Alex Morton: Conservatives and Liberals share a new opponent – Progressive Authoritarians

But some, perhaps many, Tory MPs have these tendencies – including one no less senior than the Prime Minister herself.

It’s in the district council elections that the Conservatives are strongest – and so have the most to lose

The final part of our series this week on May’s elections. Will there be a LibDem revival – which polls have yet to indicate?

Low expectations could make the local election results seem like a Conservative triumph

UKIP’s decline will probably allow the three main parties to each claim an increased vote share. Afterwards, the Tories will still be the largest party in local government.

Iain Dale: A revitalised and purposeful May heads for the Welsh hills to call an election (just kidding, folks)

Plus: Gauke’s failure, UKIP chaos, Salmond’s Russia Today shame, Corbyn’s anti-semitism debacle…and an invitation if you live near Bath.

Andrew Green: The Government has lost its way on immigration – and the Home Secretary shows no interest in reducing it

We should not allow ourselves, in the next phase of negotiations, to be drawn into further migration concessions in exchange for trade concessions.

It’s time the pollsters stopped prompting UKIP as a major party

The former ‘People’s Army’ is struggling to survive, and even what’s left of its poll support could be an overstatement.

Iain Dale: Davis’s message to the EU should be: we’re not Greece – and won’t be treated like Greece

Plus: Henry Bolton, secret LibDem agent. (Or not.) Penny Mordaunt, next Tory leader. (Or not.) British communists surprise us. (Or don’t.) And: my CNN joy.

Iain Dale: Yes, we’re British. We’re also European.

Plus: Johnson’s EU speech. Turnbull’s sex ban. Horror in America. Change in South Africa. And: order your popcorn for this weekend’s UKIP conference.

WATCH: UKIP. Marr – “It’s over, isn’t it?” Bolton – “No, I don’t believe it is.”

The party’s leader says that it can either lose itself in another leadership election or help to shape Brexit.

UKIP loses Towler, the man who made Farage famous

The lights really are going out all over what’s left of the ‘People’s Army’ – the departure of their communications director leaves them without a single national press officer.

Iain Dale: What happened at the President’s Club was no worse than many women’s events

Plus: Vicious Cybernats. Bolton’s brass neck. Widdecombe’s ratings. Johnson’s death wish. And: the courage of my friend Tessa Jowell.

UKIP’s leadership troubles are Farage’s lasting legacy to his Party

To be a tall poppy in UKIP was for many years a dangerous thing – unless your name was Nigel. He left them without a developing new generation.

Sir Nigel Farage, prince of self-indulgence, would like your attention

The man who rose to prominence through a ruthless pursuit of what worked has now descended into just saying whatever makes him feel important.

Henry Hill: Foster calls for direct rule in Northern Ireland after meeting with Bradley

Also: Scottish Tories row in behind bid to wreck the Withdrawal Bill; infighting in Welsh Labour over method of electing new leader; and more.

Peter Franklin: Ruling political tribes 1) Labour. How the Left came in from the wilderness and drove the Blairites out.

Since I last surveyed the political landscape in 2013 and 2014, some ruling tribes have been cast down, and some formerly lost tribes have risen to rule.