Public sector payback time

Its awards consume roughly a quarter of public spending. It is hard to see where the tax hikes or spending scaleback to fund them will come from if the Chancellor sticks to his guns.

Nicky Morgan: You’re welcome to your new Democrat Party. I’m sticking with the Tories – to fight, fight and fight again for moderation.

We will push back internally when ideologues call for sensible Ministers to be sacked because they are trying to act in the national interest over Brexit.

Charlie Elphicke: Ready on Day One to meet the Brexit Borders Challenge

The first article in a five-piece series by the author on how Britain must prepare for March 31 2019 – and has less than 600 days to get it right.

James Frayne: Five bits of advice that May’s new Communications Director should give her

“We’re badly trailing in the polls. Corbyn’s up and you’re down. You hired me to get things done and tell you how I see it. Here goes.”

The great Conservative student panic

The next manifesto might propose breaking the link between student maintenance costs and parental income by introducing a universal loan.

Richard Holden: How and why the LibDems went backwards in every English and Welsh seat they defended

With seven of their nine seats in England now held with majorities of less than eight per cent of the vote, the next election offers a chance to take them out for good.

The crucial difference between a non-win this month and the win in 2015 was the failure of the Tory machine

May won five per cent more of the vote than Cameron did two years ago. The margin between having a majority and not having one was performance in marginal seats.

Nicky Morgan: This election, doorstep reaction – and why we must focus the Brexit conversation on economic security

Most people I’m meeting seem either pro-Leave or resigned to it happening – and believing that Theresa May is best-placed to see it through.

The real challenge isn’t sorting business rates. It’s ending that stubborn structural deficit.

The harsh truth is that, nearly seven years into Conservative-led Government, we are still living beyond our means.

Welcome, Nicky Morgan

A new fortnightly column from the former Education Secretary starts tomorrow.

Maggie May

The logic of her view that no deal is better than a bad one suggests that, like Thatcher at Fontainebleau, she is prepared to walk away if necessary.

The real Brexit choice. Not Hard v Soft, but Open v Closed

There is a trade-off between the long-term interest of the economy and the short-term interest of many Leave voters.

Jonathan Glanz: Mayoral devolution risks letting our cities fail

Wales has shown Labour failure and a lack of true accountability.

Alexandra Jones: Osborne can get the urban benefits bill down by allowing cities to keep the savings

The housing shortage is pushing benefit bills up in the prosperous South East. Here’s how to get them down.

The Conservatives shouldn’t settle for coming third in Oldham

We can’t win a workable majority without breaking through in more seats in the urban and suburban North and Midlands.