Ryan Bourne: Thatcher and Cameron made us happier
It really is remarkable. Every self-reported measure of wellbeing has improved near continuously in the past eight years.
Daniel Hannan: Where would we now find another Norman Stone?
Had he been on the Left, he would have been regarded as one of our towering public intellectuals. But he committed the ultimate sin: he was a Thatcherite.
The temptation to stuff Corbyn – or try to – is proving too great to resist
By pursuing an election at the expense of the Withdrawal Bill, Johnson is gambling on hammering Labour amidst the December gloom.
Stephen Booth: This is not the beginning of the end of Brexit, it is the end of the beginning
The first phase may have been the most fraught, but Johnson’s deal leaves lots to do – and many decisions to make – in the next stage.
Rupert Myers: Remainers might wish otherwise, but there is simply no mandate for a second referendum
And even if one were to take place, there’s every reason to believe it would deepen, not resolve, the sense of crisis and acrimony.
Why the second referendum campaign is failing
It is as if it had become a vehicle to help Blair redeem his reputation and popularity, lost after the Iraq War.
David Gauke: When your bell rings in December, you expect to be sung a carol – not asked how you’re going to vote
The result of a general election next month would by no means be a foregone conclusion.
Sheila Lawlor: Ultimately, as the EU’s leaders recognise, the momentum is with Johnson
The big prize will be that the UK’s economic and trade freedom will be restored, something May’s backstop would have prevented, potentially indefinitely.
The secret of Johnson’s success suggests bringing back the Withdrawal Bill
The reason he has turned the polls round seems to be that voters believe he’s trying to deliver Brexit.
Meghan Gallacher: All-women shortlists. Whatever happened to the Best Person for the Job?
It would be wrong to see a woman gifted a ‘safe’ seat in a winnable constituency just because there is a lack of female MPs.
The mills of Johnson grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small
For all his reverses in the Commons and the courts, the Bill on his deal has gained Second Reading, the Queen’s Speech has passed – and Corbyn is under pressure.
Karen Bradley: Why I’ve doubts about an autumn election – and want the Withdrawal Bill brought back now
I fear that we would lose too many good colleagues to a Remain coalition in the south, and would not pick up enough Leave-voting seats in the midlands and the north.
Iain Dale: Johnson is in a position to win an election – and may not get another chance to do so for quite some time
Plus: I have the right to speak my mind about Liverpool. Plus: am I a true Conservative?
The case for and against seeking a general election this year
ConservativeHome is very dubious that, assuming a poll is deliverable, the Party can win a healthy majority without already having delivered Brexit.
Garvan Walshe: To get Brexit over the line, the Government needs to calm down
Like rugby team experiencing ‘white line fever’, it seems the closer the objective is, the more unforced errors they suffer.