ConservativeHome: Monday 10th March 2008

3.30pm: Andrew Haldenby and Lucy Parsons on Platform

3pm CentreRight selections:

Robert Halfon believes that a Tory-LibDem alliance is more and more unlikely after recent events.
Are Islamic extremists the Scargills of our time? Samuel Coates previews Charles Moore's speech on the topic.
Julia Manning is worried about the latest scheme of Evan Harris MP, Parliament's Dr Death.
Charlie Elphicke is in favour of saving Post Offices.

12.15pm LondonMayor: London deserves a fairer share of the Chancellor's cake says Boris

10am Seats and candidates: The MEP candidates who didn't reply to ConservativeHome's questionnaire

ToryDiary: The proceeds of a civil service recruitment freeze should be shared between taxpayers and the defence budget

Local government: Other Tory councils consider following Essex's lead and may save threatened post offices

Over at CentreRight:

Tim Montgomerie notes that the seven deadly sins have been updated.
Alex Deane begins to deconstruct heroes of the left: First, Allende of Chile

Budget countdown

Darling plans Labour's greenest budget yet - Guardian

"Alistair Darling will have to raise taxes by the equivalent of £240 per household in his Budget this week or plunge the country's finances perilously into the red, economists warn." - Telegraph

The British economy needs a Keynesian growth package - Austin Mitchell MP in The Independent

Clegg: LibDems will not take Cabinet positions in event of hung parliament

"Nick Clegg says he will never join a Labour or Tory cabinet, but will push instead for a "new type of government"." - BBC

"The Liberal Democrat leader has demanded a fundamental "redesign" of the British constitution as a precondition of any future power-sharing deal with Labour or the Conservatives." - Independent

"Clegg did not set out a precise shopping list of demands for a deal, but he identified some of the areas where he wanted reform. He called for: a £25 cap on political donations; MPs found guilty of serious misconduct to be forced to defend their seats in a by-election; greater local democratic control of services; and a citizens' jury of 100 people to join political parties, churches, civil society groups and others in a constitutional convention to "redesign the way Britain is governed"." - Guardian

Full text of speech (via LibDems.org.uk) | Video of Lembit Opik reacting to speech

Clegg should emulate John McCain's candour, unpredictability and his retail politics - Tim Hames in The Times

Theresa May: Scrap housing allowance and pay MPs more

"Contentious housing allowances for MPs should be replaced with a substantial increase in their salaries in the wake of sleaze allegations, a senior Conservative MP has declared. Theresa May, the Shadow Leader of the Commons, said the £23,000-a-year allowance should be replaced with a rise in pay to cover the costs of running two homes." - Independent

Gordon Brown 'won't bring troops home early' - Telegraph

Brown invites Mandelson to stay as EU Commissioner - Times

Spain's Zapatero stays in power but as head of minority socialist government - Times

The Democrats' war on free trade

"Last week “Naftagate” helped to defeat Barack Obama in Ohio. An adviser reassured Canadian officials that Mr Obama’s hard line on the North American Free Trade Agreement was political positioning, and that the treaty was not in danger. Hillary Clinton pilloried her opponent over this, assuring the workers of Ohio that her own trenchant opposition to Nafta was genuine. If she wins, in other words, the treaty really is in danger. In response, Mr Obama will doubtless harden his own position on trade, which will be no easy task. At this rate, both Democrats will soon be vowing to scrap Nafta altogether, and decrying mere amendment of its terms as appeasement. Delete “war on terror”; insert “war on trade”." - FT leader

Obama rejects being Clinton's VP candidate - Telegraph

Andrew Lansley slides down satisfaction league in latest survey of Tory grassroots.