BBC News Channel

Some more reaction to the cash for access story. The Daily Mirror's associate editor Kevin Maguire tells the BBC News Channel it "fuels cynicism" and further erodes faith in politics and politicians. It isn't the voters who are most angry about it, he adds, but other MPs. Mr Maguire adds that it is "quite astonishing" that Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw - two former foreign secretaries - fell for the sting.

Tim Masters
Entertainment correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Some commentators are saying this year's Oscars were the most politically-charged ever.

A Tory MP said he would prefer to be stunned if his throat was to be cut, as ministers were urged to ban non-stun slaughter.

Former army officer and Beckenham MP Bob Stewart said witnessing pigs having their throats cut made his heart bleed, adding it was "quite disgraceful" animals in the UK were not pre-stunned before they were killed.

He was speaking in a debate triggered by an e-petition signed by 116,163 people calling for an end to the slaughter of animals who have not been stunned.

Sean Coughlan
Education correspondent

Labour would put the arts at the heart of government, with schools playing a key role, says party leader Ed Miliband.

House of Commons
Parliament

Louise Casey, the author of a withering report on Rotherham Council's failure to tackle child sexual exploitation, has told MPs that South Yorkshire Police should face the same level of scrutiny over their "failure".

She told the Communities and Local Government Committee: "The police have to step up and accept the same level of responsibility to those victims and those perpetrators as the local authority.

"We were asked to inspect Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and we left no stone unturned. It's a pretty thorough and damning report. The same level of scrutiny has not happened ... to the police in Rotherham over that time."

tweets: , externalAverage of the Ashcroft National Poll 2nd February to 23rd February CON 31.8% LAB 32.2% LDEM 8.2% UKIP 14.0% GRNS 7.8%

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Back to the TV debates for a moment, following the broadcasters' announcement of the proposed schedule. Darren Hughes, deputy chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, has said: "We welcome today's agreement by the broadcasters as another important step forward in getting the TV debates which the British public deserve.

"But it's now up to the parties to commit, once and for all, to taking part."

The Prime Minister says the Conservatives will continue to protect benefits for pensioners if they win May's general election.

Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell has said the current Labour team needs to "step up" because there is too much focus on Ed Miliband. "There is a responsibility for Ed Miliband to engage and liberate the broader team, but more importantly for that broader team to step up to it ... the election is becoming far too focused on the two leaders," he said.

He said Tristram Hunt, Andrew Burnham and Rachel Reeves were key players who should increase their profiles to show Labour had a "talented" team and boost the party ahead of the election.

Image source, Getty Images

House of Commons
Parliament

Also from the PM's statement earlier - Conservative MP Cheryl Gillan pushed the prime minster for detail about when sanctions on Russia might be in place. There is "concern the unrest may spread", she said. David Cameron said the argument for more sanctions was increasing. "Europe and America need to make the weight of their economic relationship with Russia pay. At the end of the day, Russia needs us more than we need Russia," he added.

House of Commons
Parliament

Responding to the Prime Minister's earlier statement, Labour leader Ed Miliband saidhis party supported the proposals for a passenger name directive. In addition to this though, the "Prevent" programme must be looked at again, to see how local communities can be better integrated into the scheme, he argued.

Labour also supports the prime minister's proposals to "extend economic sanctions" on Russia if the Minsk ceasefire agreement was not adhered to. It was "vital the international community stand ready to increase pressure on Russia", he added.

The top headlines today include:

• Ex-foreign secretaries Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw have been suspended from their respective party groups in parliament after being secretly filmed apparently offering services to a private company for cash

• Both political veterans deny doing anything wrong. The Dispatches programme will be broadcast on Channel 4 at 8pm, you can read the Daily Telegraph's report here, external. Here's a guide to the row and the rules for MPs.

• David Cameron says the Conservatives would keep universal benefits for pensioners if they are elected to government in the general election

• The broadcasters have set out the order of the proposed leaders' TV election debates. They would finish with a Cameron v Miliband head-to-head the Thursday before the country goes to the polls on 7 May

• UKIP leader Nigel Farage says his party would find an extra £3bn for the NHS, funded by reducing payments to the European Union

• In the Commons this afternoon, the Chancellor George Osborne and shadow chancellor Ed Balls traded accusations that both of their parties failed to act on information about tax avoidance and evasion relating to HSBC

• Later, the Prime Minister said the government wanted the police and security services to have access to passenger name records for all routes in and out of Britain

tweets:, external Former Downing St communications director Andy Coulson to stand trial on perjury charge on April 21 following hearing in Edinburgh today.

Iain Watson
Political correspondent, BBC News

The business secretary Vince Cable has revealed that the Low Pay Commission will recommend an above inflation - 3% - increase in the adult rate of the minimum wage from £6.50 and hour to 6.70 an hour (the biggest rise since 2008).

Nicola Sturgeon has criticised the Prime Minister after he claimed an alliance between the SNP and Labour would be the "'ultimate nightmare scenario" for Britain after the general election.

On a visit to London, the Scottish First Minister said: "People in Scotland should think that anything that is a nightmare for David Cameron is a good thing for most other people."

House of Commons
Parliament

The need for police and security services to have access to passenger name records for all routes in and out of Britain, was the subject of the "most substantial discussions at European Council", the Prime Minister tells MPs.

Following the attacks in Paris and Copenhagen the council agreed that EU legislators would "urgently adopt a strong and effective passenger name directive", Mr Cameron says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Turning to the situation in Ukraine, David Cameron says "far from changing course" Russia's "illegal actions in Eastern Ukraine have reached a new level".

He warns that Russia must "change course now or the economic pain it endures will only increase".

The government will debate how to enact this at the upcoming G7 summit.

"Prison works' is a slogan, not a solution. It is not working when it routinely turns first-time offenders into hardened criminals. We want to end the revolving door that sees offenders leave prison with no help and no hope, only to return to their cell a few weeks later."

Shadow justice minister Sadiq Khan responded to Nick Clegg's speech about prisons saying: "Under Liberal Democrat ministers, there's been a surge in suicides, a massive spike in violence and prisoners are idling their time away in their cells or on landings."

Tweets, external: On who will win the election in May, Jeffrey Archer tells @ShelaghFogarty "I haven't got a clue. It will be 400 by-elections."