Downing Street’s reshuffle sees Symonds’ grip tighten

We hope that Finn, Newman and the rest of the new appointees provide a fresh sense of direction and purpose.

The Government has held 86 Coronavirus press conferences. How many has Coffey fronted? None. Why?

If the Prime Minister doesn’t have confidence in his most senior Ministers, it’s impossible to see how anyone else can.

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.

The Politics of And. Securing the Majority. 4) Getting more Conservatives appointed to public bodies

In government under Cameron, Francis Maude and his SpAds helped to make a difference. Time to call in Baroness Finn to hold a review.

Monday’s candidate selection shortlists: Arundel and South Downs; North Devon; Wantage; North West Norfolk

Plus two selection contests in Meon Valley, and Runnymede and Weybridge.

New candidate shortlists for Tory-held seats: Orpington; Bracknell; South West Hertfordshire; and Mid Sussex

Army officers, political advisers, businesspeople, a London Assembly Member and – unusually – a sitting MP are among the latest crop of finalists.

Henry Newman: Cummings understands the need to drastically reform Whitehall

It’s not an optional extra – it’s crucial to delivering an effective Brexit and making the most of the opportunities outside the EU.

Chris White: What will the new Prime Minister’s Parliamentary options be on Brexit?

If Boris Johnson wants to pursue a No Deal exit, then he will have a fight on his hands with MPs.

Henry Newman: What will the EU do now? Force No Deal? Offer a long extension? Or even a short one?

Now more than ever, it’s Brussels and not the Government which is in the driving seat – and we don’t know which way it will turn.

Bounced!

MPs have less than a day to study this revised deal. So today’s vote should be postponed. If it isn’t, they should withhold support from the Government.

Nick Boles: Like all revolutionaries, once-reasonable Brexiteers slide towards ever greater radicalism

Where Farage, Johnson and Paterson once praised the Norway option, it is now denounced as apostasy.

No Deal can’t be “taken off the table”

The only way of ruling it out is to change the table itself: in other words, to abandon Brexit, or prepare to – as Remainers should admit.

Opining for the fjords

Norway-to-Canada was one thing. Norway-plus-the-backstop is another. It is inferior even to the Prime Minister’s proposed deal.

Project Fear Three. Coming your way soon, courtesy of Downing Street?

Obama’s EU referendum intervention didn’t help deliver a Remain result for Cameron. It’s not clear that the Government has learned from the experience.

Jobs, wages – and stubbornly buoyant Conservative poll ratings

Wages are growing at their fastest rate for ten years, and employment is at a near-record high. But qualifications are necessary…