In the News, Thursday 16 February

Author: James Graham

Speaking in Edinburgh today, David Cameron will argue that independence would be bad for Scotland (Guardian).

The Welsh Conservatives have argued for the National Assembly for Wales to be given powers to vary income tax in its submission to the Silk Commission, the body examining the Assembly's fiscal powers.  In total, the Commission have published more than 40 submissions (Western Mail).

Columnist Martin Kettle has called on the Liberal Demcrats to abandon their historic commitment to reforming the House of Lords (Guardian).

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper writes in the Sun today to explain Labour's decision to field candidates in the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections.  Meanwhile, former Home Office Minister Alun Michael faces a contest in his bid to stand as the Labour candidate for Police Commissioner in South Wales (BBC).  And John Prescott's apparently contradictory comments about the role of elected Police Commissioners have attracted controversy (Telegraph).

The supreme court has upheld a ruling that the Balen Report, a review of the BBC's coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act (Guardian).

A report by the Lords communications committee has argued that the quality of investigative journalism by newspapers is under threat due to financial pressures, and has called for tax breaks (BBC).