Payne journeys through the Red Wall seats to discover how Labour lost them and Johnson won

Local pride in towns like Blyth is wounded at every turn by evidence of neglect, shoddiness and former greatness.

Daniel Hannan: We should thank, not demonise, the patriots who donate to political parties

The media has suggested there is something suspect about the Conservative Party’s receipt of private money.

Why the Germans don’t always do it better

Using modern Germany as a stick with which to beat old-fashioned Britain is a grave mistake.

The tragedy of Coronavirus death rates. And the problem of statistically selective narratives.

The FT claims the UK has the worst in the world. But that’s only if you ignore the other ways it can be measured.

Neil O’Brien: Bullying, hostage taking, censorship, bribery. How China is dealing with its critics abroad.

Economically and politically, Beijing takes advantage of asymmetric openness: we’re open to them, but they are not to us.

The Coronavirus Easter

Those who argue that the virus isn’t a serious problem and that the lockdown was unnecessary have more brains than sense.

Scottish nationalism is motivated more by anti-English hatred than by rational argument

In his new book, John Lloyd makes the case for maintaining the Act of Union of 1707, and exposes the dark passions which motivate the SNP.

The year in which the British people forced the pro-Remain Ascendancy to “come to heel”

When Lord Kerr whistled, voters turned the Nelsonian equivalent of a deaf ear.  When they whistled, he was dragged helplessly along by the command of a democratic vote.

Ryan Bourne: Johnson’s policy prospectus is tainted by interventionism, statism, collectivism – and could be a lot worse.

We economic liberals should be cautiously thankful for the stay of execution that his leadership and manifesto have given us.

Chris Whiteside: I’ve worked for BT for over 30 years. Here’s my take on why Labour’s broadband plan would destroy the industy.

It is capitalising on voters who weren’t born in the era of state monopolies having no idea how much worse these companies were under Corbyn’s dinosaur model.

Ryan Bourne: Why billionaries are a sign of a fair society

It stretches credulity to just assume that rent-seeking or uncompetitive markets account for all British top wealth.

Johnson the negotiator has been more robust than May – but less instransigent

By being so scornful, his critics have set a low bar for him. We are about to see whether he can astonish them by bounding over it.

Neil O’Brien: Corbynomics – and why it means that your house, business and savings don’t really belong to you

In his eyes, you have them only as long as the Government suffers you to have them, and they can be retrospectively taken away if he sees fit.

Conservatism is better than liberalism – and Putin much, much worse than either

What he detests is less liberalism than democracy, and the obstacle it poses to Russian foreign policy objectives.

In praise of Conservative Party members

“Spot on” policy questions to Johnson and Hunt in Birmingham yesterday showed Tory activists as they really are.