General Election – Will You Vote For Gordon Brown?

The survey of over 250 authorities shows that county councils, facing elections this year, have kept their rises below 4 per cent, while London authorities, following Boris Johnson’s example, have limited their increases to as little as 1.2 per cent.

A handful of police authorities have however defied the Government and confirmed increases of well over 5 per cent for their share of council tax. The highest hikes have been set by Derbyshire Police, 8.7 per cent and Greater Manchester Police at 7.5 per cent.

A convicted Islamist terrorist who was caught trying to smuggle blueprints into Britain showing how to build a missile has been released from prison early under the Government’s controversial plans to ease prison overcrowding.

Yassin Nassari, a Category A prisoner who was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment last summer, was released early from Wakefield prison last month, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed today.

More than 18,500 prisoners have been freed under the scheme since it was introduced by Jack Straw, the Justice secretary, last June.

They included more than 3,500 violent offenders, 1,730 burglars, 400 robbers and 790 people jailed for drug offences.