Cummings’ skills set

His, Williamson’s and Johnson’s intent to rebalance higher and further education reflects their Red Wall-focused vision – but will it happen?

Sunak whistles in the dark

The Chancellor is groping his way, knowing well that the future is unknowable, trying to hold on to as much of the past as he can.

WATCH: Government must have strategy on mobile networks instead of ‘lurches in policy’ – Dodds

“We’ve been saying that government needs to have a proper strategy around this for many, many months.”

Friends of Cummings: “A hard rain is coming.”

“Dom is a decentraliser,” we were told.  “But he’s resistant to decentralising to people who he thinks aren’t up to the job.”

David Gauke: Big Government is back. It didn’t work before. It may not now. Here’s why we should be wary of it.

Post-Covid, the environment is likely to be egalitarian and interventionist. For libertarian, small state Eurosceptics, this must come as a disappointment.

Nick King: The business bailout scheme should avoid moral hazard, protect taxpayers – and not throw good money after bad.

Given the working title ‘Project Birch’ within Government, the project is reported to be considering investmenting billions of pounds in companies.

Nick Herbert: Whitehall musn’t return to business as usual after Coronavirus. We need radical, energetic, can-do fusion government.

Reshaping Whitehall must be sanctioned by the Prime Minister, but he can empower the Government’s proven reformer, Michael Gove, to drive change.

When it comes to dealing with its own MPs, this Government is out of its depth

Some of its problems can be fixed. Others won’t be. And one perhaps can’t be: namely, that this Parliament seems to be incapable of saying No.

Richard Ekins: How the Supreme Court has empowered Gerry Adams to sue the Government – and seek damages

Worse, its judgement has knock-on implications for the effectiveness of government. Urgent corrective legislation is needed.

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.

Iain Dale: The arrogance of Cummings, the failures of the Guardian – and why we all need to keep a sense of proportion.

He’s a distraction and so can’t possibly have his mind on the job. But the Guardian and Mirror got a lot of the story wrong – and should apologise.

Cummings 2) The Church of England. People want guidance on God, not sermons about advisers.

Its bishops’ latest attack on Cummings will do nothing to enamour the electorate.

Imran Ahmad Khan: We musn’t and won’t let this rolling forward of the state become permanent

It represents an emergency call to arms – not a permanent transition towards a command society.

The teaching unions are wrong to campaign against reopening schools

One union has warned teachers not to “engage” in talks – in an utterly unhelpful move.

Daniel Hannan: Why are so many Burkean Tories still backing this rolling forward of state power?

The government’s initial response was in fact admirably Burkean. The full force of law was used sparingly. And you know what? It did the trick.