CURRENT NEWS ITEM: BROWN CUTS TORY LEAD TO 3% AS CAMERON DROPS SPENDING PLEDGE

TOP - 50 RELEVANT BREAKING NEWS

1. Game on: Brown recovery cuts Tory lead to single figures

   Gordon Brown has made significant inroads into the Conservatives' lead on the back of his handling of the economic crisis, a new poll for The Independent on Sunday reveals today.

2. Labour cuts Tory lead in latest opinion polls

   Labour has clawed back the Tories' lead to single figures, according to a poll released yesterday.

3. Latest poll cuts two points off Tory lead

   The Conservative lead over the Labour Party is shrinking, according to the latest opinion poll.

4. Michael Brown: Cameron must ditch Osborne as Tory shadow chancellor

   David Cameron and George Osborne have ten days to sort out the Tory Party's policy on the economy before the pre-Budget report is presented to Parliament by Alastair Darling on Monday week. For months I have been railing at the Tories' lack of an economic policy. While Mr Cameron claimed at his party conference to be "a man with a plan", I'm blowed if I know what it is.

5. 'Trusted' Brown narrows Tory poll lead

   The Tory lead over Labour has narrowed to just 5% as Gordon Brown benefits from his handling of the global financial crisis, according to a poll.

6. Tory lead falls to just 5% as voters back Brown over economic crisis

   The Tory lead over Labour has narrowed to just 5% as Gordon Brown benefits from his handling of the global financial crisis, according to a poll.

7. Brown and Cameron clash over stimulus plan based on tax cuts

   “Real help for families and businesses” to battle against a recession was promised by Gordon Brown yesterday in the form of immediate tax cuts for low-income earners.

8. Brown slashes Tory lead to just three points

   Gordon Brown has slashed the Conservative lead in the polls to just three points, according to a survey released yesterday.

9. Cameron accuses Brown of binge as PM promises tax cuts

   Gordon Brown today promised tax cuts to boost growth in the economy as the Tories accused him of planning a "borrowing binge".

10. Tory back bench disagrees with Cameron over tax cuts

    Tory MPs are calling for big tax cuts to kick-start the economy in today's mini-Budget, even though David Cameron opposes the "fiscal stimulus" to be announced by the Chancellor Alistair Darling. A survey of MPs by ComRes for The Independent shows that Tory backbenchers support using tax cuts to stimulate the economy by a two to one margin. A large majority fear the "green" taxes proposed by Mr Cameron are not right for a recession.

11. Tory spending cuts are right idea but at wrong time

    On the same day the Tories unveiled plans for financial crisisrelated tax cuts the Germans chose to embrace "crass Keynesianism" writes Richard Fletcher.

12. Brown demands petrol price cuts

    Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls for falls in the price of oil to be passed on to consumers "as quickly as possible".

13. UK will lead the way, says Brown

    Gordon Brown promises Britain will "lead the way" through the global financial crisis, ahead of an emergency EU summit in Paris.

14. Spending pledge to be reviewed - Swan

    THE Government is set to review all its spending commitments as the global financial crisis starts to bite.

15. Brown has a 'good' crisis as world follows his lead

    To the casual observer, Gordon Brown could have been the guest of honour. There were smiles, handshakes and slaps on the back for Britain's Prime Minister as French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed him to the Élysée Palace in Paris. Watched by a guard of honour, the men paused briefly on its steps for photographs before hurrying inside for talks on hauling Europe's financial system out of the mire.

16. Despite poll lead, Tory victory not sure thing: Harper

    Stephen Harper wrapped up his campaign the way it began, serving the same simple recipe he hopes voters will take away from their Thanksgiving dinner discussions.

17. New NHS target 'may lead to cuts'

    Welsh health service finance chiefs claims cuts may be needed to reach key waiting list targets next year.

18. Financial crisis Public spending will not be cut says Gordon Brown

    Spending on big projects and public services will not be cut back as a result of the credit crisis and multibillion pound banking bail out Gordon Brown has insisted.

19. Hollow reality of Gordon Brown's pledge to train more roof laggers

    If employing more roof laggers is the only way Britain can avoid recession as British prime minister Gordon Brown appears to believe then we should all hunker down for a long cold winter of discontent.

20. Cameron claims Brown wrecked UK economy

    Gordon Brown "cannot hide" from his responsibility for Britain's economic woes, Tory leader David Cameron said today as the gloves came off in the political debate over the credit crunch.

21. Cameron attacks Brown as crisis truce ends

    The UK's Conservative leader, reopened political hostilities with the prime minister over the financial crisis, accusing him of recklessly presiding over a 'total breakdown in economic responsibility'

22. Cameron ends 'truce' as Brown blamed for crisis

    DAVID Cameron sought to lay the blame for the looming recession firmly at the door of Gordon Brown yesterday, as the government came under pressure to curb state-owned Northe

23. Report: NBC Universal plans $500M in spending cuts

    A trade paper reports that NBC Universal plans to cut $500 million in spending next year to prepare for an expected continuation of the worldwide economic slowdown.

24. Cameron to back tax cuts for small firms

    Conservative leader David Cameron is to call for a six-month national insurance cut in an effort to help small businesses.

25. Cameron calls for small business tax cuts

    Cutting bills for small businesses will help get Britain through the economic crisis more than Government plans to pour cash into public works, Tory leader David Cameron said today.

26. Yahoo profit drops, targets job cuts as ads weaken

    SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc posted a sharply lower quarterly profit on nearly flat sales, but its shares rose 8 percent on the Internet media company's plan to cut at least 10 percent of its work force to save costs.

27. Pound drops as Brown warns on recession

    Sterling hit a five-year low against the dollar after Gordon Brown and Mervyn King give gloomy assessment of Britain's economic prospects

28. Cameron slams Brown over ongoing Osborne Row

    Tory leader David Cameron today accused the Prime Minister of "desperate" measures to keep a row over allegations that the shadow chancellor sought a donation for the Tories from a Russian billionaire going.

29. DSG cuts spending as consumer confidence deteriorates

    Sales continue to fall at DSG International's various electrical chains around Europe with a 7% like-for-like decline reported for the 24 weeks to October 18.