In Oct defence review, ministers must decide whether to close one of two RAF bases: Lossiemouth in Moray in the north of Scotland or Marham in Norfolk.
One of the bases will become the sole home of the RAF’s Tornado aircraft while the other will either close or be reconfigured as an alternative military base, perhaps for use by the Army to house troops returning from Germany.
MPs representing Norfolk claim that RAF Lossiemouth has an unfair advantage in the negotiations because the Scottish Government and Parliament are able to lobby on its behalf.
A campaign fund has been set up in Scotland and Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, and Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary, have both made representations to the Ministry of Defence about Lossiemouth’s future.
They argued that the Scottish economy can’t bear the loss of the base, which would follow the closure, already announced, of nearby RAF Kinloss.
In a Commons debate last night on the future of RAF Marham however, MPs from Norfolk argued that the region would suffer just as gravely as Moray were the base to close.
Elizabeth Truss, Conservative MP for South West Norfolk, has written to the Prime Minister urging him not to allow the strong representations from Scotland to “trump the clear economic and employment case for the Tornado to be based at RAF Marham.”
She went on: “Some have suggested that closing two bases in Scotland would have a more detrimental effect than closing one base in Norfolk.
“However this does not take account of the fact that the total number employed at Marham (5,170) is more than Kinloss (1,810) and Lossiemouth (2,631) combined.
“The area surrounding RAF Marham has already been heavily hit, with the local economy still suffering from the closure of RAF Coltishall in 2006.
“I am very concerned that next year’s Scottish Parliament elections may dominate a debate which should be about what is the best defence for our country, the best financial solution for the Exchequer and the best economic development for west Norfolk which is an area that relies on the high skilled jobs that RAF Marham provides.”
Miss Truss added that unemployment was running at 7.4 per cent in the west of Norfolk compared to 4.8 per cent in Moray.
She suggested that it would cost the MoD at least £50 million to move the Tornado’s engineering and maintenance facilities from Norfolk to Scotland.
Earlier this month, all of the county’s MPs sent a letter in support of the Tornado remaining at RAF Marham to Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary.
The letter read: “It makes economic and military sense as the principal engineering work is carried out at Marham and the site is well located for the Afghanistan conflict.
“In addition, compared with the alternative site for the sole Tornado base (Moray), the surrounding area in Norfolk suffers from higher unemployment and deprivation and would be gravely hit if the base were to be closed or used for another purpose.”
Thousands of people marched in support of RAF Lossiemouth last weekend, and Dr Fox yesterday discussed the future of the Scottish base with Angus Robertson, the Scottish Nationalist leader in Westminster, who represents Moray.
Afterwards, Mr Robertson said: “RAF Kinloss and Lossiemouth make an enormous contribution to the local economy, and the closure of both bases would be the equivalent of 700,000 job losses in the Greater London area.
Lossiemouth had been due to house the Nimrod aircraft, which was cancelled in the defence review.
A final decision is not expected until the spring.
Johnson unveiled a life-size, red mock-up of the New Bus for London this morning, describing it as a vehicle in progress that wold combine "a sense of nostalgia" for the much-loved Route masters with cutting-edge design and technology.
It is hoped that the first working buses will be on the capital's
streets by the end of next year or early 2012, he said.
The bus, which has yet to be formally named, is being developed for Transport for London by Wright bus of Ballymena in partnership with designer Thomas Heather wick.
Posing for photographs at the Transport Museum depot in Acton, west London, on the mock-up's rear open platform – a direct throwback to the Route master – Johnson praised the environmental advantages of the New Bus, saying it would emit 40% less carbon dioxide than a regular diesel double Decker and 15% less than the current generation of hybrid technology buses, which make up part of London's current fleet.
Fuel consumption would fall in line with emissions.
The New Bus has long been politically controversial, with critics condemning it as a vanity project and damning its £10m development costs.
During the 2008 London mayoral election campaign, Johnson was dogged by questions about the cost of the scheme and had difficulties answering them.
However, he claimed vindication this morning, insisting that the bus was a groundbreaking innovation that would set new standards for urban bus travel and bring in orders from around the world.
The old Route masters were decommissioned under his predecessor, Ken Livingstone.
Important features of the New Bus will be two internal staircases and three sets of doors, facilitating the rapid loading and unloading of passengers, which are considered a big advantage of the articulated "bendy buses" Johnson has been phasing out since his election.
