Columnists

Henry Hill: Frost’s appointment shows the Government is not resigned to the Northern Ireland Protocol

His extension of grace periods only makes sense as part of a strategy aimed at securing meaningful concessions to assuage unionist concerns.

Garvan Walshe: He promised “rupture” in France. Now Sarkozy, like his predecessor Chirac, is convicted of corruption.

It is a curiosity of French politics that in the reverse of the British pattern, right-wing scandals have to do with money while left-wing ones are about sex.

Daniel Hannan: There are clear problems with raising the minimum wage. But anger now trumps account-keeping.

Debates around this issue are conducted as if it were politicians’ own money at stake rather than taxpayers’.

Radical: Despite lockdown, the gender wars rage on. Here’s our round up of the biggest issues of the week.

One of the most striking developments was Mordaunt criticising the use of the word ‘woman’ in the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Bill.

James Frayne: Raise tax, and expect your competence and values to be questioned

It’s a dangerous game, relying solely on polling to judge the state of public opinion: it never tells the full story.

Ryan Bourne: Why is Sunak so taken with tax hikes – when the tax burden is forecast to be its heaviest for 70 years?

Conservative messaging implies an implicit belief that there are no major state functions ripe for reform in any fiscal repair.

Richard Holden: The Chancellor shouldn’t try to win a spending arms race with Labour – which we would lose anyway

Perhaps the simplest way of putting it is: it’s all about economic credibility, stupid. Because come 2024, it certainly will be.

David Gauke: My Budget advice to the Chancellor. Raise income tax, not corporation tax.

We need to have a debate about which taxes are least damaging to economic growth. Over the long term, corporation tax ranks as being one of the worst.

Iain Dale: Teaching unions are loud but wrong on vaccines. Besides, what about those without powerful public advocates?

Plus: Have you got your popcorn ready for Salmond’s appearance before a committee of the Scottish Parliament this lunchtime?

Henry Hill: The SNP’s disdain for MSPs is discrediting the Scottish Parliament

As Alex Salmond’s evidence is censored again, now the reputation of Scotland’s prosecutors is dragged into the mire.

Stephen Booth: The challenges awaiting Lord Frost, who will take charge of Europe policy, and joins the Cabinet on Monday

One would suspect that the Government’s primary objective will be to stabilise and bed down the new relationship with Brussels.