Chloe Westley: It’s the end of the line for HS2, or should be

The majority of Brits drive to work in a car or a van, but journalists and politicians get the train to work. I think that’s reflected in political discourse.

Iain Dale: Were it not for Churchill, McDonnell might be speaking German. And so could the rest of us.

Plus: Up, up and away – HS2’s costs. Staying down – LibDem poll ratings. Stuck where they are – Labour’s.

25 questions about (another) early general election – and the horror show it could be for the Conservatives

The more one thinks about it, the more problematic it becomes.

John Downer: Scrapping HS2 wouldn’t help the North, it would cut a vital lifeline to the regional economies

Crucial investment in local rail infrastructure isn’t an alternative to the new line, it depends on it.

Let’s turn Railways Day into Scrap HS2 Day

“How would you feel if we spent the money on local transport links in the Midlands and the north?’’ Gove asked Conservative MPs last year.

Andy Street: Here in the West Midlands, there’s a new kind of politics developing. We call it Urban Conservatism. And it’s winning.

Our new fortnightly columnist on a renaissance which “through teamwork and shared vision, is producing real results”.

Bob Seely: Yes, Brexit and leadership are important. But so’s everything else. Here are some ideas for the future.

Scrap HS2. Integrate social care. Abolish NI. Reverse police cuts. Consider a new Bill of Rights. And much, much more.

Jake Berry: What I found on my Northern Powerhouse tour. Resilience, skill, innovation and success. Plus an appetite for Brexit.

But more money and powers need to be given directly to the North to drive further progress.

If HS2’s bill keeps inflating, it might yet explode the whole scheme

The project is already well over its original price. Some dream of abandoning it.

Judy Terry: We need more housing. So why are billions being spent blighting and destroying homes?

HS2 and the third runway at Heathrow would increase pressure on the housing supply. It is better to provide new regional airports on derelict sites.

Gove floats scrapping HS2 because he believes it to be a policy with a growing appeal

A by-product of people preparing for a leadership race is a search for new and popular policies.

Daniel Hannan: Higher taxes, spending bungs, pay caps, gender quotas. Is this really the brave new Brexit Britain we want?

What changed? When did we lose the global vocation that infused the Cabinet, Leavers and Remainers alike, two years ago?

Chloe Westley: Enough talk of tax rises from Tory Ministers. Let’s have tax cuts instead. Or else what are they for?

The Conservatives are not going to win the hearts and minds of the British people by proposing Labour-lite policies. There must be something different on offer.

Richard Salt: If Conservatives want to win the next election, we must Think North

As so many elections have shown in the past, both the main parties only win elections when they move into the centre.

Chris Grayling: Tory members should step forward to help the Year of Engineering

We need to inspire young people into these careers if we are to deliver our ambitious infrastructure agenda and the industrial strategy.