Columnists

All I am trying to do is give impetus to a national conversation about how our education system should prepare our young people for the future.

“We want to kick-starting a transport revolution that steers our population towards healthier ways of getting from A to B.”

In over six hours of meetings, officials tried to make the tyres fall off the Malthouse Compromise, and couldn’t do so.

The new group’s platform is not very inspiring. But its biggest problem is it they won’t be very different from the Conservatives’.

Plus: In news elsewhere, a luxury women’s health spa in Belgravia – with annual membership fees of £5,500 – this week blamed Brexit for its closure.

Also: Labour hint at laws compelling private businesses to deal in Welsh; SNP divided over ‘soft indy’ call; and DUP hold their line on the backstop.

As long as traditional Labour voters stick with the party, opportunities for the Independent Group will be limited.

The long and short of it is: it ought to damage Labour more, but there are dangers for the Tories none the less.

At least four Tory MPs have apparently been placed on defection watch including Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Richard Harrington.

Postmodernism strips the likes of Shamima Begum of personal responsibility and judges her solely by ethnicity, religion and class.

Its muscular power is needed to boost share ownership, build houses and tax wealth rather than income. And let’s rule out a No Deal Brexit.

Plus: Up, up and away – HS2’s costs. Staying down – LibDem poll ratings. Stuck where they are – Labour’s.

Also: Backlash grows against SNP’s new tax; Labour AM apologises for antisemitic comment; and Scottish Tories say they’ve stopped Johnson.

The man his critics call the ‘Viktator’ has two new policies – one a gimmick, one deeply sinister.

Educational traditionalists are wrong to believe that if we focus on academic rigour and high standards alone, everything else will fall into place.