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Eurosceptics running a 'protection racket' in Tory party
The former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has accused eurosceptic politicians of "operating a sort of Soprano-style protection racket inside the Conservative party".
He told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show:
– peter mandelson, former eu trade commissionerThe UK isolation party and their fellow travellers in the Conservative party are ... operating a sort of Soprano-style protection racket inside the Conservative party. They are saying ... 'give us what we're demanding or we're going to burn your home down'. In my view the Prime Minister has got to say 'enough is enough'.
Jeremy Hunt casts doubt on 'loon' comments
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he does not believe that someone close to the Prime Minister made the "swivel-eyed loons" comment.
Speakign on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show, he said that party activists are "in tune" with the views of British voters and that their input was "incredibly important to the DNA of the policies that we are putting into place".
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Hunt: Lord Howe's view does not 'represent the reality'
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that Lord Howe's portrayal of the Prime Minister losing control of the Conservative Party does not "represent the reality".
He told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show that the Conservative party is "absolutely united" behind the desire to change Britain's relationship with the EU.
Tory leadership has a 'disdainful' view of party activists
Tory MP Brian Binley has said he would not be surprised if a senior aide made the "swivel-eyed loons" remark because the party leadership has a "disdainful" view of volunteers.
Mr Binley, a member of the party board which is chaired by Lord Feldman, said: "I certainly will be wanting to know more about it when we have our next board meeting."
"Certainly the gap between the party leadership and the party's voluntary sector in the country is sizeable. I have made that complaint again and again," he added.
Person behind loon comments 'should be reprimanded'
Conservative MP John Redwood has said that if the "swivel-eyed loons" comments are found to be true then the person responsible "should be reprimanded".
He told BBC1's Andrew Marr show that he is "very glad" the comments have been "strenuously denied".
Tory MP: Cameron has a 'very united party behind him'
The Conservative MP John Redwood has said that his party is "very united" behind the Prime Minister on his strategy in Europe.
He told the BBC 1's Andrew Marr show that he, and other eurosceptic MPs, support David Cameron's policy of trying to renegotiate Britain's position within the EU before seeking a referendum.
"We're very happy with the policy of negotiate and decide," he added.
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Tory activists warn PM over stance on gay marriage
Tory activists have attacked David Cameron's support for gay marriage, claiming it had made winning the next general election "virtually impossible".
In a letter to the Prime Minister, more than 30 present and former local party chairmen warned that Mr Cameron's backing for a change in the law had led to voters switching their support to UKIP.
They wrote that many of the lost supporters would not return unless legislation for gay marriages was abandoned "or the party leadership changed".
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill returns to the Commons tomorrow for two days of debate, with many Tory MPs expected to oppose it on a free vote.
Police warn against visiting scene of Swindon road crash
Friends and relatives of the two women who were killed when their car left the road in Swindon have been warned by police to avoid leaving flowers at the crash scene for their own safety.
"We have had one or two people pulling up at the scene to pay their respects," a police spokesman said.
Read: Wiltshire police names women killed in Swindon crash
"This stretch of road is a clearway with traffic travelling at speeds of up to 70mph.
"Anyone who attempts to stop, no matter how briefly, could be putting themselves and others at risk of serious injury.
Flax bed sheets 'could help prevent spread of MRSA'
Researchers believe a plant first used by prehistoric man could help prevent the spread of bacteria, including MRSA, in hospital bed linen.
They found that fibres from the common flax plant can kill bacteria efficiently when treated with special light-sensitive dyes and exposed to red light.
Academics at the University of Brighton found that flax absorbs some light-sensitive dyes with a greater capacity than the most commonly used material, cotton. After stimulation with red light, the dyes produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that kill bacteria.
The ROS attacks bacteria in a number of ways meaning that it is less likely to build up resistance, unlike with treatment by antibiotics.
'Terminator 2' actor arrested in West Hollywood
Star of 'Terminator 2' Edward Furlong has been arrested on suspicion of violating a restraining order filed by his ex-girlfriend.
Police say they found Furlong in West Hollywood hiding in a nearby property. He was released yesterday after being held on £65,000 bail. In March, the 35-year-old actor was sentenced to six months in jail for violating a similar restraining order.
He has been the subject of such orders taken out by both his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend.
