Donations to political parties rose to just under £9 million in the first quarter of 2012 - up £1.9 million on the previous three months, Electoral Commission figures show.

David Cameron was urged to "come clean" yesterday and order a fully independent investigation of Conservative fundraising methods after it emerged that the party's internal inquiry into the cash-for-access scandal has no specific mention of the Prime Minister or Downing Street in its remit.

If I were a Kent council tax payer, I would not know whether to laugh or cry over this one. One day in April 2008, the county council leader, Paul Carter, discovered his bank account was almost at its overdraft limit. He wondered why.

The Conservatives' smooth PR mask slipped as scandal and silliness reigned

If there’s one thing a parvenu has to do – otherwise what’s he risen from nowhere to somewhere for? – it’s boast

The Conservative Party today published a list of major party donors who have attended dinners with David Cameron at 10 Downing Street.

How much do you care if our government was being corrupted by shady donors? What would you be prepared to pay once a year to stop it happening? The cost of half a pint of beer? Too much? How about a pound coin? Still too much? Surely we can settle for 50p then, the price of a first-class stamp?

David Cameron is under increasing pressure to reveal whether the Conservative Party's millionaire backers have been enjoying private dinners in Downing Street where they can lobby for changes to government policy.

The Conservatives mounted a rapid operation yesterday to limit the damage done by the boastful indiscretions of their chief fundraiser, Peter Cruddas.

Cameron admits donors came to private Downing Street dinners as police investigate scandal

The Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has thrown down the gauntlet to Kevin Rudd, challenging him to fight her for the Labor Party leadership and top political office in a ballot next Monday.

What an uplifting article by Mary Ann Sieghart ("You don't have to believe in God to cherish the Church", 20 February). I, like her, thank ... er ... goodness for the Church of England.

Economic Life: The central banks' pumping in money was an emergency measure, a short-term fix to cope with an extreme situation

The successful campaign to keep the first-past-the-post system for choosing MPs outspent supporters of electoral reform by more than £1.25m, official figures published yesterday show.