Why the Cabinet Office will be in the dock for Covid failures when the inquiry comes. As will Sedwill.

The Treasury has been welded at the top to Number Ten. Now there’s a push to do more of the same to the Office.

Johnson’s ministerial appointments

We’ll continue to update this as the Prime Minister fills out the lower ranks of his government.

Which MP is backing which candidate. Our named estimates. Johnson 131, Hunt 48, Gove 36, Javid 22

Here’s our best stab at who is voting for whom, and this list will be updated each morning, as the contest continues.

Promotions for Frazer and Murrison as May fills out her Government

The new Solicitor General and FCO/DfID minister are both sensible choices, which might say more about the Prime Minister’s position than her judgement.

May needs a new offer to make to the EU. Paul Bew has one for her. She should take it up.

He advised the man who co-won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Belfast Agreement – and argues that the backstop breaches it.

If May wants a revised plan to pass the Commons, she must take the lead herself

The Speaker is unlikely to select backbench amendments designed to help her, so her least bad option is a Government one.

Almost good enough isn’t good enough

Strangely but truly, the best way of helping the Prime Minister is to send her back to Brussels to win concessions on the backstop.

Yesterday in the Commons. More opponents than supporters of the Prime Minister’s deal on the Conservative backbenchers.

That said, there was more backing for her from her party than some of today’s headlines suggest.

Henry Hill: Bradley mulls MLA pay cut as direct rule looms

Also: Scottish Tory MPs break ranks for clean Brexit; Welsh Conservatives demand Jones publishes leak inquiry; Smith attacks Murrison over loyalist’s invitation; and more.

What might the reshuffle look like?

Watch out for Sajid Javid, Esther McVey, Liz Truss, Nicky Morgan and Karen Bradley.

Will the UK have to deploy troops to Pakistan?

Defence Questions came around again yesterday. Conservative members dominated the session and exhibited excellent technical knowledge. James Arbuthnot (MP for… Read more »

Mental health of the armed forces another strike against localism

Dr Andrew Murrison is MP for Westbury, a Shadow Defence Minister and a former Surgeon Commander in the Royal Navy…. Read more »