Two of the three women allegedly held as slaves for at least 30 years had lived in a “collective” with the man arrested after meeting through a “shared political ideology”, police have disclosed.

The discovery of three women allegedly held as slaves for 30 years is the “tip of a rather large iceberg”, according to an MP in charge of reviewing evidence of slavery in Britain.

An investigation into claims that some doctors are granting women illegal abortions based on the sex of their unborn baby has been launched by Britain’s department of health.

UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw denied plotting to remove British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today after claims in a book that he told colleagues that Brown “had to go”.

AS GORDON Brown was getting the better of David Cameron at prime minister’s questions, the television news channels flashed up the breaking news that two former cabinet ministers were demanding a secret ballot on whether he should remain as Labour leader.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was today facing the prospect of a dramatic challenge to his leadership after two former Cabinet ministers issued a call for the issue to be resolved "once and for all".

Gordon Brown was today facing a growing clamour from his own MPs for a leadership election, with a Labour vice chairman urging a “multiplicity” of senior figures to stand against him.

Dan Buckley finds the project contractor for the School of Music has been dogged by controversy.

The decision to grant Sinn Fein MPs the use of offices in Westminster has been welcomed by Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid.

Two British Labour Party MPs have expressed opposition to their own party’s proposals to give Sinn Fein’s four MPs office space and parliamentary privileges in Westminster.