Theresa Villiers: An agreement that brings new hope to Northern Ireland

It resolved a four-year dispute over welfare reform – and paves the way for completion of the devolution of corporation tax powers.

Matthew Oakley: Earnings can solve Osborne’s Spending Review and tax credits conundrum

By helping in-work tax credits claimants work just an hour a day more…the savings to the Exchequer would come to a staggering £4.1 billion.

Reforming child benefit – and other alternatives to the tax credit cuts

Tax rises are not the only other way to find £4.4 billion. Here are two spending cuts that Osborne could do instead.

Ben Southwood: Replacing welfare with a negative income tax would solve Osborne’s problems

Friedman and Hayek’s beloved policy would help the poor, make work pay and fulfil the surplus target.

The Government is defeated in the Lords on tax credits. What next for Osborne, welfare reform and the constitution?

The savings still need to be made. The Government still struggles to judge Parliament’s mood. And why aren’t Bishops this angry about other injustices?

Paul Abbott: Hold your nerve and back the tax credit changes

Those opposing the step must specify their alternative proposals – £4.4 billion of extra taxes or debt would be unacceptable.

Nic Conner: These tax credit cuts will be devastating for Britain’s economy

There must be special measures and exemptions for the self-employed so not to harm the ‘self-employment miracle’.

In seeking to control spending, Osborne is Thatcher’s heir. He deserves support over tax credits.

Yes, changes could be made to his plans – and probably will be. But the Chancellor is on the right side of a big, vital argument.

George Grant: Meeting Manchester’s Class Warriors

A former Conservative Parliamentary Candidate goes to find out what the anti-Tory protesters at the party’s annual conference really have to say for themselves.

Henry Hill: SNP brace for by-election in Edinburgh

Also: Nationalists under fire over second MP; Cameron increases pressure for Ulster deal; Crabb claims slim chance of reaching Welsh devolution agreement; and more.

Louise Burfitt-Dons: Why kindness and politics don’t mix

We don’t need the Government to make us compassionate in private life – and public policy challenges seldom have straightforwardly kind solutions.

Why Northern Ireland’s government could collapse

The province’s institutions are in critical condition because sharing power has totally failed to forge a sense of common purpose between unionists and nationalists.

The number affected by the spare room subsidy cut falls again

By rewarding work more than 200,000 people have come off Housing Benefits altogether.

If the momentum of the last hundred days is maintained what will Britain be like in five years?

Often the reforms are going further than anything that Margaret Thatcher achieved.

A welfare system that buys drink for alcoholics, drugs for addicts and sweets for the obese is cruel, not compassionate

It is obscene that people have been left in limbo and handed cash rather than given help for their problems.