DAVID Davidson, the Tories' health spokesman, was fighting for his political career last night after he was forced to deny allegations of binge drinking and having an affair with an SNP MSP.

JACK McConnell has patched up his strained relationship with Gordon Brown in time to profit from the Chancellor's expected takeover from Tony Blair some time after the election, it emerged yesterday.

MINISTERS are set to announce tough rules for 'managed migration' in response to escalating public fears that the system is out of control.

SCOTLAND'S environmental groups today highlight what they claim are large gaps in the Executive's commitment to sustainability and tackling climate change.

BRITAIN'S black market in tickets for sporting events and pop concerts is worth an estimated £11 million a year.

THE father of a British tourist murdered in Kenya in 1988 flew to Nairobi yesterday to discuss a new police inquiry.

CHRIS Smith, Labour's former Culture Secretary, did not tell Tony Blair he was HIV-positive when he was appointed a Cabinet minister, he admitted yesterday.

TRADE unions face a "painful road to extinction" if they fail to evolve, a report has found.

THIRTY-FOUR women every month take legal action against their bosses claiming they were sacked for being pregnant, according to the latest research.

LABOUR'S plans to unleash Tony Blair on "ordinary voters" backfired spectacularly yesterday when he was given a roasting on Channel 4.

A SHEET of doodles that sparked a debate on the state of Tony Blair's mind was actually created by the Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates, it was revealed yesterday.

YOUNG people from poor backgrounds may be offered government grants to spend up to a year doing community service in Britain or abroad, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, has revealed.

POP star Kylie Minogue, the voice of Florence in the film version of The Magic Roundabout, brought a touch of glamour to its premiere in London yesterday.

ROYAL Bank of Scotland defended itself yesterday after it emerged that a company owned by the bank is involved in the supply of cash machines which charge their customers transaction fees of up to £10.

UP TO 15 British troops were feared killed yesterday when a C-130 Hercules transport plane came down in Iraq, military sources said.