David Cameron, pictured on his way to a meeting with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, has written to Tory backbenchers to thank them for their support. Photograph: B Mathur/Retuers David Cameron has reached out to disgruntled Tory MPs by writing an end-of-term letter in which he hails the coalition agreement for delivering [...]

General Sir Peter Wall – pictured with Tony Blair in 2003 – is to be the new head of the British army. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA The new head of the army, who will take up the post at a crucial time for the service, is to be General Sir Peter Wall, an experienced, straight-talking, commander [...]

The coalition has combined the alternative vote referendum and redrawing of constituency boundaries into a single bill. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty The Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has allowed himself to be sandbagged by his Tory partners in his otherwise laudable attempt to introduce a fairer electoral system, probably losing a once-in-a-generation opportunity for electoral reform. [...]

Winston Churchill’s archive is packed full of letters, photographs and ephemera. Winston Churchill’s vast archive – everything from school reports and wagers about his prodigious drinking to a personal copy of the “finest hour” speech – will be digitised and offered online, it will be announced today. The Churchill Archive Trust has agreed a deal [...]