News in Brief

It has been revealed that Labour spent £13 million in the last year before the election campaign in their successful bid to win the General Election. The figure was half of a total £26 million blitz in the three-to-four years running up to Tony Blair's landslide victory. But Labour officials, who admitted today that the figures were accurate, believe their spending in 1996-7 was easily outstripped by Tory spending of £20 million. The Liberal Democrats made no secret in the run-up to the election of their intention to spend £5 million of hard-won resources. A spokeswoman for the Conservatives said the party never discussed how much it spent on elections and, therefore, would not comment.

The Transport Secretary, John Prescott, has ordered an immediate health and safety investigation into a railway company's plans to use commuters as guards. Mr Prescott, who described the scheme as "unacceptable", also wants to meet Great Eastern managers in his office next week. Great Eastern wants selected commuters to don the company uniform, sit in the guard's van, make announcements and watch over passengers' safety. Participants of the "work-to-work scheme" - planned for peak-time services between Clacton, Walton, Harwich and Liverpool Street in London - would be offered free travel, plus £5.25 an hour.

The deputy leader of the Ulster Unionists, John Taylor, has called on Sinn Fein to condemn a gun smuggling operation uncovered by police in the Irish Republic. Two men from Northern Ireland were arrested after 20 handguns were seized at Dublin docks. The weapons were found by police and customs officers during a search of a container that had arrived from the Netherlands. It is not clear for which organisation the guns were destined but the discovery is sure to add to Unionist unease. The peace talks process at Stormont is deadlocked over their demands on decommissioning of weapons.

The Prime Minister can no longer be called "an Islington Socialist". Tony Blair and his wife Cherie have sold their three-storey Victorian house in the North London borough. It is certain that the Blairs have made a profit on the property, given that their London home was on the market for about £600,000 and that estate agents predicted it would easily fetch the asking price or more. Reports suggest the Prime Minister and his wife might have received as much as £700,000 for the terraced house.