Tories' policy shift

Conservative leader David Cameron dropped another two Tory proposals yesterday as he continued a rewrite of his party's programme for Government because of the economic crisis it would inherit.

The British Conservative party leader said he was no longer committed to providing an extra 5000 prison places or to abolishing income tax on savings for people paying the basic tax rate.

Tory insiders admit that the party's draft election manifesto, which is being introduced on an issue-by-issue basis this month, is being used to water down expensive policy commitments.