If David Cameron wants an Olympic relaxation to Sunday trading laws made permanent, he faces a battle.

The ban on larger stores opening for more than six hours between the hours of 10am and 6pm was lifted thanks to emergency legislation covering the Olympics and Paralympics.

Ministers guaranteed it would not be a "Trojan horse" for a permanent relaxation when MPs passed the law.

But there is speculation that there could be a push to make the move permanent as part of legislation in the autumn designed to boost the flat-lining economy.

Lined up against the move are senior Northern Liberal Democrats, while a Tory MP has also urged caution before making such a change.

Remember the Tory peer who warned he could switch to UKIP? Well, here is what UKIP leader Nigel Farage has had to say about about Nigel Vinson. Mr Farage told me that the peer would be welcome to join UKIP.

The Liberal Democrats are set to field a candidate for the job of elected Northumbria police chief.

And it could be Lembit Opik.

But candidates are not expected to stand in Durham or Teesside.

IT may seem like a long way away, and for many Brits is a tourist destination. But make no mistake, what happens in Greece matters to the UK. It really matters.

A senior businessman put it simply - exports could come to a "grinding halt" if the eurozone crisis continues.

On top of that, the European banking system could be thrown into turmoil - gumming up the flow of credit to such an extent that there is a credit crunch mark II, expect far worse.

AN unelected House of Lords is "bonkers", says Tory MP Guy Opperman.

The Hexham MP spoke out ahead of peers debating potential reforms this week.