission, which will be appointed in November this year, to publish a five-year strategy for reducing food waste across the EU, and to do so within six months of taking office."

The report found that the carbon footprint of worldwide food waste is equivalent to twice the global greenhouse gas emissions of all road transportation in the US.

Lady Scott added: "We were shocked at the extent of food waste in the EU. Especially given the current economic challenges the EU faces, it is an absolutely shocking waste of resources.

"Some efforts are already being made, which is very positive, but much more can be done, and so we are calling on the EU, the Government, businesses and consumers to make sure it is."

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Women May Get Right To Fight On Front Line

The British Army is "seriously considering" lifting its ban on women serving in combat roles in line with other countries such as the US, the Chief of the General Staff has said.

General Sir Peter Wall told The Sunday Times he wanted to show women that the army was "open to" women and an equal opportunities employer.

The Ministry of Defence, which under European Law must review the policy every eight years, said there would another review "before 2018".

The last statutory review in 2010 raised concerns that putting women and men together in small units for months at a time could undermine "team cohesion", but said women would be able to meet physical and psychological demands.

Women currently are allowed to serve on the frontline with the artillery and as medics, engineers, intelligence officers and fighters pilots but not in close combat roles.

UK Army women are currently not allowed to serve in close combat roles

Last year, the US lifted its own ban on women fighting on the frontline, joining other countries including Germany, Canada, France and Israel.

Sir Peter told the newspaper: "We've got to take a view on that fairly soon.

"We're in a minority of armies now in that respect. It's definitely something that we need to be considering seriously but we need to go about this with great care, especially with all the other changes going on."

He said: "We have always said that we will look at the evidence and base our decision on what impact it will have on operational capability.

"This isn't just about getting more females into the 30% of roles that are combat trades but getting more of them into the Army per se.

"Women need to see they have equal opportunities right throughout the organisation.

"Allowing them to be combat troops would make us look more normal to society but there will always be people who say the close battle is no place for female soldiers."

Women could soon be fighting alongside men

In 2011, the Government announced that women would be allowed to go to sea with their male counterparts on the Royal Navy's Submarine Service for the first time in its 110-year history.

An MoD spokesman said: "The vast majority of roles in the Armed Forces are open to women and hundreds are currently serving their country with distinction in Afghanistan.

"They are fundamental to the operational effectiveness of the UK's Armed Forces, bringing talent and skills across the board.

"A 2010 review into women serving in combat roles concluded there should be no change to the existing policy and another review will take place before 2018."

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