Her election is confirmed.
“Make no mistake, the referendum was a vote to leave the European Union, but was also a vote for serious change.”
The last Brexiteer in the race bows out.
New ideas in familiar packages remains by far the most likely, if less exciting, result of this post-Brexit upheaval.
Her camp wants to move on from the subject. Quite right. But she will find it hard to do so until she has put doubts about her commitment to rest.
It’s unclear whether Leadsom is saying a) the Times doctored the transcript or b) its reporting is irresponsible or c) she believed her remarks were made “off the record”.
“I think in terms of the person that’s got steel for the job, that can go eyeball to eyeball with Angela Merkel – and Nicola Sturgeon – it can only be Theresa May.”
We all want an outcome that works for them, but generous words that ignore the complexities of the issue are no good to anybody.
A significant slice of Party members will share Leadsom’s view on same-sex marriage. A larger proportion will value the role of the churches.
With almost 200 votes behind her, she is the only candidate with a chance of steering a coherent Leave plan through a pro-Remain Commons.
Plus: the downfall of Boles. This Eagle won’t fly. What to do with Gove? Cameron should become Foreign Secretary. And: Out there in the country, Blair is still popular.
By delaying the result until September, the Party Board believes it is a good idea for the United Kingdom to drift, rudderless, for another two months. Crisis, what crisis, eh?
He believes she will win among Party members.
The Justice Secretary calls for a “civilised, inclusive, positive and optimistic” contest.
We have never been more mainstream in the Conservative Party – so much so that most practitioners have never felt the need to identify themselves as such.