The Latest Breaking News from Whitehall

Whitehall sources say process of dealing with Commons committee was managed by Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team

Tony Blair’s decision to invade tore at successive Labour leaders and weakened the intelligence services

What does the new ‘Trailblazer’ deal mean for Greater Manchester? PLUS Mayor to face greater scrutiny over funding

The latest delays offer a golden opportunity to cry halt – and use railway money where it’s really needed, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

The matter needs urgent attention, not just to reduce the toll on civil servants, but also for the sake of effective government, says Moazzam Malik, a former director general at the Foreign Office

The last few years of drama at Westminster have set the bar pretty high for shock and surprise, but the sudden departure from government of Sue Gray, second permanent secretary to the Cabinet Office, and her proposed appointment as chief of staff to the leader of the Labour Party really…

The retained EU law bill is an outrageously undemocratic attempt to transfer law-making powers from parliament to Whitehall, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

The UK’s most senior civil servant, 44, has denied that anyone gave Johnson reassurances that the Covid rules were followed during Partygate — so what does this mean for his career? Katie Strick reports

His WhatsApp messages look embarrassing and chaotic, but such leaks could do genuine harm to political debate, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins