Communities in England were today offered £17 million to help them take advantage of a new scheme allowing them to build facilities like family homes, shops, children's playgrounds and community halls.

Seven out of 10 Conservative members would vote to leave the European Union and eight out of 10 want the party to promise an in/out referendum in its manifesto at the next general election, according to a poll released today.

Fiddling expenses is a crime, as not a few MPs and several peers have discovered. Nor is it just the scale of the fraud that determines the existence of a crime, though it plays a role in setting the penalty. It is the principle: the claiming of money – in these cases, public money – to which someone is not entitled. Now Baroness Warsi, co-chairman of the Conservative Party and the country's first woman Muslim cabinet minister, finds herself in the frame.

Were we transported back to 1952 this weekend? To read comments on the Prime Minister's sartorial choices at a "society wedding" (read, posh), you'd think so. Essentially the story can be summarised thus: man wears lounge suit – rather than a morning suit – to wedding.

profile

The Lords sleaze watchdog is investigating Baroness Warsi's expenses after she asked him to examine allegations she claimed for accommodation while staying rent-free at a friend's house.

Tony Blair denied today doing any deals with Rupert Murdoch in return for the support of his newspapers.

Under-pressure Conservative co-chairman Baroness Warsi today referred herself to the Lords Commissioner for Standards amid allegations over her expenses.

Baroness Warsi faced calls last night to stand down as the Conservative Party co-chairman following allegations she claimed House of Lords expenses while staying rent-free at a friend's house.

After some 40 years in politics, the unbending Dennis Skinner still relishes baiting Tories, says Andy McSmith

Baroness Warsi faced calls last night to stand down as the Conservative Party co-chairman following allegations she claimed expenses while staying rent-free at a friend's house.

With three days to his appearance at the Leveson Inquiry, fresh pressure was piling on Jeremy Hunt over his links with News Corp. The Culture Secretary, pictured, was urged to quit by one of his Tory predecessors, while Nick Clegg delivered a warning about politicians ending up "in the pockets of media moguls".

Conservative co-chairman Baroness Warsi is facing calls for an investigation into her expenses over allegations that she claimed for overnight accommodation when staying at a friend's house rent-free.

Billionaire tycoon Richard Branson has criticised the Government for failing to promote economic growth.