Laura Evans: Burnham’s Mayoralty in Greater Manchester has meant four wasted years

Communities have been ignored. Crime has not been taken seriously. Investment opportunities have been missed.

Jenrick, King of Liverpool?

Max Caller, the inspector who brought change to Tower Hamlets, has been sent in to the city. The Government could take control.

A tale of two cities. The Conservative Government has had smooth relations with Liverpool – less so with Manchester.

That part of England where the Tories are most hated has offered the greatest possible cooperation with Boris Johnson.

David Gauke: With a position so exposed, how did Burnham get away with it?

It is a bad sign both for the Government and devolution that the Greater Manchester Mayor has been able to run rings round Ministers.

Iain Dale: The way the BBC and Sky News behave, you’d think we are the only country in the world with a second wave

Plus: Free school meals, Pointless Celebrities, Bower’s book And: “Did the honourable lady just call me scum?” Your chance to drink to that.

Andrew Gimson’s PMQs sketch: Johnson may have no right to feel confident, but for some reason he does

In this battle between optimism and pessimism, hope and fear, faith and scepticism, Starmer found it hard to sow seeds of negativity.

King of the North?

Rob Stark meets a bloody end in Game of Thrones. But he won every battle he fought first – and the Greater Manchester Mayor is following his example.

Ed Vaizey: Ending tax-free shopping for international visitors would be disastrous for the British economy

The policy will make the country less competitive on the world stage. Indeed, it’ll be the only one in Europe not offering VAT-free shopping.

Chris Green: We are following a failing Covid strategy and its costs are too high. That’s why I quit the Government.

There have been 20,000 fewer GP referrals to hospital in Bolton compared to last year. We need a full assessment from Ministers of the national situation.

Burnham is trying to face both ways on lockdown restrictions

The duplicity from the Mayor of Greater Manchester amounts to a dire failure of leadership.

Labour council leaders’ resistance to local lockdowns gives Starmer a dilemma

Joe Anderson, Liverpool’s Mayor, and other city council leaders in the north have joined together to say that they “do not support further economic lockdowns”.

Algorithm or no algorithm, the UK needs houses. Fast.

Clearly the Government’s model is flawed. But there is no perfect formula for solving this crisis.

Neil O’Brien: The next algorithm disaster – coming to a Conservative constituency near you. This time, it’s housing growth.

Most Tory MPs will be seeing large increases in the housing targets for their seats, while many Labour MPs see their local targets reduced.

Garvan Walshe: Italian governments have failed to revive Naples for centuries. What are the lessons for its British equivalents?

The lively and chaotic city presents a warning to the Government as to how its regeneration plans could go wrong.

Andy Street: One, two, three – it’s a hat-trick of coming Conservative Party conferences for Birmingham

This decision reiterates the political importance of the UK’s cities to our party – and we must aim for a blue-led council in 2022.