Labour's Dr Rod Abouharb is a challenger for Sir Malcolm Rifkind's Kensington seat. He has blogged, external in relation to the allegations made against his political opponent, offering a "fresh start". Mr Rifkind denies any wrongdoing.

tweets, external: Paddy Power opens the betting on what's next, external for Sir Malcolm Rifkind

Daily Politics

Who would want to be a member of Parliament? That's what the Daily Politics' Adam Fleming went to find out at Spitalfields market in London, armed with his moodbox.

The Spectator

The Spectator's assistant editor, Isabel Hardman, blogs, external on the prospect of the proposed TV election debates going ahead. Earlier today, the order of the proposed debates was confirmed by broadcasters, with seven-way debates planned for 2 April and 16 April, culminating in a head-to-head between David Cameron and Ed Miliband on 30 April.

Image source, Reuters

After delivering his pledge to protect universal benefits for pensioners, David Cameron met these readers of Saga - which for those who don't know is magazine aimed at people aged over 50.

Robin Brant
Political Correspondent, BBC News

The NHS is a double edged sword for UKIP. Playing up a raft of new (ish) health policies - at the latest in the party's series of set piece speeches in the run up to the general election - is designed to broaden its appeal. But it also highlights what has been - and I've reported is likely to continue to be after the election - a controversial area for UKIP. There have been internal rows over Nigel Farage's support for a private insurance model. He lost that argument with others at the top of the party, but Labour says he hasn't lost the belief in the need for such radical change. On the contrary UKIP believes strong support for the NHS - with that extra £3bn a year spending pledge - plays well in areas where the party is trying to damage Ed Miliband's chances in the north of England.

House of Lords
Parliament

The House of Lords is also sitting this week, and kicks off its business at the same time as the Commons: 14.30 GMT. Peers always begin their day with a half-hour question session with government ministers, which today will cover topics such as business rates reform and the Ukraine conflict. The main item on the agenda is consideration of the Modern Slavery Bill, and there will also be a short debate on hotels and facilities for disabled people.

House of Commons
Parliament

In Westminster Hall, MPs are to debate an e-petition calling an end to the religious slaughter of animals, to promote animal welfare, external, from 16.30 GMT. The petition, which is being championed by Conservative MP Philip Hollobone, urges an end to the slaughter of animals which have not been rendered unconscious first. The law requires abattoirs to stun animals before slaughter to prevent unnecessary suffering but there are exemptions for Halal and Kosher producers.

House of Commons
Parliament

Following a week-long break, it's almost time for MPs to get back to the House of Commons and put their mind to all things parliamentary. In just over an hour, defence ministers will line the government front bench to answer questions on the department's remit. That'll be followed by an urgent question from Labour on the HSBC tax scandal, which will require a government ministers to respond. This will kick off at about 15.30 GMT, before David Cameron's statement on the outcome of the weekend's summit of EU leaders. The main business is dedicated to debate on the government's Serious Crime Bill, while the day will end with a shot half-hour debate on oesophageal cancer.

Kevin Peachey
Personal finance reporter

This is not the last time we will hear about pensioner benefits - and the claim that they are subsidised by younger generations - during election year. These benefits cost £3bn a year. That is small when you consider that all the main parties are willing to spend hundreds of millions of pounds during the next Parliament by sticking with the "triple lock" protection of the state pension.

So, the debate is perhaps more about the "fairness" of protecting some from cuts, but not others, rather than a merely a matter of finance. The same debate was bubbling around when child benefit entitlement was reduced for more than a million families two years ago. When politicians do their sums about other universal benefits, votes as well as costs will be part of the calculations.

The World at One BBC Radio 4
Presented by Martha Kearney

More on the cash for access story. Both MPs deny any wrongdoing, but BBC deputy political editor James Landale says the parties had "no choice" but to act quickly as they couldn't afford to be on the back foot on such a "toxic issue", with the general election approaching. That is why both parties had insisted on suspending the two members, he says.

So, what next? James Landale predicts the debate will move "full square" into a debate on second jobs. He notes that the investigations into the two MPs will take a little bit of time, and says the parties will want to "draw the sting" from the story and hope that they can move on. But he warns that these kind of stories "tend not to move on".

The World at One BBC Radio 4
Presented by Martha Kearney

The cash for access story is on the agenda for today's BBC Radio 4's World at One programme. Labour MP Angela Eagle, shadow leader of the Commons, says it was right for Jack Straw to resign the Labour whip and refer himself to the parliamentary standards commissioner. He has "important and serious questions to answer", but she adds that she will not "second guess" the process. Asked whether Sir Malcolm Rifkind should stand down as chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Ms Eagle says he should "take a good look at the circumstances he finds himself him and take a judgement on that".

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.

Image source, PA

Cathy Jamieson, Labour's shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, responded to today's news about HSBC's annual results after the bank said 2014 was a "challenging year" and reported a 17% fall in profit to $18.7bn. The bank's chief executive Stuart Gulliver saw his pay and bonuses drop for the year to £7.6m from £8.03m in 2013.

But Ms Jamieson said: "People will be astounded that bonuses of this size are still being paid out after the revelations of the last few days. This underlines Labour's determination to repeat the tax on bank bonuses in order to fund a jobs programme for young people. We also need wider reform of the banking industry, including extending clawback of bank bonuses to at least ten years in cases where there has been inappropriate behaviour."

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has just been granted an urgent question to the Chancellor, George Osborne, at 15:30 GMT in the House of Commons this afternoon on HSBC and tax avoidance.

tweets, external: @Nigel_Farage says he doesn't think 'meet the kippers' BBC doc that exposed Cllr 'negro' comments 'will do us any harm'

Tweets, external: That is the Tory policy - tough on the weak but soft on the strong. Nothing asked of rich pensioners but working age poor to be hammered.

On the cash-for-access claims Ed Miliband said these were disturbing allegations and it was right that Jack Straw had referred himself to the parliamentary commissioner and been suspended from the group of Labour MPs in Parliament. He said: "We need a proper investigation but I believe we need to go further. Labour candidates standing at the next election will be banned from taking paid directorships or consultancies." You can watch Mr Miliband's full comments here.

Norman Smith
BBC Assistant Political Editor

Sir Malcolm Rifkind is to face an internal Tory party disciplinary inquiry which will determine whether he has brought the party into disrepute. If he is found to have done so, then Sir Malcolm would not be allowed to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming election.

BBC News Channel

Emily Ashton, from Buzzfeed, tells the BBC News Channel's campaign review: "I think there's a lot of reasons why people are turning to the smaller parties," and anger at things like the cash for access story is one of them. But Kate Devlin, from the Herald, points out, the smaller parties have realised their big problem is that they're polling well but its still very hard to pick up seats so they need to do more to grab attention for their policies