Johnson confirmed that the New Bus would also have a conductor on board in addition to the driver at least some of the time.
Peter Hendy, Transport for London commissioner, said that these staff would be trained and recruited for the task rather than being, for example, police community support officers, as Johnson once suggested they might be, though Hendy stressed that their role would include "doing some of the things people expect of a person in uniform".
This is expected to include assisting passengers on and off the rear open platform and ensuring they have swiped their Oyster cards.
Hendy and Johnson explained that the rear open platform could be kept open during journeys when a second staff member was present, enabling passengers to "hop on and hop off" between stops if they wished. However, when only a driver was present the rear platform would be closed off between stops with an automatic door, operated by the driver, and at other times the driver thought appropriate, such as at night.
The interior of the bus is also "inspired" by the Route master, with the seat fabrics acknowledging those of the past.
The evolving design will now be presented to transport stakeholder groups, such as disabled people, for fine-tuning before its completion and launch.
About 35 Islamic protesters, dressed in dark clothes and with many masking their faces, carried banners and chanted slogans such as "British soldiers: terrorists".
The group confronted police officers and briefly fought with them, leaving one officer with a head injury requiring hospital treatment, and three arrests were made.
Around 50 counter demonstrators from the far-right English Defence League gathered nearby but officers kept the two sides apart.
The protesters said they were from a group called Muslims Against Crusades.
Len Netcott, chairman of the Clifton and Hotwells branch, said he was told on Tuesday a tin had been stolen from the Post Office on Gloucester Road.
"In an hour I was getting more calls to say the hardware store and a florist had them stolen as well," he said.
Avon and Somerset Police said it would be investigating the thefts.
"Unfortunately the Post Office didn't have any evidence, but the Pearce's Hardware Store had CCTV of the theft," Mr Netcott said.
"The guy walked right into the camera with his face on full view.
"I would like anyone who knows this chap to contact the police and see that the man gets his just desserts because he is stealing from people less fortunate than himself."
'Despicable crime'
An Avon and Somerset Police spokeswoman said: "I can assure you that investigations into three separate thefts in the Horfield and Bishopston area are very much ongoing.
"We take any reports of theft very seriously, however theft of charity tins is particularly a despicable crime.
"These kinds of thefts are particularly cruel because the money stolen from the tins would otherwise be donated to charity and therefore affects those that need the money most.
"I would urge anyone who knows who may be responsible for these thefts to contact us," she added.
Nick Herbert told MPs police would learn lessons after 41 officers were injured when a section of demonstrators stormed the Conservative party HQ.
The prime minister has also condemned the violence, which led to 50 arrests.
The Met Police has announced an inquiry into the handling of the march against a rise in university tuition fees.
Fifty people who were arrested during the protests over planned university fee increases have been released on police bail until February.
The majority had been held for criminal damage and aggravated trespass.
Thousands of students had taken to London's streets to join the demonstration against the plan to lift the cap on tuition fees to £9,000.
Around 2,000 split from the main march to gather outside 30 Millbank, the Conservative headquarters in Westminster, where windows were smashed, fires lit and missiles thrown at police, Mr Herbert said.
"It is now clear that a small hard core within this group were intent on violence," he told the Commons.
About 225 officers had originally been deployed to police the march, the minister said, although a further 225 were called in as the situation developed.
"The police have to strike a balance between dealing promptly and robustly with violent and unlawful activity on the one hand, and allowing the right to protest on the other," Mr Herbert said.
"Clearly in this case the balance was wrong but these are difficult decisions and they are not taken lightly."
Earlier Mr Cameron called the protests "unacceptable" and said there had not been enough officers to control the crowds.
He called for the "full force of the law" to be used against those who had been violent.
Some protesters had broken into the Millbank building, although hundreds of workers, including Tory party staff, had already been evacuated.
And Mr Cameron said he was watching what had happened on television from Seoul, where he was attending a G20 summit.
"I was worried for the safety of people in the building because I know people who work in there, not just the Conservative Party, but other offices as well, and so I was on the telephone", he said.
He said protests were a part of democracy but violence and law-breaking was not.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has said the police should have better prepared and called Wednesday's events "an embarrassment".
He said: "It's not acceptable. It's an embarrassment for London and for us."
Police are continuing to examine CCTV footage of the incident.
The National Union of Students (NUS) said about 50,000 people joined the demonstration, but according to Scotland Yard, no trouble was anticipated.
Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledges there were too few police at the fees protests.
Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said the party supported the inquiry and added: "We deplore the violence which marred an important demonstration which the tens of thousands of students who took part and their leaders had intended to be completely peaceful".
But shadow business secretary John Denham said the students had a legitimate cause and needed to be listened to.
He said: "Those parents and the students who were there yesterday have a legitimate cause that needs to be taken up and debated.
We mustn't allow the despicable action of some protesters to divert attention from a real issue."
Hundreds of coach loads of students and lecturers travelled to London from across England, Wales and Scotland for the demonstration in Whitehall.
As well as higher fees, they were protesting against plans to cut higher education funding by 40% and to all but wipe out teaching grants except for science and maths.
'Lost sympathy'
However Mr Cameron said he would not abandon his plan to reform tuition fees to allow some institutions to charge up to £9,000 a year.
NUS president Aaron Porter said he believed members had "lost a lot of public sympathy" because of what happened.
But Clare Solomon, president of the University of London Student Union, predicted a growing wave of similar protests in coming months.
London Mayor Boris Johnson said he also hoped those responsible for violence "paid a serious price for their actions".
Angry scenes at Milbank Tower at student fees protest
Asked about his decision to sign an NUS pledge promising to fight any rise in fees, Mr Clegg told ITV1's Daybreak: "I should have been more careful perhaps in signing that pledge.
At the time I thought I could do it."
But Shadow Commons leader Hilary Benn said Mr Clegg knew exactly what he was doing.
"Before the election [the Lib Dems] made everything of their pledge to vote against the lifting of tuition fees, after the election they couldn't dump it fast enough."
Under the coalition's plans, students would not have to pay anything "up front" and as graduates, would only have to pay back their tuition fee loans once they were earning £21,000 or more.
But the NUS and other opponents say the prospect of such large debts will deter young people from poorer backgrounds from going to university.
Millions on Britons fell silent on Thursday led by services in London to remember those who have died in war.
But in the capital the solemn moment was marred by a small group of protesters styling themselves Muslims against Crusades, who burned a model of a poppy.
As the clock struck 11am, the nation paused to mark the anniversary of Armistice Day, when peace returned to Europe at the end of the First World War.
The agreement between Germany and the Allies after four years of fighting took effect at the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.
Wearing their poppies with pride, people joined in the two-minute silence as various commemoration services and events were held around the country.
The protest, in Exhibition Road, Kensington, involved about 30 people.
About 50 counter demonstrators gathered nearby but the two sides were kept apart by police.
Police clashed briefly with members of the Muslims against Crusades group at one stage and at least one man was dragged to the floor and arrested.
But order was quickly restored as officers completely surrounded the small group. Three men were arrested at the scene.
Three men were arrested at the scene in Exhibition Road, Kensington. Two were for public order offences and one for assaulting a police officer.
Around 50 counter demonstrators from the English Defence League gathered nearby but officers kept the two sides apart.
As the clock struck 11am the Islamic protesters burned a model of a poppy and chanted "British soldier’s burn in hell".
Asad Ullah, of Muslims Against Crusades, said: "We are demonstrating because this day is a day of remembrance to remember every single fallen soldier, including those killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
We find it disgusting that innocent people, innocent children, have been killed in an illegal and unjust war and we are demonstrating against that.
"We want the Government to pull the troops out from these countries and to stop interfering in our affairs.
We would like to have a protest closer to the memorial but it is difficult to get access.
We want to break the silence and say: 'what about the silence for others that have died?'"
Defence Secretary Liam Fox and the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams joined war heroes, service personnel, veterans, military associations and schoolchildren for a service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, central London.
The road was closed and crowds lined the street for the poignant ceremony and wreath-laying.
Amid grey skies and damp conditions, there was applause as Victoria and George Cross holders took their places around the monument.
Among those attending was Lance Corporal Matt Croucher, of the Royal Marines Reserve, who was awarded the George Cross for bravery after he threw himself on to a bomb to smother the explosion while serving in Afghanistan in February 2008.
The 26-year-old, from Birmingham, survived the blast unhurt.
He said: "Even without the medals it's great there is so much support.
People in the military don't really ask for much but just to have the support of the crowds here, it means a lot more than anything else."
Mr. Duncan Smith has described Britain’s interest’s dependency culture as a “national crisis” as he unveiled his reforms to the benefits system.
