Jo Coburn and Giles Dilnot have the top political stories of the day.

As Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander asks some government departments to look for 40 per cent cuts to their budgets, the programme looks at what that could mean for public services, and will be joined by transport secretary Philip Hammond.

It could mean much less generous pay-offs for civil servants who lose their jobs. Ministers are meeting unions today over plans to change redundancy terms.

RAC director Stephen Glaister talks about radical proposals for cost-cutting, including 'pay-as-you-drive' charging and privatising of the road network.

And in the age of austerity can we afford our monarchy? As the latest accounts look at what the royal family have been costing us, we will be debate whether it is time to give them the chop. Show less