Donor dinner details released

Asked whether he'd publish a full list of his dinners and meetings, Labour leader Ed Miliband said, "I'm very happy to be open and transparent about what we're doing."

"I think the stain on the character of the Government needs to be dealt with and I think only a full independent inquiry, done by the independent adviser on ministerial interests, will do," he added.

• Politics
• Labour
• Ed Miliband

Labour have raced into a double-digit opinion poll lead over the Conservatives after the fall-out from the Budget and cash-for-access controversy, a ComRes survey for The Independent shows.

• Labour - 43%
• Conservatives - 33%
• Liberal Democrats - 11%
• Others - 13%

• Politics
• Peter Cruddas
• Conservative Party

William Hague has told ITV1's The Agenda that donors do not influence him on his foreign policies. Mr Hague said that "if anyone ever influences me on any policy it's somebody that I meet at surgery or somebody I meet in Afghanistan or Iraq".

Mr Hague denied the existence of a 'policy committee' and said: "Peter Cruddas resigned because he said some silly things. Things that he acknowledges were not true, that there was a policy committee- there isn't such a committee that donors can feed into".

• Politics
• William Hague
• Peter Cruddas

The Foreign Secretary has discussed cash-for-access on ITV's The Agenda with Tom Bradby. Speaking as one of the guests on the programme to be broadcast at 10.35pm tonight, William Hague was asked what £250,000 buys:

"Hopefully only the satisfaction of supporting a political party. I don't think you'll get much more than that. All the parties have had problems with allegations about funding.

"If there's one reassuring thing that I can say as somebody who's served in two cabinets is if people think that an individual donor, a rich person, can change a policy by giving money to a party - I haven't ever seen on the inside an example of that".

• Politics
• Peter Cruddas
• Conservative Party

Labour leader Ed Miliband took the opportunity of the furore over donations and the angry response to last week's Budget to rally Labour troops at their weekly meeting.

In an unscheduled behind-closed-doors address to MPs and peers, a spokesman said he had told them it had been a "politically significant week".

Labour said the addition of the names of Chequers guests to the list took the total they had given to the party since Mr Cameron became leader to more than £23 million.

• Politics
• Ed Miliband
• Peter Cruddas

Aides to the Chancellor have said that he had not entertained any major donors at his Downing Street residence, following allegations that special privileges were given to donors who gave money.

However, Andrew Feldman, Simon Wolfson and Howard Leigh had been to Dorneywood for social events as part of wider groups.

• Politics
• George Osborne
• Peter Cruddas

The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has released a list of major Liberal Democrat donors who had lunch or dinner at his official residence Chevening.

• April 30 2011 -lunch - Mr & Mrs Choudrie (Sudhir and Anita)
• June 3 2011- dinner - Richard Duncalf and his partner
• June 3 2011- dinner - Rumi Verjee
• June 4 2011-lunch - James Palumbo

A party spokesman said: "These were not paid for by the taxpayer".

• Politics
• Nick Clegg
• Peter Cruddas