Harry Fone: Councils need to get back to basics on their spending priorities

From failing energy companies, to white elephant projects, many local authorities have continued to pour public money down the drain.

Ben Bradley: My dual role as a council leader and an MP is working well for my county and my constituency

It lets me take county council matters to the heart of Government – to unlock investment opportunities and bring economic benefits to Nottinghamshire.

Jonathan Werran: As recent local elections showed, the mayoral revolution has been a success. Now it must roll on.

The role of strong local leadership here cannot be underestimated in galvanizing place prosperity.

James Frayne: Six ways of boosting local pride and identity

The Government can do a lot in a short space of time. A key question should be: how do we make these towns nicer places to live?

Ben Bradley: I will not be undertaking unconscious bias training – and call on my colleagues to take the same stand

Not only is this type of ‘education’ a nonsense, but the taxpayer will have to pick up the bill for it.

For Johnson and the Conservatives, the power of patriotism is a plus

As with Brexit, the fundamentals of the Tory position are much stronger than they may seem to be.

Ben Bradley: Let’s stop forcing all pupils down an academic path – and free some instead to prepare for the world of work

Both kinds of school have a place, and more besides. It needs to be a choice. Education is not ‘one-size fits all’, it’s ‘horses for courses’.

Where CCHQ should move to

Our readers’ top choice was the same as Number Ten’s for the Lords: York. But a good case was made for Coventry – and Warwick University.

Building the Blue Wall: Mansfield

The third in our series of pieces: how the 2017 generation of winners from Labour increased their majorities.

Ben Bradley: Voters tore down the Red Wall because they were sick of Labour talking down to them and holding them back

That doesn’t mean they are all suddenly hardcore Tories. For many we were the least-worst option. But we have an opportunity to win their trust.

“You don’t want to be told that the system is rigged against you.” Bradley’s Twitter thread on Mansfield’s electoral transformation.

A must-read take on how this once safe Labour seat now has a five figure Conservative majority – and its wider meaning.

The Election Battlegrounds 1) East Midlands

Our survey of the electoral battlefield kicks off with the East Midlands, where Labour and the Tories go head-to-head with minimal interference from smaller parties.

Alan Mak: Conservatism 4.0 – We must ensure that no-one is left behind by the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The second article in a three-part series explaining why adapting to a society and economy shaped by technology is key.

The Australian Liberals know who their target voters are. The Conservatives don’t seem to have a clue.

Amidst the gathering leadership election debate, there is a lack of focus on who such voters are and where they live.

Lee Rowley: Killamarsh Conservatism – the reason North East Derbyshire bucked the trend in last week’s elections

Our approach, and our message, won the backing of communities which have previously only ever voted Labour. It can work elsewhere, too.