The move to impose higher taxes on second homes - set out as part of preparations for the 2015 general election manifesto - emerged after Labour pledged to support a mansion tax to fund a return of the 10p starting rate of tax, scrapped by Gordon Brown in 2008.

BBC: Lib Dems look at extending mansion tax

That should not matter to the government, save for one thing: next year, for the first time in a decade, the unions, under a law introduced by Margaret Thatcher, have to ballot their members on whether to maintain a political fund, most of which has traditionally been used to finance the Labour Party.

ECONOMIST: How dangerous is the rise in union militancy?

This was proposed by the Conservatives as part of a scheme to fund the basic pension, but rejected by the Labour Party when it was in opposition.

ECONOMIST: Pensions

The report follows former Prime Minister John Major's claim last week that the Labour administration was guilty of "grand larceny" and had used lottery cash to fund core government responsibilities.

BBC: For every ?1 spent, 28p goes to good causes

Head of the World Wide Fund for Nature Scotland, Simon Pepper, said the Liberal Democrats scored reasonably well with Labour a close second and the Scottish National Party third.

BBC: Holyrood parties only 'pale green'

Labour attacked the government of youth unemployment figures and repeated calls for a bankers' bonus tax to fund 100, 000 extra youth jobs.

BBC: Osborne: Greek referendum bad for eurozone