Plus: Henry Bolton, secret LibDem agent. (Or not.) Penny Mordaunt, next Tory leader. (Or not.) British communists surprise us. (Or don’t.) And: my CNN joy.
Also: Welsh Government accused of trying to narrow inquiry into Sargeant’s death; Sturgeon attacks disgraced ex-SNP minister for clinging to seat; and more.
The vote split along geographic and political grounds; it is hard to see how any proper government can be formed between competing brands of populism.
No wonder cynicism is corroding the fabric of our democracy when an announcement briefed to the press has no relationship to the policies unveiled.
One of the complaints that came up from the groups I ran – particularly from those from minority communities – is that some people get treated more leniently than others.
From its range of tailor-made trade deals to its habit of allowing Member States to break the rules, Brussels is more flexible than Barnier’s rhetoric might suggest.
We retain a strong underlying negotiation position, due to the fact the EU desires our custom and our money. A free trade agreement should be perfectly feasible.
We must not conflate the progress that scientific advancement offers us with the idea that debate becomes redundant in the face of an increased awareness of scientific fact.
I believe last week’s inner cabinet meeting at Chequers will be seen as a key staging post in Britain’s exit from the European Union.
Plus: Major’s error. The Prime Minister’s jokes. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. And: the angels want to wear my red suit.
Also: AMs vote to publish inquiry into whether Jones leaked Sargeant’s sacking; Davidson announces Tory push to form Scottish Government; and more.
Voters habitually opt for parties of the Right when times are tough, only to ditch them for the Left once there’s money to spare. But now populists seek to break the cycle.
Unless we change how we think, speak and apply lower taxes, the Labour cry of ‘tax cuts for the rich’ will remain a powerful slogan.
What’s more, to have any effect it would need to be part of a broader suite of interventionist policies – territory where Conservatives’ can never out-socialist Labour.
The briefing about turning a Trade Bill vote into one of confidence unnecessarily raises the temperature between Ministers and Conservative MPs.