Stephen Bush

Result shows how Reform’s polarising nature may also be its weakness

Proposing such a radical bill with little public support is a gift to Nigel Farage

Newly released witness statements leave Crown Prosecution Service facing questions about why it didn’t press ahead

To make it seem tough on legal routes, the government introduces radical measures with uncertain effects

The party can’t keep expecting successful people to pretend that leaving the EU was a good idea

To fix spending problems the UK needs to raise taxes on median earners

These are fundamental to restoring confidence that government can do the basics

Shadow justice secretary’s comment about not seeing a ‘white face’ shows he does not understand integration

A party that reveres Margaret Thatcher shows none of her policy conviction and seriousness

Amid rising antisemitism at home, our lifeboat abroad seems less attractive

Neither government nor opposition are honest about trade-offs required to turn Britain around

Good speech but an alternative way of organising the economy and society was absent; and a scathing assessment of Pentonville prison

Major reshuffle has weakened him, while MPs fear a lack of direction

Victory goes to the least scary

Government must find a solution before it loses to proponents of idea you can eradicate the problem by sinking vessels

Responding to readers on why you can’t get away from ideology

Most of those in the political world chafe at higher costs but, unlike voters, they are not at the sharp end

With limited funds and incomplete evidence for ‘what works’, ministers have to make tough choices about what to prioritise

Doctors are increasingly prepared to travel abroad in search of better pay and conditions

Both government and opposition run into difficulty even when policy answers are simple