Lord Flight: The stealth taxes in Osborne’s latest Budget would have made Gordon Brown proud
The Chancellor is stinging the middle classes for £25 billion. Plus, new totalitarian powers for HMRC are disgraceful.
Iain Dale: Sir Alistair Graham, purveyor of holier-than-thou puritanism, is just a gob on a stick
Plus: Farewell, Ivan Massow. How Eric Pickles cost me £50,000. David Laws’ new book. And: the rise of Jeremy Corbyn is my fault.
Graeme Archer: It’s a jungle out there
Cecil the lion’s slaughter was immoral. But so was the slaughter of your dinner.
Henry Hill: Cameron rules out Scottish referendum rematch
Also: Scottish Labour fear far-left infiltration; Plaid debate fate of former leader; Welsh Labour criticise ‘toxic’ leadership race; and nationalists bid to rechristen Londonderry.
Rebecca Coulson: The top five reasons we love ranking things…
Why is it that we love making lists? And what does it tell us about democracy?
Nadhim Zahawi MP: Our institutions suffered a self-inflicted loss of public trust – so it falls to us to rebuild
Trust is essential to the future of a country. This One Nation Conservative Government is restoring the public’s faith.
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.
Graeme Archer: Gay sex and big tents
Tim Farron intends to target centre-Left voters – the very people who will never forgive his evasions on sin and sexuality,
Daniel Hannan MEP: A Corbyn victory would be bad for the Conservative Party
Plus: the four things Labour must do to get back into the game.
Henry Hill: Welsh Labour MPs join left-wing rebellion
Also: New welfare reforms could collapse Northern Irish government; Salmond accused of ignoring the Scottish Parliament; and SNP fears infiltration by the far left.
Garvan Walshe: The Iran deal is a necessary gamble
In the race between democratisation and the bomb, this deal buys time for democracy
From Reggie to Dessie: A classic pincer movement from Osborne and May prangs Boris
He’s had a bad week with the Chancellor taking the proverbials out of him and then Mrs May ragging him over the purchase of his antiquated German water cannon.
Iain Dale: The Conservative Party is acting like North Korea over its London Mayoral candidate selection
Plus: Zac Goldsmith tells me that he won’t stand in a by-election if the Heathrow decision fails to go his way.
Graeme Archer: As a good person, you agree with me, I’m sure?
I’m sick of the pseudo-empathic passive aggression of those who cite their identity as a source of authority.
Henry Hill: New loyalist terror group threatens police
Also: UKIP predict Welsh success; DUP deny Robinson retirement allegations; Burnham pledges to let Labour stand in Northern Ireland; and Plaid disciplines Wood critic.