Rishi’s mad dash: can he catch up with Truss?

Nerves, optimism + Uptown Funk: inside the race for No. 10

New @spectator cover 👇

spectator.co.uk/article/rishis… With ballots out next week, Sunak finds himself with barely a week to close what suddenly seems to be a big gap. A YouGov poll found Tory members backing Liz Truss by a margin of 24 points, so Sunak now needs everything to go right to stand a chance

On the latest Cummings/Hancock row over who played what role in the government’s vaccine success story, the various accounts aren’t necessarily contradictory

-Matt Hancock was the minister pushing the importance of vaccines from the off go (and talking about Contagion the film) The Health Secretary continued to do that throughout the pandemic - even when it was unfashionable (Lockdown sceptic backbenchers were warning against relying on a vaccine) and No. 10 focussed more on mass testing as the way out

Boris Johnson’s problems may be increasing by the day but there is one Christmas wish that remains top of the list: approval of the Oxford vaccine

It’s critical for the PM’s promise of a different world by Easter

New @theipaper column

inews.co.uk/opinion/boris-… While Johnson’s plan for some Christmas cheer for the country have been dashed, his hopes for a different world by Easter is still possible – but it rests on the vaccine being approved by the MHRA

Matt Hancock attempts to set the record straight on government's coronavirus strategy

specc.ie/2TSLFsc As wrote on Saturday, Tory MPs have gone from heaping praise on the 'three wise men' press conferences to voicing concern over 'herd immunity' reports inews.co.uk/opinion/column…

The best defence is a good offence: how the Conservatives are using non-traditional campaign tactics to move the conversation to their preferred turf, my piece in iWeekend after a week of controversy inews.co.uk/opinion/commen… With under two weeks to go until polling the day, the Conservatives are generating headlines – and spades of criticism – not for their policies but for their campaign antics

Which division lobby will the next Tory leader walk into on Tuesday night? Conservative MPs increasingly think it will be an MP in the aye lobby that succeeds Theresa May as Prime Minister – my iWeekend piece
inews.co.uk/news/brexit/to… After a week of high drama and successive government defeats, talk has turned to who will succeed May once this unhappy chapter of Tory drama reaches its end

Ian Austin quits Labour – but doesn’t join the Independent Group specc.ie/2T2lOif Although Austin has been unhappy for some time, his departure is significant. He is an Old Labour right stalwart - if he thinks the game is up, others could draw same conclusion