Syria. May’s calculation and the dangers of a May miscalculation – to others and to her

She will be feeling a hand of history on her shoulder, and wondering if the other holds a knife at her back.

Poor Russia

On corruption, fragility, innovation, human capital, creditworthiness, GDP per head – all the measures that count for most – the country is, to put it politely, not in a great place.

The shuffle. May’s women gap.

It is hard to appoint more women to Cabinet when there are few senior women to promote. We count only four at Minister of State level.

Gove is our panel’s Minister of the Year

He sweeps home with over half the vote against an expert enthusiast, a dedicated reformer – and a hero of a terror attack on Westminster.

Benjamin Mancroft: Deregulating charity lotteries can be a winning ticket

This simple step would provide a huge boost to services which help the most vulnerable, at no cost to the taxpayer and with no risk to the National Lottery.

Profile: Tom Tugendhat, successful insurgent and a possible future Tory leader

With Rees-Mogg’s backing, how can he fail?

Tracey Crouch: Britain is leading the world in protecting cultural property

The Government has introduced new measures to protect, preserve, and restore precious sites and artefacts in areas affected by war.

From Reggie to Dessie: That Ashcroft extravaganza. As Davis edged further from Mrs May, Boris edged closer to Miss World…

Plus: Soames bottle-feeds the Crouch childlet. Gove’s lesé majeste. And: It’s Ken Clarke’s memoirs – Fifty Shades of Blue.

Gove is ConHome readers’ Minister of the Year

He takes 58 per cent of the vote.

Iain Dale: Prat. Gaffe. Scoop. And Treacherous Bastard. My End of Year Awards.

Plus: Thank you for the three bottles of vintage wine…but you forgot to enclose a note with your name. Christmas, eh?

In defence of Tracey Crouch

Politicians should not be afraid to offer practical advice to their constituents.

Iain Dale: Innocent until proven guilty still applies – to Ted Heath and anyone else

Plus: Tracey Crouch slam dunks John Humphrys. Another failure for the Bow Group’s blunderkind. And: If Corbyn doesn’t win, what job will he get?

Iain Dale: Massow’s campaign video – butt-cock clenchingly awful

Yes, it really is spelt like that. Plus: I bet four candidates go through to the London Conservative Mayoral primary, and that Yvette Cooper is Labour’s next leader.

Profile: Tracey Crouch, the Sports Minister who leads Conservative opposition to hunting

Could it be that she has done Cameron a favour by helping to avert a relaxation of the hunting ban?

This hunting row is all sound and fury

The ban is an ineffective fudge, and the proposed changes small. The stakes in the coming Parliamentary vote are probably much lower than either side likes to let on.