4:47pm UK, Sunday January 16, 2011
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has admitted the Conservative Party did not conduct an forceful by-election campaign in the Oldham East and Saddleworth.
He was answering criticism the Tories made little effort to win the seat to boost support for their coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats.
In the event, Labour's Debbie Abrahams was a comfortable winner with 14,718 votes, ahead of Lib Dem Elwyn Watkins with 11,160. Conservative Kashif Ali was third with 4,481.
Mr Pickles told Sky's Dermot Murnaghan: "We started third and of course we fought a very gentle campaign because that particular campaign was about the nastiness of previous Labour leaflets."
Another of Murnaghan's guests, deputy Lib Dem leader Simon Hughes, revealed he is working with Labour "at my instigation" against Government plans to abolish Educational Maintenance Allowances.
Mr Hughes said: "I said I'm willing to talk to Labour and Andy Burnham, and I have met to talk about it."
One of the country's most influential business leaders has defended the coalition's regime of public spending cuts. Sir Martin Sorrell, who advises David Cameron, told Sky News a period of austerity was necessary for Britain's economic recovery.
A report by the NHS Confederation has warned the Government's NHS reforms could result in hospital closures and lower standards of patient care.
The report has the backing of former health secretary Andy Burnham who told Murnaghan the reforms could lead to "chaos" in the NHS.
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