Tom Goodenough

The 48 per cent have spoken - and they want higher taxes, according to the British Social Attitudes survey. In the wake of a general election in which Labour won support based on a manifesto of free spending, is it time for a rethink on tax? And should we wave goodbye to the era of austerity? Here’s what today’s newspapers make of the case for a tax hike: We are ‘at a fiscal crossroads’, says the Daily Telegraph. During their dismal election campaign, the Tories 'failed to make the case for living within our means’ and the ‘public appetite for prudence’ appears to be waning.

The Government’s deal with the DUP is done - but it has come at a price. The confidence and supply agreement - which falls short of a formal coalition but will be enough to keep Theresa May in power - will set the Government back £1bn. The deal spells out £200m for infrastructure, £75m for ultra-fast broadband, £100m over five years to tackle deprivation, £50m on health and education, £100m on health service reform and £50m on mental health funding in Northern Ireland. Despite the cost, though, there’ll be a big sigh of relief among the Conservatives that the deal (which you can read here) is now, finally, across the line.

Would Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May make a better Prime Minister? In April, when Theresa May called the election, that question was barely worth asking: 54 per cent backed May compared to just 15 per cent who opted for Corbyn. Now that’s all changed. For the first time, Jeremy Corbyn has overtaken Theresa May on the question of who would do the best job running the country. A YouGov poll in the Times today puts Corbyn on 35 per cent; just 34 per cent picked the PM. We don’t necessarily need a YouGov survey to tell us but this demonstrates the utter collapse in Theresa May’s popularity. More troublingly for the Tory party, it also shows exactly why the party should be so worried about the prospect of a fresh general election.

Theresa May was rightly criticised for her response to the Grenfell Tower blaze. The Prime Minister’s decision not to initially meet survivors or relatives of those killed looked dreadful, and in the days after the fire there was a real risk that what happened was being pinned squarely on the Tories. While it was right to criticise May for her initial failings though, it also seems fair to say that the Prime Minister’s statement this morning was faultless - at least in terms of helping those on the ground in Kensington. Yet her remarks now raise troubling questions about how many other blocks like Grenfell Tower there are across Britain. For those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, it is clear the Government is determined to make up for lost time.

Today's Queen Speech was supposed to be a moment of crowning glory for Theresa May. Instead, it's a muted affair, with the Tories' plans for Government left in tatters as a result of their blown majority. 'Strong and stable' is out; in comes 'humility' and 'resolve' - and the party's manifesto has been largely binned. Here's what didn't make the cut: Donald Trump's state visit: The Queen's Speech made no mention of Donald Trump's state visit to the UK. Downing Street was insisting recently that there was no change to the schedule following Theresa May's invitation which she offered to the President back in January. It's clear this isn't the case and the visit has now either been postponed or downgraded from a state visit.

Theresa May has few friends at the moment. But while her Christmas card list might be dwindling, her tally of critics is growing rapidly. Yesterday, John Major urged the Prime Minister to ditch a deal with the DUP or risk jeopardising the peace process in Northern Ireland. Now, David Cameron has waded in, calling for the PM to adopt a ‘softer’ approach to Brexit in the wake of last week’s election disaster. The former PM also said that his successor should change tack and ‘listen to other parties’ on the best way of leaving the EU. So, just another ex-Tory leader with too much time on their hands determined to take up the role of a backseat driver?

Is Brexit going soft? In the aftermath of the election, some are worried that might be the case. While others are hopeful that a hard Brexit (i.e. leaving the single market) is now off the table. Michael Gove’s interview on Today was a reassurance that whatever type of Brexit Britain does end up with, a consensus is being sought out. Gove made it clear that the majority of Brits, by voting for Labour and the Tories (82.4 per cent backed the parties last week), opted to vote for parties committed to Brexit. This is a sensible rebuke to those trying to read into voters’ lukewarm enthusiasm for Theresa May a sign that people are changing their minds about leaving the EU.

'Strong and stable', 'weak and wobbly', 'coalition of chaos': you've heard enough of the slogans. Now, election day is nearly upon us. Here's the Spectator's guide to what to watch out for on the night as we find out whether Theresa May is heading for a big win - or an historic blunder: 10pm All eyes will be on the joint exit poll from the BBC, ITV and Sky. In 2015, this was the key moment for the Tories with the poll suggesting that the party was heading for a surprise majority. 11pm Houghton & Sunderland South – where Labour upped its majority in 2015 - is likely to be the first seat to declare. We’ll also get the result from Sunderland Central – likely to be another Labour hold - at around 11.