Donations to political parties rose by £1.9m in the first quarter of the year to reach almost £9m.

Figures released by the Electoral Commission showed the Conservatives still the best-funded party with just over £4m, but Labour not far behind with £3,452,441 in contributions.

Donations to political parties rose by £1.9m in the first quarter of the year to reach almost £9m.

Figures released by the Electoral Commission showed the Conservatives still the best-funded party with just over £4m, but Labour not far behind with £3,452,441 in contributions.

Auditors who were investigating allegations of fraud at A4e and another welfare-to-work firm had their concerns ignored by the companies, according to the Guardian.

Auditors who were investigating allegations of fraud at A4e and another welfare-to-work firm had their concerns ignored by the companies, according to the Guardian.

Labour has demanded an investigation into whether Health Minister Paul Burstow broke the Ministerial Code by campaigning against the closure of two hospital units in his constituency.

Shadow Health Minister Jamie Reed has written to Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood asking for the probe after Mr Burstow campaigned locally against the closure of the accident and emergency and maternity units at St Helier Hospital.

Mr Reed alleges that campaigning against the decision to shut the unit down, which was taken by the South West London Primary Care Trust, puts the Liberal Democrat in breach of article two of the Code, which states that ministers must take collective responsibility for decisions made by their Government.

In the letter, seen by PoliticsHome, Mr Reed writes: “Does Mr Burstow's public opposition to the proposals made by a body brought into being by legislation for which he is responsible constitute a breach of collective responsibility as detailed in article two of the Ministerial Code?

“In addition, does this activity transgress the 'Seven Principles of Public Life' – principally integrity, objectivity and honesty – as also specified in the Ministerial Code?”

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to be investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over claims he failed to register donations from media firms.

The move comes after Labour MP Steve McCabe wrote to Sir John Lyon, asking him to investigate a possible failure by Mr Hunt to properly register a financial interest.

It concerns meetings organised by private companies between July 2009 and March 2010, when Mr Hunt and his deputy Ed Vaizey were in opposition.

Mr Vaizey stated in his entry in the register of interests that he and Mr Hunt attended had attended eight sponsored events between July 2009 and March 2010.However, Mr Hunt did not declare the meetings against his name in the register. He has subsequently claimed that he attended only three of the eight meetings.

Labour has already demanded the resignation of Mr Hunt, arguing that his relationship with Rupert Murdoch's News International was too close at a time when he was overseeing the company's attempt to take over broadcaster BSkyB.

Meanwhile a key former aide to Boris Johnson has been recruited as head of News International's communications team. Guto Harri, who is also a former BBC journalist, intends to use the post to "combat hysteria".

David Cameron has pledged to up the pace of the Coalition's reforms, in particular making the Civil Service "leaner, swifter, more effective". He added: “I can assure civil servants that we respect their vocation and impartiality. But at the same time, they are up for radical reform as we reinvent government.” Defending his leadership style, the Prime Minister said that a large part of his job was “shaking things very hard to get things done quickly”.

The inquiry into the cash for access has been branded a 'whitewash' after it emerged it has no remit to cover Downing Street or the Prime Minister. In the outline of the report's aims, David Cameron is only mentioned as the person the report will be handed to when it is complete.

George Osborne was "aghast" at David Cameron's "swift offer" of a coalition, a new biography of the Prime Minister has suggested. Mr Cameron’s speech offering Nick Clegg ministerial posts went through at least five drafts, partly because Mr Osborne objected to the word “coalition” being used so often, the book says.

Pressure is growing on Labour leader Ed Miliband to back a referendum asking Britons whether to remain in or leave the European Union.

But this morning Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said that while it was important to consult the British people on a referendum, it was not an immediate priority. He told Murnaghan on Sky News: "If you went to my constituency today and said what do you worry about most, they would say why isn't the eurozone sorting things out? I'm worried about jobs and investment in our area from a eurozone crisis. Right now I do think that is the biggest priority."

Asked whether he was not ruling a referendum out, Mr Balls replied: "Well, look, I said what I said last week and I don't think anybody sensible would do that but it's not the issue now."

The Observer reports that senior party figures, including new policy review chief Jon Cruddas, have called for Mr Miliband to make a firm commitment to an in/out referendum before the 2014 European elections.

Speaking to Sky News, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke, a pro-European Conservative, said he thought a referendum would be "irrelevant".

"I can’t think of anything more irrelevant to the present situation actually, nor personally can I think of anything more disastrous than the British leaving the European Union and deciding that now is the moment to take up Splendid Isolation alongside Iceland and others," he told the programme.

A significant number of Tory voters are considering defecting to the UK Independence Party, a stark new poll has found. The survey by ComRes for the Independent on Sunday found that 26% of people who voted Conservative in 2010 would be prepared to vote UKIP, or have already switched allegiance. Labour leader Ed Miliband has also overtaken the Prime Minister in the approval ratings for the first time, with an increase of 12 points. The Tories are neck and neck with Labour over the economy on minus 29.

David Cameron tried to keep Rupert Murdoch and the press from getting too close for the first 15 months of his leadership, a book reveals. His media team was headed by George Eustice and had as their strategy an arms' length policy engagement with the press. The book, 'Cameron: Practically a Conservative', has already caused some controversy. Today the authors have shown the path from 2005 to 2007 when Cameron became involved with the Murdochs, despite the former promise of  "no more sucking up to Murdoch".

Twenty six percent of Conservative voters would “seriously consider” voting for UKIP in a general election, a poll suggests.

The ComRes poll for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror also shows that 13% of voters from all parties would “seriously consider” voting for the Green Party.

For the first time in a ComRes poll Ed Miliband has a better personal rating than David Cameron – echoing findings in other polls.

The headline voting figures are CON 32% (-2), LAB 41% (+2), LDEM 11% (+1), UKIP 7% (-2), Green 3% (+1).

Conservative ministers have been meeting with Google executives, between them averaging once a month since the general election in 2010, it has been revealed. David Cameron has met with the internet giant three times, whilst his Chancellor George Osborne has had four meetings, the same number as Jeremy Hunt. Ed Vaizey, Culture minister has visited Google seven times. In total the Tory ministers tally 23 meetings since 2010.

Baroness Warsi has waded into the row over the Rochdale sex grooming scandal, arguing a minority of Pakistani men see white girls as "fair game".

In an interview with the Evening Standard, the Tory party co-chair said: "There is a small minority of Pakistani men who believe that white girls are fair game. And we have to be prepared to say that. You can only start solving a problem if you acknowledge it first."

A dead bird was posted to the wife of John Mann, the MP has revealed.

Jo Mann, a newly elected councillor, arrived home from her first council meeting yesterday to find the package.  It made her feel “really sick”, she said.

Mr Mann said the couple would not be intimidated, and that he hoped the perpetrator would be found swiftly and “given the maximum punishment possible”.