Can Starmer surprise us?

He will have to be more than a kind of North London John Smith if he wants to do more than just profit from the Government’s misfortunes. 

Is the Home Office still unfit for purpose?

If Downing Street doesn’t grip the campaign against Patel by allies of her Permanent Secretary and others, it may spiral out of control.

“The shocking influence of lawyers on policy”

The Government seems to be gearing up for a big fight over human rights laws in the wake of the Streatham terror attack.

Iain Dale: How Harry and Meghan sunk Barry Gardiner’s Labour leadership bid

Plus: What Johnson was supposed to do about Iran from Number Ten that he couldn’t do from Mustique is mysterious. I imagine that it has phones and the internet.

Daniel Hannan: Revolutionary Iran is a threat to our national security – not just regional stability. It must be confronted and defeated.

During the years when the West sought to draw Iran back into the comity of nations, the ayatollahs backed terrorist bombs, cyberattacks, and drone shootings.

We need strategic clarity. What poses the greater danger to Britain – Iranian aggression abroad or Sunni extremism here?

Johnson, Macron and Merkel don’t agree on everything, but they share a common concern about ISIS now being allowed the space to revive.

Trump and Iran. What’s the plan?

It isn’t obvious that his foreign policy has been less effective than George W.Bush’s activism or Obama’s passivity. But what’s his aim here?

Rashad Ali: In Syria, Iraq and, yes, Iran, there is rejoicing at the death of Solemani – terrorist and war criminal

The death toll that can be laid at his feet is far greater than that attributable to ISIS and Al Qaeda.

What you may have missed about the Conservative Manifesto 5) Johnson has neither forgiven nor forgotten the Supreme Court

He will remember Lady Hale and her swipe over “girly swots”.  More pertinently, he will have in mind the court’s constitutionally illterate decision over prorogation.

The campaign, week five. Johnson holds his ground – and aims to end next week where he began. With getting Brexit done.

Our nagging worry is: what about voters who may not want to get Brexit done, but are nonetheless apprehensive about Corbyn and John McDonnell’s tax plans?

No party is covering itself with glory in the aftermath of the London Bridge murders

Briefing that Johnson will “lock up terrorists and throw away the key” is taking the voters for fools.

Neil O’Brien: Corbyn’s long and infamous record of retreat, appeasement and support for terror

They have spent their lives attacking the people who risk their lives trying to protect us from evil and dangerous people. And they lie as they try to cover their tracks.

The London Bridge horror. Now is the time to deliver on the other half of Taking Back Control.

Asserting the rights of Parliament over the EU is half the European mission.  Asserting them over the ECHR is the other half.

David Davis: When it comes to terror, elected MPs must have the final say on human rights – not judges

Government and Parliament must limit judicial discretion in cases where there is a proven and ongoing risk to the public.

Terror attacks and the election

In 2017, they turned out, perhaps surprisingly, not to boost the cause of “the party of law and order”. What happens next this time round?