Labour seat hold overshadowed by UKIP success
Labour comfortably held the seat of South Shields after a by-election marked mainly by UKIP's success and the dire failure of the Lib Dems.
Home Secretary signs deal with Jordan over Abu Qatada
The Home Secretary pinned her hopes for ousting Abu Qatada from Britain on a fresh deal with the Jordanians.
Divided opinion on potential ECHR withdrawal over Qatada
A Tory MP and former government lawyer give their view on the UK potentially withdrawing from the ECHR to aid Abu Qatada's deportation.
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Labour: PCC register is 'vital for accountability'
The chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee said that a national register for PCCs is "vital for local accountability".
Keith Vaz MP said: "We need to guard against maverick decision-making," he added, "the Government is going to publish a register of chief constables' interests, but has so far refused to do so for PCCs, who share the power over policing."
Last year PCCs replaced police authorities in 41 force areas across England and Wales, they were handed the power to set force budgets and even hire and fire chief constables.
A report from the Committee said Home Secretary Theresa May was "keen to distance herself from any responsibility to assess the performance of the PCCs", stating that they were ultimately "accountable to the electorate".
MPs warn stronger scrutiny needed from PCCs
MPs have warned that stronger scrutiny is needed from elected police commissioners to prevent "maverick decision making".
The Home Affairs Select Committee found that only a quarter of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) had revealed certain financial data, despite being required by law to do so.
Home Secretary Theresa May previously shot down the idea of a national register of PCCs' interests, pay, perks and hospitality, but a recent report from the committee said it is "vital".
It comes after a string of heavily-criticised decisions made by commissioners including the suspension of a chief constable in Lincolnshire and the hiring of a youth commissioner in Kent.
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Lawyer: Wider public interest is that justice is served
The subject of whether people who are arrested on suspicion of a crime should be given anonymity is an issue which has been highlighted by the Home Secretary.
Media Lawyer Mark Stephens, who represented wrongly accused former TV presenter John Leslie told Daybreak:
"John Leslie was the subject of a gross miscarriage of justice in the sense that he was wrongly accused from the start and rightly found innocent, but the key thing here we have to look at what is the wider public interest, the wider public interest is justice is served."
David Cameron: May's approach is the right one
Criminal suspects who have been arrested should not normally be named until they are charged, the Home Secretary has said.
David Cameron said there have been "terrible events" following the naming of arrested suspects.
The Prime Minister alluded to the case of Christopher Jeffries, who sued several newspapers for their coverage of his arrest on suspicion of the murder of Joanna Yeates in Bristol. He added:
"But I saw Theresa's approach in advance and I think it's the right one."
Home Secretary backs anonymity at point of arrest
The Home Secretary has revealed she backs the right to anonymity for criminal suspects who have been arrested but not charged.
In a letter to the recently formed professional standards body, the College of Policing, Theresa May said she was concerned by reports that some forces have refused to name suspects who have been charged.
But Mrs May said she does believe in protecting the identities of suspects at point of arrest and has asked the College, led by chief executive Alex Marshall, to draw up clearer guidance.
Her comments come after Warwickshire Police came under fire for initially refusing to name a retired police officer charged with theft.
In the letter, the Home Secretary said: "I am concerned that the refusal of some police forces to name suspects who have been charged undermines transparency in the criminal justice system and risks the possibility that witnesses and other victims might not come forward.
"I strongly believe that there should be no right to anonymity at charge apart from in extremely unusual circumstances.
"I believe there should be a right to anonymity at arrest, but I know that there will be circumstance
May told government promise 'rings hollow'
Jon Hassall, chairman of Lincolnshire Police Federation, asked the Home Secretary about the impact of spending cuts on resources and pensions.
He said: "Your Government uses phrases like 'we're all in this together'. That rings hollow now."
He added: "People I represent are now taking home less pay than they used to. Are you aware vast swathes of the police force don't trust you or your Government?"
Theresa May replied: "I recognise the difficulties that this has led to for some."
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Police shouldn't bring 'frivolous' law suits against public
The Home Secretary Theresa May has told the Police Federation Conference that she wanted to stop officers from bringing 'frivolous' law suits against the public.
"I know that the vast majority of you are dedicated public servants of the best kind" she said.
"But when a police officer sues a member of the public because they slipped on private property that is simply not the sort of attitude police officers should exhibit".
"I want to work with the Federation to make sure police officers don't make frivolous claims".
"Not least because it would be quite wrong if people become reluctant to call the police for fear of being sued".
May: 'Being a police officer is a dangerous job'
Theresa May has told the Police Federation delegates that the government wanted to support police officers.
– Theresa May, Home SecretaryBeing a police officer is a tough, dangerous job. Those of us who work behind desks should never forget that you face the possibility of an encounter with lethal danger every day. You know it the moment you leave the station to do your job.
There is no more poignant reminder of the public service performed by police officers than the roll call of those who lost their lives over the last twelve months.
The police 'has taken its share of pain'
The Police Federation Chair Steve Williams has told the Home Secretary Theresa May that "on a daily basis our members are having to make tough decisions".
Addressing the conference Mr Williams said the federation "understood the financial realities but the police service has taken its share of pain and some would argue more than its fair share".
"But what has not helped is that times it has felt more like a punishment than an exercise in frugality" he continued.
"That what should be a cut bought about by fiscal difficulties feels like a penalty or punishment for bad conduct. Too often the behaviour of the small minority of officers is held up as that of the majority".
Read: 'Jeering the Home Secretary did us no favours' by Police Fed Chair Steve Williams.
Tories must give voters 'greater certainty' over EU
The Conservatives must give voters "greater certainty" that they will be given a say on Britain's membership of the European Union, Home Secretary Theresa May acknowledged today.
After the Tories suffered heavy losses to the UK Independence Party in the council elections, Mrs May said it was essential voters believed the party would honour its promise to hold an in/out referendum on EU membership after the next general election.
However she rejected calls from some senior Conservatives to bring forward the date of the referendum and stage it in this parliament in order to finally kill off the appeal of Ukip to Tory voters.
She said that it was important that they stood by David Cameron's plan to re-negotiate the terms of Britain's membership and then put the new settlement to the country.
"If you want to take a re-negotiated settlement to the British people, you have got to re-negotiate it," she told the BBC Radio 4 Today.
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