A popular minister resigns

Outside Westminster, Crouch’s resignation will make little impact on a Budget that has gone more or less according to plan. Inside, it may not be quite the same story.

ConHome’s survey. Next Tory leader. Johnson leads Javid by less than a point – after Davis tears a chunk off his support.

Progress in this chart is invariably linked to media coverage – of which the former Brexit Secretary has had lots recently and the former Foreign Secretary less.

Our survey. Brexit preferences. One in ten respondents go for Norway to Canada. Almost half want Canada Plus Plus Plus.

Meanwhile, almost a third of replies support a trade-off over a longer transition and the backstop. Two-thirds oppose any transition extension.

A Budget with a message for Conservative MPs. Nice little seat you have there. Pity if anything happened to it.

In sum, Hammond said: vote for May’s Deal – or the economy gets it. But there’s more than one way of dicing the next election result.

Andrew Gimson’s Budget sketch: Behind his jokey Christmas uncle act, Hammond defended sound money

The despondent faces of grown-up people on the Labour benches suggested they know his measures will be very hard to oppose.

The European Court of Human Rights has set a problematic precedent on religious freedom

In justifying their defence of Austria’s ‘blasphemy law’, its judges seem to be not just expanding but changing the relevant protections in the Convention.

ConservativeHome’s latest monthly survey is out. Should the Government extend the transition period?

Plus: should the Prime Minister resign? Who should succeed her? And which of the possible Brexit end states do our panel prefer?

The Scottish dimension of the Irish backstop cannot be overlooked

Davidson and Mundell are right to be concerned that a differential Brexit deal for one part of the UK could put rocket boosters under SNP demands for similar treatment.

Hammond has one task only in next week’s Budget. To show that the Government is preparing for No Deal.

The Chancellor’s recent claims of a coming “Deal Dividend” sent the wrong message at the wrong time – and showed up a deep Treasury malaise.

It’s time to study the map that leads from Norway to Canada

If the Prime Minister isn’t prepared to do so, Conservative MPs will have no alternative but to search for a replacement.

Andrew Gimson’s PMQs sketch: Abide with me! fast falls the eventide

An ominous calm reigned and one half expected the Prime Minister to choose a hymn to match.

Bercow, the anti-Lenthall. “I have neither eyes to see, nor tongue to speak, in this place, but as Labour MPs are pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here.”

Even the mice in the Commons tea room know that he was put in by one party and is kept there by one party.

Brexiteer MPs no longer have a champion in Fleet Street

Today’s Daily Mail confirms that, under Geordie Grieg, its editorial policy has shifted. Clean Brexit supporters are short of a committed backer that counts.

Backstop stop stop stop please stop

Ireland risks a hard border, imposed on it by the rest of the EU, if a way isn’t found by all parties of climbing off the self-contradictory backstop clauses.

Meanwhile, good news from Gibraltar

There has been agreement about its status between the UK and Spain – contrary to Remain warnings during and since the referendum.