60 leading economists back Labour's plan on spending - 8am, February 19th

8am

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

* More than 60 leading economists have written a letter backing Labour’s decision to avoid spending cuts until next year.

* In a speech later today, Gordon Brown will call on the centre-left to unite behind Labour.

* The Tories have “shattered” political consensus over the planned high speed rail link from London to Birmingham.

* Harriet Harman leaned on the expenses watchdog to suppress revelations about MPs’ expenses, the Sun claims.

* Sir Thomas Legg has apologised to Huw Irranca-Davies for accusing him of owing for expense claims.

* The Treasury borrowed £4.3 billion last month – after a record slump in tax receipts.

* Tory MP Nicholas Winterton has said people in standard class on trains are a “different type of people” to those who travel in first class.

* In YouGov’s daily tracker poll, the Tory lead has been trimmed to 7%.

Alex Smith

Alex is the founder and CEO of The Cares Family. He was editor and first director of LabourList in 2009-2010, during which time he established the site as the number one Labour blog, and later an aide to Ed Miliband.

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