Ben Roback: McCain’s unique role in the Republican Party may now go unfilled

In the age of fake news, sub-tweets and gaslighting, the Arizona senator stood out as a pillar of a bygone political era.

WATCH: McCain on “the satisfaction of serving something more important than myself”

Accepting the Liberty Medal last year, he described his gratitude to be “a bit player in the extraordinary story of America”.

John McCain, hero of the free world

He served his country – and its allies – honourably.

Lockwood Smith: Britain has a golden chance to join the biggest free trade agreement in history. But Chequers is likely to wreck it.

The “Common Rulebook” approach is an ostacle to signing up to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Ben Roback: Will November’s mid-terms pull the rug out from under Trump?

All things considered, all roads point to a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives come November.

Mohammed Amin: The toxification of politics threatens us all

The disease affecting Labour about Jews is now affecting the Conservatives about Muslims.

Leigh Higgins: Post-Chequers, we need to explain more clearly what leaving the EU will now look like

We must ensure that, just as the UK voted Leave to take back control, local people take back control themselves.

Iain Dale: The man who made me tear my hair out. (So you now know why I don’t have any.)

Yes: there was nothing I could do to stop Sean Spicer from being an utter dick. Plus: Guido’s recovery, the Tory Chief Whip’s troubles…and Mamma Mia 2.

David Hare: To help ensure better healthcare, politicians must make the case for the NHS internal market

The public are consistently reported as being entirely relaxed about who provides their care. What matters is that it is high quality and free at the point of use.

Garvan Walshe: Mueller is closing in on Watergate II – this time with Russian spies in place of Nixon’s homegrown goons

Trump asks us to believe Putin’s denial that Russian military intelligence did the job for him. And who wouldn’t believe those two honest men?

Ben Roback: Trump’s press conference with Putin was the most staggering moment in a staggering presidency

Will this abject performance be what finally breaks his connection with his domestic supporters?

Peter Marshall: The EU is the cuckoo in the WTO nest

The latter has never had the clout nor the resources required for it to do its ever-expanding task. It has had to play catch-up.
 


A customs union 2) Simon Clarke – As a convinced Brexiteer, and an optimist about Britain, I see that joining one would lock us into decline

We shouldn’t be glued as a vassal state to a declining European market.

Terry Barnes: From the Anglosphere, we watch with horror as Britain bungles its Brexit chance to go global

British politicians are negotiating as if it were 410 AD, and still the Roman province of Britannia, asking permission to leave instead of flourishing a mandate to do so.

Trump sends May to the back of the queue

He has been characteristically brash – and offensive. But that’s beside the main point. Which is that he looks strong and the Prime Minister looks weak.