Introducing a 20mph speed limit on residential roads in Westminster will save tax payers £50 million a year, according to Labour Councillors who say that Department for Transport figures show that each death on the roads costs £1.8m and each injury costs £59,700 in hospital, police and ambulance costs, lost taxation and lost working days and lost production. In 2008, 1,604 people were injured on Westminster's roads, including 20 people who lost their lives. Recent research published in the British Medical Journal shows that 20mph speed zones were associated with a 40 per cent reduction casualties. Labour Councillors say that that introducing a 20mph speed limit in residential roads in Westminster could cut road accidents by 40% and save 8 lives a year and cut road injuries by 600 a year. In more detail: * Cutting roads deaths by 8 would save £14.4 million a year; * Cutting road accidents by 600 would save £35.8 million a year; * In total, a 20 mph speed limit could save £50.2 million a year.

• Labour strikes first blow in ‘MumsNet election’
  As Brand Republic informs us, The Times has said that the 2010 election will be the "Mumsnet election". If so, then Labour yesterday struck the first blow by advertising on the popular website. The advert, currently shown here, says: Family income over £31,000? Say hello to David... ...and goodbye to your child tax credits. Vote Tory and you'll get less than you bargained for. Kerry McCarthy, MP Labour's media campaigns spokeswoman, said: "In the last few days we've seen the difference between the way Labour and the Tories are approaching online campaigning. Whilst the Tories are busy telling their candidates what they can and cannot say online, we're engaging with mums about the issues they care about where they come together online." Read the full article.
• Jack Straw: David Cameron’s position this morning is breathtaking for its sheer hypocrisy
  Jack Straw MP, Labour's Justice Secretary responding to David Cameron's speech this morning said: "David Cameron's position this morning is breathtaking for its sheer hypocrisy. "Just a few months ago the Conservative Party were actively sabotaging all efforts to exclude the ambit of parliamentary privilege from the new laws on MPs expenses. "Now Mr Cameron's lust for an easy headline has provoked yet another bout of rank opportunism. The British public will see right through it."
• Tory frontbencher praises Labour’s handling of the recession
  The Guardian reveals that a Conservative frontbench spokesman startled Tory peers by congratulating Labour on its handling of the economy and saving 500,000 jobs: Lord Freud, a Conservative spokesman on welfare, has congratulated the government on its handling of the recession, saying it has contributed to 500,000 people not losing their jobs. He also admitted the British experience of the recession has been much better than during the previous recession of 1992, which was overseen by John Major's Tory government. Freud, a former businessman who has advised both Labour and the Tories, praised the government's flexible labour market during debates on the government's child poverty bill. Read the full article.
• Piers Morgan interview set to show Britain’s got talent
  The Telegraph reports that Piers Morgan looks set to conduct an hour-long interview with Gordon Brown, which promises to reveal the private life of the PM: Morgan, a friend of Mr Brown and his wife, Sarah, said: "I have been trying to secure a Life Stories interview with the Prime Minister since the series was first devised, because he is an absolutely perfect subject for the show. "He is one of the most famous people in the country, yet remains a man of mystery to many. I have known Gordon Brown for over 15 years - he is a man who has enjoyed great triumph, suffered terrible tragedy, and will soon face the biggest challenge of his career." Read the full article.
• Labour choose 20-year-old student to fight general election in Ceredigion
  WalesOnline tells us that Labour has chosen a 20-year-old student to fight Ceredigion at the general election: Richard Boudier, who is already a town councillor, will be one of the youngest parliamentary candidates at this year's general election. He said: "It is a huge honour to be given the chance to stand for the Labour Party here in Ceredigion. I will be doing my utmost to promote the positive messages of fairness and social justice that are the key reasons why I’m proud to be a Labour member." Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain said it was good to have young talent coming forward in the party. Read the full article.
• Lib Dem activist cooked up Kingston Hospital scare story in his kitchen
  Max Freedman has the low down on an incredible Lib Dem scare story which enlisted the help of Nick Clegg to "save Kingston Hospital", but the whole thing was cooked up in a local activist's kitchen: The Kingston campaign launch seemed so slick, right down to having Nick Clegg make a web video outside the hospital, that many were surprised that they seemed to have turned this around so quickly. Other surprised people were Healthcare for South West London, who stated that there are no proposals to shut our hospital units, and the hospital's chairman, who said that closures were "inconceivable". It has now been revealed that this campaign was a scare story smear "cooked up at [the] kitchen table" of a prominent local Lib Dem strategist Dan Falchikov, who was amazingly caught on camera boasting of this in front of the political journalist and assistant editor of the Daily Mirror, Kevin Maguire. On a train to Waterloo yesterday, Mr Maguire sent a number of tweets to reveal that "Train bloke boasting the hospital scare story cooked up at his kitchen table. Very proud of Facebook following". He was able to take a picture of the man, which he also posted on Twitter, and was rewarded when his followers were able to identify him. Read the full article. UPDATE: The Chief Executive of the Kingston Hospital NHS Trust has now issued a denial of the Lib Dem's scare story [pdf] to staff.
• Tory MP’s inflated crime figures criticised by Milton Keynes police
  The Milton Keynes Citizen reports that a Milton Keynes Conservative MP has been making false claims about crime levels: Police have attacked a claim by North East Milton Keynes MP Mark Lancaster on city violence as "extremely misleading". He said in statement supporting Tory crime-fighting plans that there were 6,015 "violent attacks" in Milton Keynes last year, contributing to a 236 per cent increase in violence over the past 10 years. But Milton Keynes Police acting command unit commander Nikki Ross said the MP's statement was "extremely misleading" and the figure he had given included "everything from public order offences, to harassment, to allowing a dog to be out of control in a public place. "The actual number of people who were victims of serious violence was 81. "In addition there were 2,042 people who suffered a low level assault where minor injury was caused. Commenting on the article Andrew Pakes, Labour's PPC for Milton Keynes North, told Labour Matters: "It is incredible to see just how far the Tories are prepared to go in manipulating the figures for their own partisan gain. No wonder the local police felt the need to speak out about this blatant manipulation of the crime statistics. "Instead of making needless attacks the Tories should be speaking up in support of our local police and their determination to keep Milton Keynes a safer, better place to live."

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