The Work and Pensions Secretary also said that it was a “sin” that British workers are not capable of competing for jobs with foreigners.
Unveiling what has been billed as biggest reform of the welfare system in 60 years, Mr Duncan Smith said 1.5million people had been out of work and on benefits for nine out of the past 10 years.
Speaking at the Arlington Centre in Camden, he said: “In
prosperous times, this dependency culture would be unsustainable. Today it is a national crisis.”
The violence at student has condemned by Mr. Cameron and meet an investigation by Scotland Yard into its inadequate handling of the demonstration.
The remarks from the prime minister, who watched the events unfold on TV in Seoul, there he was attending the G20 summit came as Britain’s most senior police officer explained the violence as an “humiliation” to London and the Metropolitan Police.
Sir Stephenson, the Met Commissioner, will investigate why senior officers appeared not to have any forward astuteness about the intentions of a hardcore band of violent marcher who targeted the Conservative party HQ in Whitehall.
The initial march of 50,000 students protesting against a rise in tuition fees was categorised by police as a low risk.
A group of protesters broke away from the main demonstration, however, and smashed windows at the building housing Tory HQ, lit fires and threw missiles.
Some stormed the building and managed to get on to the roof,
where a fire extinguisher was thrown at police on the ground.
The student protests have already raised the question among many officers about whether they have gone to far in adopting a “softly, softly” approach to policing protests. However, one former senior officer said a failure of intelligence was more to blame for Wednesday’s events.
“These groups are usually all over the internet discussing plans so you’d have to ask why we were caught napping,” he said.
According to the Mr. Paul: “I think we’ve also got to ask ourselves some questions.
This level of violence was largely unexpected so what lessons can we learn for the future.”
David Cameron said the situation had been “extremely serious” and welcomed the result to hold an inquiry.
Police leaders have raised the prospect of a return to 1980s-style civil disorder on the streets of Britain as a result of the coalition government’s austerity measures. However, ministers have accused them of being “alarmist” as they seek to protect budgets, jobs and pay packages.
Fee cuts are not in the favour of the students because everyone is not in condition to pay fee according to the new rule so it’s not fair and government should take back its steps.
Prince Harry has opened a memorial to honour the 342 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001-2010.
The Field of Remembrance contains crosses decorated with poppies and personal messages from the public, and is planted in rows in the town of Wootton Bassett, 135 kilometres west of London.
For more than two years, people have stopped in Wootton Bassett to pay their respects to dead soldiers repatriated to RAF Lyneham, the nearby home of British military air transport operations.
Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan, has personally planted a remembrance cross in the field and observed a two-minute silence to honour the fallen soldiers on Tuesday.
Andy coulson, was ex-editor of the paper, voluntarily met with police at a solicitor's office to discuss the hacking.
He denies knowing anything about it.
Reports in the New York Times in September claimed the activities had been more extensive than had been previously admitted.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "Coulson voluntarily attended a meeting with Metropolitan Police officers yesterday morning at a solicitor's office in London.
Mr Coulson - who first offered to meet the police two months ago - was interviewed as a witness and was not cautioned or arrested."
In 2007, the paper's royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed for 4 months for conspiracy to access phone messages which had been left for royal aides.
A private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, was jailed for six months on the charge.
He in a way is becoming the story - and that's dangerous”
Robin Brant BBC political correspondent
BBC political correspondent Robin Brant says the latest developments may fuel debate over Mr Coulson's future.
In the spotlight
He told the BBC's News channel: "The allegations will not go away.
There are some within the Conservative party who will feel uncomfortable about this.
"The spotlight... continues to be on Andy Coulson.
He in a way is becoming the story - and that's dangerous.
"There are some who believe this is a politically-motivated witchhunt.
But there are many - and these tend to be political opponents - who believe the case is mounting for David Cameron to seriously consider Andy Coulson's future."
Chris Bryant, a Labour MP who believes he was one of the victims of the hacking, is seeking a judicial review to force public disclosure of the names of the 3,000 or so people whose telephone messages were allegedly intercepted by the News of the World.
Others said to be taking part in the legal action include the former deputy prime minister John Prescott and the actress Sienna Miller.
Robin Brant said Chris Bryant "has just told me he believes that can be successful, and once this information is out, it will reveal a certain amount of complicity at the News of the World and - in his words - Andy Coulson 'will be dead'".
