Gordon Brown is expected to try to reclaim the political initiative this week, setting out his draft Queen's Speech programme for the autumn with promises of new measures on schools and health.

Cherie Blair has revealed how her husband made public the fact that she had lost the baby she was carrying in order not to cause a panic over Iraq.

Britain's tax bill has increased by more than 50% in the past ten years under Labour, it has been claimed.

A teenager murdered the day after his 16th birthday was killed in an unprovoked attack after he refused to take part in a fight, police said.

Prospects for the UK economy have worsened and the Bank of England must act swiftly if the country is to avoid a marked downturn, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned.

The number of police officers wounded in shootings has increased by 60% in four years, according to figures released by the Conservatives.

Labour could be heading for defeat in a crucial by-election in 10 days' time, according to an opinion poll.

Science can tell us what is possible but it is up to individuals to decide what is right, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said ahead of the second reading of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

Another 3,000 post offices could be forced to close if subpostmasters lose the right to handle state pensions and benefit payments, the Government was warned.

Some soldiers are so hard up they are having to be issued with food vouchers to pay for their meals, an internal Army report has revealed.