Jonathan Simons: Let’s build on the education reforms we worked for – not tear them down

The first in a mini-series of pieces on ConHome this week about schools after Covid.

Looking back at the Budget a week on, its plan for growth is not convincing

The Government can’t deliver levelling up without more supply-side change, localism and public service reform.

Johnson should be deeply wary of opening Pandora’s Box with a constitutional commission

Advocates of every hoary old reform would immediately set to work arguing that the Union could be saved by their One Weird Trick.

The Prime Minister being ‘frustrated, angry and upset’ is no basis for Lords reform

There may be a good case for changes, but they will only stick if the Government takes care that they are brought in for the right reasons.

What the abolition of DfID tells us about the war on Civil Service generalists

Constantly circulating officials around Whitehall has its downsides – but might the alternative be deeper departmental biases?

Charlotte Pickles: Ten million people are at risk of becoming unemployed. They must be Sunak’s priority this week.

The Chancellor should use his statement on Wednesday to announce a comprehensive and ambitious plan to counter the threat.

“Take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

The big picture is that Johnson is dashing for growth. We devoutly hope it works but the precedents aren’t promising.

Dan Pitt: In spite of this pandemic, constitutional reforms remain a high priority for Conservatives

Johnson’s election manifesto promised to remove the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, among other pledges.

When it comes to dealing with its own MPs, this Government is out of its depth

Some of its problems can be fixed. Others won’t be. And one perhaps can’t be: namely, that this Parliament seems to be incapable of saying No.

This really is the time to let the deficit grow big enough to look after itself

If, that is, interest rates carry on at rock bottom rates. But we have to take a chance on growing our way out of this crisis.

Budget 1) This was less a Conservative Budget than “the People’s Budget”. From a Vote Leave Government – not the usual Tory one.

It may be necessary, given the Coronavirus, and could even work. But Britain has a long, long record of state spending failing to turbo-charge growth.

John Redwood: Lessons for managing civil service obstruction from the Thatcher years. And my role as head of her Policy Unit.

There were plenty of Yes Minister routines and scripts to live through then as now. Much of the system did not like the privatisation programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: In defence of Cummings. He’s focused on delivering for those we serve. Isn’t that for the best?

We’ve been through all this before with the Gove education reforms – which he co-worked on and which have helped to improve lives.

Reshuffle 1) The lesson of this PJ Masks shakeup. For Johnson and Cummings, it is truly Do or Die.

We cheer the mission. But government needs more compromise, art, tact and accomodation than campaigning alone allows.

Claudia Martinez: Politicians like to boast about new hospitals but primary care should be the priority

Over a third of patients who attend A&E do so for non-urgent, minor injuries. They are unable to get GP appointments.