Tim Smith: What should we do for the furloughed worker?

The Government has sat on its hands over the National Retraining Scheme. Ministers need to deliver it – with laid-off workers in the fast lane.

Will Green: I’m a Labour supporter – but here’s why I believe that Universal Basic Income wouldn’t work

Effectively, for much of the population, UBI would merely take their money and then give it back to them. What’s the point?

David Gauke: The virus – and my journey from serving as Lord Chancellor to volunteering to stack shelves

Plus: Treasury and Work & Pensions lessons. Greenlighters v the rest. Remembering Attlee’s surplus. And: the key question now is “how”, not “what”.

Neil O’Brien: We are on a terrible course. But some people are still messing about as though this were a game.

With the bazooka being well-wielded by Sunak, it seems almost churlish to suggest some further things the Treasury could do. But here are three.

Ryan Shorthouse: Next steps for the Chancellor in helping to support the self-employed

By adapting the Statutory Maternity Pay system, the Chancellor’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will improve the lives of thousands of people.

The rights and wrongs of the Government’s treatment of the self-employed

The Chancellor should make further provision for them. But the vast though necessary expansion of state spending will need emergency powers-type checks.

WATCH: Sunak must do more and act now 2) Duncan Smith – “Universal Credit has three basic levers that could be pulled.”

“The taper could be lowered dramatically at this stage which would push the floor right up underneath people in work.”

Is Sunak being dragged in the direction of a Universal Basic Income?

Some form of the scheme may be necessary as an expedient. But beware: nothing lasts so long as the temporary.

The economy and the virus. Tear up the rulebook – we need Big State Government on a scale unknown in modern times.

The implications of the crisis are such that Johnson and Sunak need not so much to think outside the box as to trample it to tatters altogether.

WATCH: “Nobody should be penalised for doing the right thing” – Johnson announces urgent reform of sick leave to slow pandemic

“People self-isolating will get Statutory Sick Pay from the first day off work. This will be included in emergency coronavirus legislation.”

Neil O’Brien: How the Conservatives can do better with younger voters. And remain a compassionate party.

After crushing Labour last year, it might be tempting to rest on our laurels. But we need to act now to keep the extreme left locked out of Number 10.

Rachel Wolf: I co-wrote this Conservative manifesto. And so can say that its focus was on neither the rich nor the poor.

To view Britain in such a way is to see a useless picture of the nation. Most people are Just About Managing. And they are our new voters.

Anne Fennell: Why are the Conservatives, like the other main parties, against choice for families?

All these ‘family friendly policies’ are offered to mothers only if they agree to hand over care of their children to external settings and get out of the home.

Frank Young: This election’s Breadline Battleground

Our analysis shows that any political party will struggle to win a working majority if they fail to connect with the poorest voters across Britain.

James Kirkup: Our advice to Johnson. Social mobility should be at the heart of your programme.

The fifth piece in our series this week about what the Tory Manifesto should look like.