John Prescott has revealed that he asked Tony Blair to sack the current PM whilst he was nought but a mere chancellor. ePolitix. Gordon Brown has sworn to make social care for the elderly 'fairer'. BBC. Companies may soon start using lie detectors when employees call in sick. The Sun.… read more…

MPs have labelled the government's handling of last year's junior medic recruitment drive as 'inept'. BBC. The Guardian. It has been claimed that Alastair Campbell sexed-up Tony Blair's 45 minute WMD claim whilst the case for invading Iraq was being made. New Statesman. A report has shown that UK households… read more…

Bored of watching TV? Fed up of spending those long and dreary weekends doing nothing more than sipping tea in the garden or comparing mortgage rates with the neighbours? Do you feel that your life lacks any sense of purpose or meaning? That middle-age has already caught up with you?… read more…

Latest polls forecast big losses for Labour of up for 200 council seats in England and Wales. The Guardian. A family who dialled 999 after axe brandishing masked raiders entered their house were told by police that they were 'too busy' to come and help. The Times. Interest rates in… read more…

The strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery may cost the industry an estimated £50m a day. The Guardian. The Telegraph. Oil firms such as Shell and BP report profits soaring to around £68bn. The Guardian. It was revealed that home repossessions will increase by more than a quarter this year.… read more…

The Prisons Union claims that life in UK jails is so comfortable that the prisoners don't ever want to leave The Guardian. The Telegraph. The Times. An oil refinery strike threatens to trigger panic-buying at petrol stations in Scotland and northern England. The Times. Security surrounding the Olympic Torch in… read more…

Gordon Brown asks Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for campaign advice. The Times. About a third of classrooms in England and Wales will be closed today due to the teachers' strike. BBC. A bill which would force all peers to pay UK taxes is to be debated today. ePolitix. Chinese… read more…

Gordon Brown has defended himself against party rebels. The Guardian. David Miliband has praised Pakistan's 'fragile' new government. BBC. The cost of the London 2012 Olympics has risen again. The Times. E-Politix. Chinese shares have become worth only half of what they were last October. BBC.… read more…

MPs have called for tighter scrutiny of government spending. E-politix. David Miliband is to have a nice cup of tea and a chat about terrorism with the President of Pakistan. BBC. The Conservatives have proposed a £55 weekly payment for mothers to cover the cost of raising children. The Times.… read more…

The UK welfare programme may be about to take some inspiration from NYC. The Guardian. If nobody has heard about it, the US economy seems to be having a few problems. BBC. Harriet Harman, Leader of The Commons, will not be investigated by police after failing to declare a monetary… read more…

The Halifax Building Society has ignored pleas from the PM and increased its rates. The Guardian. Gordon Brown is getting ready for America where he intends to give those pesky Wall Street bankers what for. BBC. An official website with details of the visit has been set-up at usvisit.pm.gov.uk. Home… read more…

The government seemed determined to ignore the Olympic Torch protests earlier this week. Let's face it - if mindsets can't be swayed by the sight of a Blue Peter presenter grappling with someone over an arbitrary cultural artefact, they probably never will be. Hang on. Maybe they will. Prime… read more…

Gordon Brown denies accusations that he is avoiding a human rights row with China for economic reasons. BBC. Row breaks out between the BBC and the Internet ISP Tiscali over the bandwidth cost of the iPlayer online TV service. BBC. Tech.co.uk. House prices look set to become even more disparate… read more…

We're assuming that you're reading this after recently arriving at your office for the Monday morning grind. Please accept our commiserations but rest assured that, despite the planet's usual state of discord, things seem to be pretty much in order. The best of the morning's stories are as follows: Following… read more…