As Conservatives, we know the Liberal Democrats are the party of opportunism. But we can’t take for granted that local people know this too.
Plus: Gwynedd Council should not take the day off for St David’s Day. In Warrington, the nightmare that is council energy companies returns.
We know how difficult it was to lose millions of manufacturing jobs – let us beware of inadvertently accelerating the same process for services jobs.
We continue our series, putting this year’s local elections under the magnifying glass to find changes and trends.
These elections were very good indeed for the Conservatives – though there are warning signs of a potential Blue Wall effect in the south.
Plus: my profound sense of unease at the withdrawal of the whip from 21 Conservative MPs.
Will they now seek to appease turbulent voters by rushing her-deal-plus-the-Customs-Union through the Commons?
Despite obvious points of disagreement, the AGM remained a “civilised and constructive” affair in which the Business Secretary sought to reassure his activists.
Plus: The Chief Whip’s swift transformation from Francis Urquhart to Mr Bean. And: why I can’t bring myself to vote Tory in the local elections.
Traffic jams are already bad enough – this project would make them worse. Road improvements are a better way to boost tourism.
Voluntary-aided status works both for Catholic schools and everyone else. Furthermore, lifting the cap from new institutions could have had unexpected consequences.
Plus: Obama: so that went well, then. Scotland: will it go well for Davidson? Wales – it may go well for Neil Hamilton (remember him).
A 58 per cent rise in the tax over the last two decades should serve as a warning against further hikes.
Only nine communities in England have royal status as conferred by the monarch – and none are further north than Sutton Coldfield.