UK Politics Britain was lucky to have Alistair Darling The late chancellor lacked any shred of personal pomposity despite his abundant talents. By Andrew Marr
UK Politics Why Labour may be forced to rejoin the European single market If the party wants strong economic growth it will need to think radically. By Andrew Marr
Putin still wants to win Simply “not losing” in Ukraine is not enough for Russia. By Lawrence Freedman
Paul Lynch: “Nothing kills a book quicker than a writer with a message” The Booker Prize-winning author on political fiction, the refugee crisis and the “unmistakable” timeliness of his dystopian novel Prophet Song. а> By Pippa Bailey
Regional Development Council bankruptcy tracker: authorities under increasing financial strain Megan Kenyon and Harry Clarke-Ezzidio
The Weekend Report What are private schools really selling? They no longer have a stranglehold on Oxbridge and would lose tax breaks under Labour. Can elite education survive? By Melissa Denes