Plot was hatched by Mandelson and Campbell D-day for Clegg as he decides who to back Shares tumble as political uncertainty goes on Senior Labour figures condemn Lib-Lab deal Lib Dems poised to seal deal without knowing PM Labour’s old guard today openly condemned the prospect of a shabby deal with the Liberal Democrats that would deny the keys of Downing Street to David Cameron. As Nick Clegg faced a growing backlash for cynically double-dealing, the Government was warned by former ministers that a ‘coalition of losers’ could ultimately lead to Labour’s destruction. ... Jump to full article >>

The Liberal Democrat leader said his team was working ”flat out around the clock” trying to secure a breakthrough in the hung parliament talks. William Hague also said he was ”optimistic” as Lib Dem and Tory negotiators gathered at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall for further discussions this morning. Speaking outside his London home, Mr Clegg said: ”I don’t think a prolonged period of uncertainty is a good thing. That’s why we want to arrive at a decision as soon as possible. ”But I hope people equally understand that it would be better to get ... Jump to full article >>

Pennsylvania is facing a $1-billion-plus deficit for the second year in a row, and we are pretty sure that efforts to pass a budget on time will be stymied by legislators resistant to raising taxes or adding any new taxes. But as much as state spending can and should be cut, additional tax revenue must also be raised if we hope to keep the most basic services intact and our infrastructure from deteriorating. Anyone who tells you that we can enjoy all the state services we are accustomed to without raising taxes was born yesterday or is running for office. There are still a few taxing options a ... Jump to full article >>

The Greens won a historic first Westminster seat early this morning as the party’s leader, Caroline Lucas, overturned a 5,000-strong Labour majority to take the Brighton Pavilion constituency. After a nail-biting eight-hour count, Green activists cheered and yelled in delight as it was confirmed that Lucas, 49, had seen off Labour by about 1,300 votes. In a tight, three-way race the Conservatives were less than 3,000 votes further back. Lucas, an MEP since 1999 who will now give up her Strasbourg seat, said the result marked “the start of a new political force” which demonstr ... Jump to full article >>

Officials move to plug holes in the system that almost let suspect Faisal Shahzad fly out of the country, and look at whether investigators should have been alerted to Shahzad sooner. The federal government began requiring airlines Wednesday to recheck no-fly lists every two hours, an effort to patch a hole in the security net that allowed the man suspected of putting a bomb in Times Square to board a jetliner hours after being barred from air travel. The new rules were designed to correct a glitch that marred an otherwise successful law enforcement operation that caught Faisal Shahzad 53 hour ... Jump to full article >>

Law enforcement officials say sites linked to the Comedy Central show ‘South Park’ have received extra protection. Los Angeles-area law enforcement officials said Monday that after the attempted bombing in New York’s Times Square, police had stepped up patrols around entertainment studios. Police across Southern California say they are prepared to handle an attack. But they stressed the importance of alert residents in the security equation: It was a New York street vendor who noticed the SUV emitting smoke Saturday and reported it to authorities. “New York is another w ... Jump to full article >>