The journalists had barely begun their dinner on Wednesday evening – ribs and rare breed lamb at the Blue Boar Smokehouse in the InterContinental hotel a short walk from the House of Commons – when a senior figure close to the Prime Minister passed by their table.

True, cookery shows like 'Masterchef' can be intimidating for amateur home cooks like me, but that's exactly why we need more of them, not less

Civil servants seen as 'untouchable and unaccountable' could also be put on four-year contracts

Jane Merrick has to steer clear of nuts, and so should food firms

Nick Clegg accused the Conservative Party of "endless navel-gazing" over Europe last night as David Cameron tried to avert a constitutional crisis over this week's Commons vote on an EU referendum.

Maybe we need to lift ourselves out of the ‘I don’t know how she does it’ mindset

The Chancellor is determined to build a new network – that will do little to help the economy – rather than repair streets in poor condition

I'm worried my love of the book will be killed if I watch Lurhmann's new film

Urbanisation means fewer children have access to a garden, let alone a vegetable plot

This long-awaited biography, with previously unpublished correspondence and unprecedented access, presents a fresh - even vulnerable - Iron Lady