The claim that Peter and I are somehow at war is in any event undermined by the fact that when the papers carrying these headlines hit the streets last night, Peter was at my home attending a family birthday party organised some time ago.

BBC: What Campbell said

And, at home, the Christian Democrats' party-finance scandal has, for the time being, virtually removed a serious opposition from sight.

ECONOMIST: The chancellor gets his deal

"The only time Jane spends a night at home is when she's hosting a party, " said Jeffrey Sharp, who co-founded Open Road with Ms. Friedman in 2009.

WSJ: Jane Friedman's New York Apartment: A Home That Books Built

But Labour insists it has been pushing for a real terms cut in the EU budget since July, with shadow chancellor Ed Balls saying there had been cross-party support for the idea of reducing EU expenditure at a time of austerity at home.

BBC: George Osborne says 'real test' on EU budget to come