Profile: Olive, sorry, Oliver Dowden, saviour of the arts, bedrock insider – and unknown to the public

Few people understand better than the Culture Secretary how the government machine works, or fails to work.

Profile: Rishi Sunak, rising star of the Johnson project

He is tipped by some as a future Prime Minister, but is more plausibly seen as a future Chancellor.

George Freeman: Our new book. In which forty Tory MPs band together to help revive conservatism.

Britain Beyond Brexit, a New Conservative Vision for a New Generation, is published today by the CPS.

From magic circle to one member one vote: a short history of Tory leadership contests

The present election will turn on whether MPs and activists put national popularity before ideological soundness.

Profile: Amber Rudd – moderation-preaching, whip-defying, No Deal-opposing. And sought by leadership contenders for support.

She is one of the few Cabinet members who does not give the impression of having had her personality flattened by the sacrifices demanded by a ministerial career.

Our view of May’s deal

Hers or Letwins? That’s what the choice is narrowing down to. From the point of view of trust in politics, how MPs vote will now make little difference – if any.

Conservative education policy is up for grabs

We trail a mini-series on what might happen next amidst a sense of uncertainty about will follow the Gove reforms.

Lewis Baston: Butler, pioneer of both the study and coverage of British politics

Drawing on decades of experience and friendships from all parties, Sir David – inventor of the swingometer – founded the UK’s psephological profession.

The Rudd debacle highlights a problem. Many of the Government’s special advisers are no good.

Ministers like Amber Rudd have great difficulty finding able SpAds because the Conservative Research Department, which used to train them, has been destroyed.

Profile: Enoch Powell. Many politicians rose higher. Few made a bigger impact – or still do.

He made grotesque errors of taste and judgement – see “Rivers of Blood”. But even his critics admit that he was one of the great parliamentarians of the 20th century.

Rahima Khan: Why I’m Running for Mayor of Newham

Conservatives have a proud record of social reform. I want to break down the barriers to people escaping poverty.

Hard lessons for May from leadership contests of the past

Bonar Law’s words in 1922 apply to the present leader: “The party elects a leader, and that leader chooses the policy, and if the party does not like it, they have to get another leader.”

Education, housing, the environment: May’s campaigning priorities. And there is an NHS row. But what about the economy?

The Government had next to no living standards message at the election. It needs one now – and to explain how it fits in with those three priorities.

Interview: Kemi Badenoch – “I’m not really left-leaning on anything…I always lean right instinctively”

She voted for Davis in 2005, and her hero is Airey Neave: “The escape from Colditz is I think probably the coolest thing any British politician has ever done.”

Sam Gyimah: The time to develop a bright vision for post-Brexit social reform is right now

We must follow the example of Beveridge, Butler and Willink.