The Daily Mail

In his usual acerbic way, Daily Mail columnist Quentin Letts has written piece out the comeback of John Prescott to front-line politics. He writes, external: "Aged 76, he has been invited by Ed Miliband to join Labour's high command after it romps to victory in May's general election (that's Baldrick's cunning plan, anyway)... The thinking behind this move, we are told, is that veteran class-warrior Prescott connects (one almost hesitates to use that verb) with the voters, particularly those who have been melting away from Labour in recent months."

As we've mentioned, David Cameron will promise today to keep free TV licences and bus passes for elderly people, as well as winter fuel allowances, if re-elected. The director of the think tank Reform, Andrew Haldenby, is unimpressed: "I think the Conservative commitment today is completely contradictory to the main thrust of their economic policy.

"It does not target welfare as they've promised, in fact, it puts welfare in the hands of pensioners who don't need it. It does not protect the long term public finances because as the population ages, these commitments become all the more expensive.

"So I think these announcements are the most contradictory and in these terms, the worst announcements of the Conservative general election campaign so far."

Norman Smith
BBC Assistant Political Editor

Labour leader Ed Miliband is writing to the prime minister urging him to bar MPs from having second jobs. Labour are already committed to banning their MPs from taking second jobs by the time of the next election. Labour MPs will only be able to take up outside employment that pays up to a maximum of 15% of their Commons salary. Mr Miliband will urge David Cameron to match that commitment.

Norman Smith
BBC Assistant Political Editor

Many people looking at this story will think, 'Here we go again.' How many lobbying stories like this have there been? And while no parliamentary rules may have been breached, what matters is how this looks to the general public. People will think, 'You are paid a decent salary to work as my MP. Why are you looking for outside interests?'

Tweets, external: #HSBC blames 'challenging year' as annual profit falls 17%. I'll have the details in 2 mins @BBCWorld TV.

Tweets, external: Ch4 letter to Rifkind: "We will...include your clarification that you were not offering access to any privileged or secret information."

This isn't the first sting of its kind - or the first time politicians have been accused of taking money in return for access to the corridors of power. This piece looks at some previous examples.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Mark Harper, Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions, has explained more about the Conservatives' decision to once again protect universal benefits for pensioners if they win May's general election.

He told Radio 4's Today programme: "Most young people would want to know that their grandparents are properly protected in their old age... And the prime minister's announcement today is about making sure needs are properly protected."

He also said that pensioners - as a group - were among the poorest in the country.

Norman Smith
BBC Assistant Political Editor

Tweets:, external I think the current rules (on lobbying) are probably satisfactory - Jack Straw @bbcr4today

"I have never, ever, ever misused contacts or information I made while I was foreign secretary," he says. "There is an argument to be had about whether MPs should have second jobs. My position was not about what I was doing now, it was about what I was going to do when I finish [being an MP]."

BBC Radio 4 Today

Jack Straw told Radio 4's Today programme that he had reported himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards "because of the way that this appears". "I am mortified by the fact that I fell into this trap... very skilful trap". He added: "If you have what you think is a private conversation you use language that is not wrong, but could be taken out of context." He also insisted: "I have declared every penny I've earned."

BBC Radio 4 Today

"There are very, very strict rules about what members of Parliament can and can't do... and I have absolutely kept not only to their letter but also to their spirit," Jack Straw says.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw says: "I am mortified that I fell into this trap."

BBC Radio 4 Today

Very shortly, we're expecting Jack Straw to speak to the Today programme about the cash for access story. Remember you can listen by clicking the live tab above.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a bit more from Sir Malcolm Rifkind when he appeared on Radio 4's Today programme earlier, he said: "Many ex-ministers, former chancellors, home secretaries, prime ministers, as well as other people, have served on advisory boards" and he insisted it was "entirely proper".

"This is something which Parliament has said is acceptable," he added, and there were "about 200" MPs who had business interests. Indeed, many members of the public did not want "full-time politicians".

"If you are trying to attract people of a business or a professional background to serve in the House of Commons, and if they are not ministers, it is quite unrealistic to believe they will go through their parliamentary career being able to simply accept a salary of £60,000. That sounds a lot to a lot of people earning less than that but the vast majority of people from a business or professional background earn far, far more than that. If they are told they have to choose one or the other they just won't come to the House of Commons at all and Parliament will lose their skills."

Telegraph Politics

Tweets:, external MPs can't live on £60k a year, says, external Sir Malcolm Rifkind

The Church of England pays some staff less than the living wage - despite calling on employers to pay at least that amount - it has been revealed. The living wage, calculated from the basic cost of UK life, is currently £7.85 an hour outside London. But the Sun newspaper reports , externala Church job advertised at £6.50 an hour - something Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke called "astonishing". The Church said each parish, diocese and cathedral was a separate legal entity which made its own decisions. Get the full story here.

BBC Radio 4 Today

In the latest of our reports on 100 parliamentary seats, BBC reporter Tom Bateman went to Bexhill-on-Sea to speak to pensioners about means testing benefits. Listen to an audio recording of his report here.

Tim Montgomerie, Conservative blogger and Times columnist,

Tweets: , externalBig legal brain Dominic Grieve explains why, external he'll be voting to stop abortion by gender

Elsewhere today, MPs might be voting to clarify the law on banning sex-selective abortions. The government says it is already against the law, but the British Medical Association has said the operations are sometimes justified. It's an amendment to the Serious Crime Bill, led by the MP for Congleton, Fiona Bruce, which has been signed by more than 100 MPs.