Johnson bypasses the broadcasters to talk directly to voters

Last night’s policy announcement live on Facebook was a first experiment in new ways for the Government to communicate its message.

Lord Ashcroft: Will voters still give Johnson the benefit of the doubt? We’re about to find out.

Lessons endure from my polling study of our new Prime Minister, carried out six years ago when he was London’s Mayor.

Iain Dale: God help the UK Conservatives (so to speak) if they become religious fanatics – like the American Republicans.

Plus: The good and bad sides of Twitter – all in my week. How it may have helped to save a life. But also saw me slagged off for something I didn’t say.

Gareth Lyon: In Aldershot and North Hampshire, voters have got more receptive. Why? Because Brexit’s out of the news.

So could the Government please try to keep it that way until the local elections are done and dusted next week?

A day to honour George Herbert Walker Bush

This article was originally published on the anniversary of the former President’s election. We re-issue it today as news comes of his death.

Nicky Morgan: We all gain when our politicians have some time and space to think

It is madness to think that our leaders aren’t entitled to go on holiday and gain a bit of perspective.

James Frayne: The most effective case against nationalisation is the one that neither MPs nor businesses want to use

The injection of the truth that it would mean politicians in charge of services is enough to make most people see sense.

North Korea. Trump goes where the sainted Obama could never have gone.

One take on the President is that behind the flamboyant tweeting is a conventional actor, who knows full well that jaw tweet jaw is better than war tweet war.

J.P.Floru: Let’s be Singapore – and prosperous, post-Brexit, beyond our wildest dreams

Basically, we need to undercut the world. We can do so if we slash red tape and tax. Within a very short period there would be a pronounced Laffer Effect.

George Freeman: We need a new Chairman and team at CCHQ to lead a radical programme of Conservative renewal

Let’s have Policy Board outside of the constraints of the Government machine – and a commission on what Britain should look like post-Brexit.

Trump is powerless and May should avoid him

The American President got elected by infuriating the liberals, but is incapable of governing by the same means.

Iain Dale: I never thought I’d compare an American President to a North Korean dictator. But here I go.

Plus: UKIP goes nuts. And: Chapman’s tweets might lead you to believe that he’s taken some sort of personality-changing drug.

The CBI has been reliably wrong on just about every major issue for many years

It backed nationalisation in the ’40s. It opposed Thatcher’s economic policy in the ’80s. It supported the Euro in the ’90s. And now it wants Single Market membership.

“German intelligence has warned that the Kremlin seeks to influence this year’s elections.” Fallon’s speech on Russia: full text

“We hope that it abides by the Minsk agreements, curbs the reckless military activity, and ditches the misinformation.”

WATCH: “With President Putin, my advice is to ‘engage but beware’.” May’s speech to the Republicans.

“We should not jeopardise the freedoms…brought to Eastern Europe by accepting his claim that it is now in his sphere of influence.”