Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt defended his conduct during News Corporation's takeover bid for BSkyB today as he battled for his political life amid demands for his resignation over claims that he was a "cheerleader" for Rupert Murdoch's company.

David Cameron today urged George Galloway not "to play to the gallery" over the Afghan war.

A respected political journalist recently went to watch Ed Miliband take part in a Q&A with voters in Birmingham and came away with an unexpected conclusion. He suggested afterwards that Miliband's performance that day had shown what his earliest supporters had seen: Ed had a touch of Bobby Kennedy about him.

Ken Livingstone pulled level with Boris Johnson in the London mayoral contest at the start of this year when a fares hike took effect, but lately he seems to be looking for ways to throw the election away.

He's fallen out with his party over student fees, Europe and the NHS. Now the Lib Dem leader is buckling under the Budget

Ed Miliband said he was taking Tony Blair's advice to "be yourself" as he brushed off severe criticism of his leadership from radio listeners.

The shadow Health Secretary is furious at the coalition's plans for NHS reform, but reckons this is the one issue that could trigger David Cameron's downfall. Matt Chorley meets Andy Burnham

The Government has offered concessions over its £26,000 cap on benefits as MPs threw out changes to the controversial welfare reforms made in the House of Lords.

David Cameron admitted today he was "disappointed" by figures showing the UK economy shrank in the final quarter of last year.

Whether in the cut-throat field of politics or the fashion industry's corridors of power, this year they left our planet a better place. Celebrate 10 of the best, nominated by Independent writers

Backbench discontent with Miliband is brewing again after his Commons performance this week against Cameron

You're probably too young to remember the 1970s. Piles of unburied bodies on the streets. We had to sell our miners to Poland, you know, and the Arabs had a timeshare on Buckingham Palace. Freelance sketch-writers went door-to-door selling their wares. Knock, knock. "Yes?" "You're a pompous idiot and your wife has the face of a weasel. That'll be £750, cash or card, sir?"