The Daily Telegraph

Image source, TSB

Successive government intervention in how banks are run has made "an utter shambles" of the UK banking industry, The Daily Telegraph's assistant editor Jeremy Warner opines, external. He says TSB being sold to Spanish bank Sabadell was "a suitably humiliating end for Britain's poor little Trustee Savings Bank".

In The Times today, leader writer Philip Collins says fewer and fewer Labour MPs believe their party will win the election. He argues the party will have to look beyond leader Ed Miliband to explain defeat, if it does indeed materialise. Labour, he writes, is in a "cul-de-sac intellectually". More here, external.

Could the Democratic Unionist Party end up in coalition with Labour? Last night, DUP leader Nigel Dodds was setting out his terms to Newsnight. He said the would have to offer a European referendum if it wanted DUP support. More here from Allegra Stratton.

Image source, PA

Could the relationship between the US and the UK be damaged over China? The White House has accused the UK of a "constant accommodation" of China after the British government decided to join a new China-led financial institution that could become a rival to the World Bank.

Lionel Barber - the FT's editor - says the bank could increase China's "sphere of influence". The US, he adds. had hoped allies would "hang back" and see how the new bank developed. The latest row comes amidst irritation in the Obama administration over some stances the coalition has taken - defence spending being another - he says.

Mr Barber adds that George Osborne has been a leading figure in trying to rebuild relationships with the Chinese - the Treasury believes there is huge opportunity in the country.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Image source, PA

Labour is looking to "put a bit of oomph" behind their pledge to freeze energy bills, BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith says. Labour is setting a "hugely ambitious" target to give energy regulator Ofgem the power to lower bills by the winter after the election, he says. The policy was "a game changer" when it was first announced, - but now it is less so, he adds.

Image source, various

Yesterday's surveillance report from the intelligence and security committee, Labour's pledge on energy prices and a story about George Osborne considering allowing pensioners to cash in annuities feature on the newspaper front pages this morning. Andy McFarlane has more in the newspaper review.

Image source, AP

Later, services to mark the end of British involvement in the Afghanistan conflict will be held. Prime Minister David Cameron will join members of the royal family for a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has marked the occasion by paying tribute to 453 troops who died during the conflict, saying they had "paid the ultimate sacrifice to enable us to live in freedom, in hope for peace, prosperity and dignity". More here.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Democratic Unionist Party MP Jeffrey Donaldson said Sinn Fein's last minute blocking of Northern Ireland welfare reform legislation "came as a real bolt from the blue". "We thought we had an agreement," he says, because the legislation was in its final stages. He speculated that Sinn Fein may have come under internal pressure to block the laws.

BBC Radio 4 Today

The cost of new drugs scanners equipment for prisons could total £15m, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw tells the Today programme. Each body scanner will cost at least £80,000. The advantage of the scanners is that they can detect very small amounts of proscribed substances, he adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Business leaders in Northern Ireland are urging politicians to resolve the political deadlock over welfare at Stormont. The future of devolved government in Northern Ireland has been thrown into question after Sinn Féin withdrew support for welfare reform legislation. Writing to the first and deputy first ministers, four leading business organisations say the deadlock has "placed us at another crossroads in Northern Ireland's progress towards a better future for all". More here.

BBC Radio 4 Today

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw tells the Today programme that the UK will get US-style body scanners to try to tackle the problem of drugs being smuggled into prisons. "We are going to get body scanners that use a low dosage radiation beam" to try to detect drugs and weapons, he says.

Image source, Thinkstock

New drugs scanners are to be bought for prisons in England and Wales. Justice secretary Chris Grayling is said to have made the decision due to a continuing problem with drugs - both illegal substances and so-called 'legal highs' - being brought into jails.

Image source, PA

The row over whether the UK should commit to spending 2% of GDP on defence over the course of the next Parliament is likely to rumble on. Last night, a 2% pledge was approved by MPs, although the vote is not binding on the government. Prime Minister David Cameron is under pressure from some Conservatives and former senior military staff over the target.

Labour has pledged it will give regulator Ofgem the power to act on consumer energy bills by the winter following the election. Ed Miliband is to say later that the move would be "one of the first bills" introduced by a Labour government. The freeze policy was first announced in 2013. But the Conservatives have said the proposal was "in chaos" as bills have already started to fall.

Good morning from Westminster and welcome to another day of coverage from the Politics Live team. We'll be across everything from the Today programme and Breakfast news to Newsnight later.