Summary

  • UK government finances showed a surplus of £8.8bn in January, the Office for National Statistics said

  • A Lords report on the Ukraine crisis accused the UK and EU of a "catastrophic misreading" of the Kremlin's mood

  • The Scottish Conservatives held their conference in Edinburgh

  • George Osborne and Boris Johnson unveiled plans for 24hr transport services in 'long term plan for London'

  • There are 76 days until the general election

  1. Goodnightpublished at 23:58 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    It's been another eventful day today with leaders from across the political divide taking swipes at one another. Earlier, we saw David Cameron address the Scottish Conservatives in Edinburgh, and use the opportunity to attack Labour as "weak". Meanwhile, senior Labour party figures warned that voting for the SNP risked "another five years of the Tories". And George Osborne and Boris Johnson unveiled plans for 24-hour transport services in "long term plan for London". Away from the campaign trail much of the focus has been on Greece and the eleventh-hour deal it has struck with eurozone creditors. We'll be back with more news, analysis and reaction to all these stories and more with Politics Live on Sunday from 8am.

  2. The Independent's front pagepublished at 23:51 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    The IndependentImage source, The Independent
  3. The Guardian's front pagepublished at 23:42 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    The GuardianImage source, The Guardian
  4. Saturday's Daily Mail front pagepublished at 23:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    Daily MailImage source, Daily Mail
  5. 'Difficult to stomach'published at 23:30 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    BBC Newsnight
    BBC Two,

    Just a snippet more on Newsnight's coverage of the Greece deal tonight. BBC's Athens correspondent Mark Lowen told the programme: "This is a major climb down by Greece make no mistake. It will be hard to sell here. Greece has been backed into a corner, it has had to row back on many of the promises the government made before the election. And that will be difficult for some of the voters here to stomach. The government has had to accept supervision from European institutions, to extend a loan that it fundamentally disagreed with..."

  6. Greece deal - 'crunch time for Europe'published at 23:20 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    BBC Newsnight
    BBC Two,

    Newsnight tonight focused on the deal struck earlier this evening between Greece and eurozone nations which extended financial aid for the country. The deal came after five hours of bailout talks in Brussels. BBC economics correspondent Duncan Weldon in Brussels told the programme: "Today really was crunch time for Europe. Greece's existing bailout was due to end in just eight days time, and after that the Greek government itself risked running out of money. And perhaps more importantly without a financial backstop in place people would have continued to pull deposits out of Greek banks."

  7. Tomorrow's Mirror front pagepublished at 23:06 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    From page of the MirrorImage source, Daily Mirror
  8. Saturday's FT front pagepublished at 22:58 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    Financial TimesImage source, FT
  9. Weekly review of the pollspublished at 22:47 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    David Bowers at totalpolitics.com, external has has carried out a weekly review of the polls, and he questions whether a recent rise in support for UKIP and the Lib Dems should be taken at face value. The average of this week's numbers gives the following for each party: Con: 31.7 (-1.1), Lab: 33.4 (-0.5), LD: 8.1 (+1.0), UKIP: 14.6 (+1.3) and Green: 6.3 (-0.8).

  10. The Sun's front pagepublished at 22:25 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    Sun front pageImage source, Sun
  11. The Times front pagepublished at 22:25 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    The TimesImage source, The Times
  12. Saturday's Telegraph front pagepublished at 22:17 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    The Daily Telegraph

    TelegraphImage source, Telegraph
  13. Any Questions - Educationpublished at 22:02 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    BBC Radio 4

    A little earlier writer and political commentator Simon Heffer was met with rapturous applause when he called for the government to "bring back grammar schools" for England.

    There are about 24,000 state schools in England - 164 are grammar schools. Mr Heffer said he came from a middle class home but was at school with pupils who had fathers who worked as "bus drivers, lorry drivers, and farm labourers" and they all went on to "get great jobs".

    He said: "It's not an exclusive system it's not an elitist system...I envy Northern Ireland for having it and I really hope that England will bring back grammar schools for everybody, wherever they live as soon as possible."

  14. Syria: 'More action needed'published at 21:43 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has commented on the story that three east London schoolgirls have flown to Turkey and there are fears they may cross the Syrian border to join the extremist group the Islamic State (IS).

    She said: "The idea of 15-year-old British schoolgirls setting off to Syria is very disturbing, and shows that more action is urgently needed to stop young people being drawn into extremism and conflict, and to help families and communities who are trying to counteract extremist recruitment messages.

    "Far more needs to be done involving communities, schools and families to prevent young people getting radicalised - including looking at the impact of social media."

  15. Davidson on small businessespublished at 21:21 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    Earlier today Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson gave a speech to Tory delegates in Edinburgh, here's a quick recap of what she said about small businesses....

    "Here's the plan we are proposing," she said. "For small and medium sized companies that agree to pay the Living Wage, we'll offer a cut in their business rates over and above any they already get. We won't use public money to prop up pay, but we will cut taxes for small businesses that boost the pay-packets of their workers."

  16. Nigel Farage - UKIP leaderpublished at 21:09 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    Tweets, external: Campaigning in Sandwich, this lad had a UKIP placard in his van! Journos thought it a setup, I promise it wasn't!

    Nigel Farage
  17. Martin Rosenbaum, BBC journalistpublished at 20:59 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    tweets, external: On Week in Westminster Sat11am Radio4, views on 5 yrs in Parliament fm @sarahwollaston @ChiOnwurah @IanLaveryMP @DavidWardMP @RoryStewartUK

  18. Phone records: judicial reviewpublished at 20:51 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    Robin Brant
    Political Correspondent, BBC News

    More on the government's decision to require judicial review of police requests for access to journalists' records: In his report to David Cameron earlier this month, the interception of communications commissioner Sir Anthony May said police forces should be made to seek a judge's permission when trying to uncover confidential sources. The Home Office has confirmed that a new temporary measure will be introduced under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) which will mean police (or the National Crime Agency or HMRC) are required to seek a judge's permission.

    A spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "We're glad the Tories have finally found some sense and have at the least agreed to ensure temporary measures are put in place to protect journalist sources...whilst temporary measures are better than none, we will not stop pushing to ensure permanent safeguards are put in place."

  19. Any Questions - TV debatespublished at 20:28 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    BBC Radio 4

    On Radio 4's Any Questions, DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr. says "the BBC is absolutely wrong - and is on a hiding to nothing - whenever they decide that they can have Plaid Cymru with three members, the SNP with six members on a national broadcast, and say to parties with 8 MPs: you're not going to be included". He adds: "I will be challenged in my seat by a UKIP member, I will be challenged in my seat by a Conservative member - the nation needs to hear the views of all of these parties."

  20. Phone records: judicial reviewpublished at 20:15 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2015

    Robin Brant
    Political Correspondent, BBC News

    Sim cardImage source, Press Association

    The government has agreed to let a judge consider future police requests for information from journalists' phone and e-mail records, after the Conservatives came under pressure from Nick Clegg and other media campaigners. The prime minister agreed to the change two weeks ago, but the government is only now publishing details of how it will be done. It comes after the interception commissioner - who audits requests to access communications - reported that 19 police forces made more than 600 applications to uncover confidential sources in the past three years.