Election latest: What the papers say

David Cameron's Conservatives will resume talks with the Liberal Democrats today about the possibility of forming a government following six hours of negotiations on Sunday.

The Times

Nick Clegg is making David Cameron sweat as the pair edge towards a deal that would put the Conservative leader in Downing Street.

Both sides will resume talks today. Their negotiating teams spent nearly six hours at the Cabinet Office yesterday, trying to thrash out an agreement, but Liberal Democrat sources suggested that it might be Thursday before Mr Cameron could think about walking into No 10.

William Hague, who led the talks for the Tories, and Danny Alexander, his Lib Dem counterpart, tried to reassure the markets by announcing that cutting the deficit would be at the heart of any agreed programme for government. There were no details about how such a programme would look. FULL STORY...

The Telegraph

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats last night sought to reassure financial markets that they are close to agreeing an economic deal that would allow David Cameron to take power.

Three days after the result of the general election, the two parties have yet to strike an agreement that will remove Gordon Brown from Downing Street.

With the nation experiencing its first hung parliament for 36 years, there are fears that the power vacuum at the heart of government could scare investors, already nervous after the crisis in Greece. FULL STORY...

The Independent

Nick Clegg and David Cameron were were still struggling to find common ground last night over the deal-breaking issue of reforming Britain's voting system as they sought an agreement that could forge the next government.

A day of high drama, which saw secret meetings take place in Whitehall and desperate phone calls made between party leaders, ended without resolution.

Senior Tories and Liberal Democrats will meet again today to hammer out a deal which would finally allow Mr Cameron to enter Downing Street. Mr Cameron will set out the details in a meeting with his new band of MPs in the Commons today. FULL STORY...

The Guardian

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, has given himself until the end of tomorrow to decide whether to let David Cameron form a government, or instead risk a deal with Labour that might be seen as illegitimate by the public and jeopardise the success of a yes vote in a referendum on electoral reform.

Clegg met Gordon Brown for an hour at the Foreign Office today and is understood to have set out his fear that a Lib-Lab coalition might be regarded as illegitimate even if Brown stood down as its leader.

Senior cabinet figures have told Brown in the last 48 hours that he should stand down and operate merely as a transitional figure for an unspecified period. FULL STORY...

Daily Mail

Gordon Brown mounted a secret last-ditch attempt to cling to power last night as the Tories and Lib Dems edged closer to a deal that will see David Cameron enter Downing Street.

Mr Cameron appeared confident of winning Nick Clegg's support for a belt-tightening economic plan to shore up international confidence in Britain.

But though the Lib Dem leader had promised to talk to the Tories first about a power-sharing agreement, details emerged of a clandestine meeting between him and Mr Brown in the Foreign Office. FULL STORY...