Pressure on Buttiglione over single mums jibe

Italy's blunder-prone Rocco Buttiglione was under increasing pressure today to spare himself the sack and step down voluntarily from his new job as European Commissioner in charge of civil liberties.

Heroic efforts by his boss, Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, to stand by the man dubbed "anti-gay" and "anti-working women" have been undermined by the latest attack on Mr Buttiglione - as "anti-single mum".