Politicians who say they want to break down social barriers have been told to unlock closed-shop professions. By Andrew Grice

Across the UK, a general election campaign is beginning to gather pace. It may have gone unnoticed but, be assured, canvassing is in full swing; supporters are going door-to-door and the candidates are engaging in political tête-à-têtes at the hustings.

The English capital has more Gallic residents than Calais and Lille combined. And next month expats in the stronghold of South Kensington will have a big say in who is returned as the first French overseas MP

There is an alternative to throwing cash at the problem: affordable childcare

There were no revelations and anyone who was expecting news should have known better

Forget the antics of Joey Barton, the toughest footballers these days are to be found playing in charity games. It's something that Gordon Ramsay discovered at the weekend, after he was floored by Teddy Sheringham during the Soccer Aid event at Old Trafford.

Our disillusionment with a government that embarked on a disastrous imperial war was only intensified by the aspirations we had in the first place

It was love at first bite. That is, when the executives from Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times newspaper invited a fresh-faced Labour frontbencher called Tony Blair to dinner.

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

The PM needs jokes, says The Independent on Sunday's classroom clown

One way and another it has been a good week for Nick Clegg, at least compared with some of the dismal times he and the Liberal Democrats have endured in coalition.

Being a special adviser at the heart of the Government is necessarily a privileged but hugely sensitive role. When Alistair Darling, then the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, asked me to be his special adviser in the Treasury in 2007 I had little idea of what was expected. There was no job description. It was a case of feeling my way, finding a modus operandi best suited to looking after his interests.

The Union has endured for 300 years and its supporters must make their voices heard

Labour's master of media manipulation is back in the PR business