Her performance at the Coronation won the Leader of the House an adoring public, and indicated that despite her many critics she is still a potential successor to Sunak.
Turnout is key. It is not necessary to convert Conservative abstainers to Conservatism. The challenge is to convert the Government to Conservatism. But the Prime Minister can not be blamed for trees being chopped down in Plymouth.
It is absurd for even diehard NIMBYs to let London overspill undermine the Tory vote across the South East. There is a bargain to be struck.
The former Prime Minister is of less importance than resisting the temptation to make her mistakes all over again.
Over this period, the UK’s economic growth was level with the US’s and exceeded the other five members of the G7. In other words, on international comparisons, we did well.
The public sector has just swallowed another semi-autonomous set of institutions with little protest or controversy.
MPs hardly have a great track record of selecting suitable candidates – and the current system allows for coronations when needed.
This year has shown that our current leadership election system is untenable. Yet to replace it should mean compensating members with an expansion of their control of the party, including funds, candidate selection, and policy.
For the second time this year, this is our continually updated list of which MPs are backing which candidate to be the next Conservative leader.
The recent history of the Conservative Party and the country is the ultras have had their way on both policy and personnel. The result – for both party and country – is now clear to see.
Conservative MPs, peers, donors, hacks and activists caper their way towards an open grave, with Johnson himself leading the procession. The dance possesses them; it has a momentum of its own; they are powerless to stop.
The new Home Secretary is potentially well placed to break any deadlock in a nominations process among Conservative MPs.
Though it has long since been overshadowed by the death of Her Majesty and the progress of the war in Ukraine, the Conservative leadership contest was horrible. It was too long, too combative, and too expensive.
To ignore the wishes of the membership by either denying them a vote or forcing out their elected leader (as with Boris Johnson) shows arrogance and a disregard for party supporters.