Politics No saint, no spartan, no reformer: the life of Robert Walpole Our first prime minister was a libertine, a scoundrel and an opportunist. But he was never a bore or a moralist. Remind you of anyone? By Andrew Gimson
Long reads As the UK tires of career politicians, the soldiers are returning to parliament By Andrew Gimson
The new puritans: What Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have in common In different ways, Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May are “puritans”. Each has a strict view of what public life… By Andrew Gimson
The Boris backlash David Cameron’s mission to destroy Boris Johnson as a serious political force. By Andrew Gimson
The unshakeable Angela Merkel, the pilot who weathered the storm As she faces re-election, the signs are that Angela Merkel’s commitment to the euro stretches only so far as… By Andrew Gimson
Lord Ashcroft: the full interview The Conservative peer and former deputy chairman on his fascination with polling and why Tory modernisation must continue. By Andrew Gimson
Lynton Crosby, David Cameron and the old dog whistle test David Cameron and George Osborne agree with Boris Johnson on one thing at least: the Tories should pay Lynton… By Andrew Gimson