Ben Roback. America’s mid-terms. Not so much a blue wave as a blue ripple.

The Republicans made gains in the Senate, the Democrats won back the House – but that’s not enough to give them the stranglehold on Trump that they wanted.

Lord Ashcroft: “I was like, we must pick one of these? But I’m pleasantly surprised.” My pre-election focus groups from California.

Despite his dominance of the national scene, Trump was hardly a consideration for most of our participants when it came to deciding how to vote this week.

Outsiders are not always good, and governments are not always bad

The columnist Steve Richards examines the rise of the modern demagogues, and their eventual, inevitable failure.

Daniel Hannan: Populists flourish after financial crises – but they get found out in the end

One historical study has found that, on average, authoritarian parties surge by around 30 per cent as the economic consequences play out.

Rebecca Coulson: America. Vast cars, vast variety and a vastly complex verdict.

It’s easy, even comforting, to stick a simple narrative onto the election result. But it would be a mistake.

Lord Ashcroft : What my focus groups said about Clinton and Trump in swing part of Wisconson – itself a swing state

They want change, which doesn’t help Clinton. But they also distrust Trump, which does.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Tea Party provides a warning to Labour

I believe we Conservatives will be able to unite again after the EU referendum. Meanwhile, Labour Labour are seeking to remove the ideologically impure from their party.

Towards a Charter for Party Reform

The row over the Prime Minister’s remarks about local Associations has been mostly concocted. But the need for Party reform is real. We open a ConHome series.

Iain Dale: Over at Corbyn Central, the comrades are eating each other

Plus: Trump v Sanders? Beckett’s report: smell the ostrich dung. And: I have never used poppers.

Citizen Corbyn v Dave Baldwin

As Labour’s conference opens, we can’t afford to lose our radical edge.