Iain Dale: I hope this isn’t the last we see of Ruth Davidson
Plus: Brexit Derangement Syndrome sufferers have gone fully tonto due to prorogation. And three cheers for Andrew Neil.
Henry Hill: Post-Ruth politics – the battle over her legacy will shape the future of the Scottish Tories
Davidson’s successors must not let recognition of her extraordinary achievements to turn into counter-productive myth-making and a counsel of despair.
Andy Street: For the West Midlands, the Commonwealth Games have already arrived
Economically, we are winning long before the first medal is presented.
Iain Dale: Were the Prime Minister to pull the plug on HS2, would he call time on Heathrow expansion too?
Plus: I* which I ru* i*to a few a**oyi*g problems fili*g this colum* from my *orfolk retreat.
Henry Hill: GERS Day – Scottish Government’s own statistics punch fresh hole in the case for independence
“When otherwise sensible folk, holding down serious jobs, devise and propagate all manner of conspiracy theories, as well as insult Scottish Government analysts…”
Iain Dale: Don’t mention the war, please. Why Johnson was wrong to suggest Hammond and company are collaborators.
Plus: I’ve never thought a national unity government is a runner, and I think it’s even less likely now.
Henry Hill: Wallace rejects amnesty for Ulster veterans, but wants inquiries restrained
Also: Labour’s civil war on Scottish independence deepens; Scottish Government pays Salmond half a million pounds in damages; and more.
Andy Street: Making connections to change our region
The West Midlands provides a case study for the UK in how connectivity can transform an area by linking its communities, its geography, its businesses and its people.
Henry Hill: McDonnell reminds us wherein lies the real threat to the Union
Labour politicians pandering to nationalist sentiment, and Remainers colluding with separatists in Parliament, are a clear and present danger.
Iain Dale: There are good ministers left behind by the Government’s drastic shuffle
Plus: There are some promotions which are inexplicable, too; and how fast can Jo Swinson get from Brecon to Edinburgh?
Henry Hill: Tories hope that ‘Boris bounce’ will save them in Brecon and Radnorshire
The Prime Minister’s tour of the United Kingdom sees him square off against nationalists from Sinn Fein, the SNP… and Welsh Labour.
Andy Street: What the West Midlands wants from the new Government
A new era of optimism in Downing Street can bring positive changes for my area.
Howard Flight: Some guiding principles for Javid as he designs his tax policy
Keep them low where possible; find the optimal point on the Laffer Curve; avoid taxes which are expensive to collect; and undo the harm of Stamp Duty and Inheritance Tax.
Iain Dale: This Cabinet is the most right-of-centre in modern times. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Plus: should Patel have come? Should Mordaunt have gone? And: my predictions. What I got right and wrong.
Henry Hill: What Johnson’s reshuffle means for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
His appointments to the Territorial Offices are a mixed bag: Cairns is a welcome retention, Jack a bold but possibly risky change, and Smith another letdown for Ulster.