Cynical bribes to voters: Labour and Tories under fire

Pensioner bonds extended for (Tory voting) over-65s: extra paternity leave for young (Labour voting) dads

The Mole

Both main parties can be accused this morning of offering electoral inducements - or "bungs" - to their “tribes”. The Tories have announced an extension of high-interest-earning bonds for pensioners while Labour is pledging a near doubling of paternity pay to allow dads to bond with their new-born children.

Chancellor George Osborne used his appearance on the Andrew Marr Show yesterday to say the bonds would now remain available until after polling day to allow more pensioners to cash in.

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is the pseudonym for a London-based political consultant who writes exclusively for The Week.co.uk.