On the anniversary of the EU referendum, the party leadership needs an audit of what went wrong this month, and a plan for the Tory future in this Parliament.
Even in an age where institutional attachments run shallow, too many young people are coming to share a deep-seating dislike of our Party.
A massive poll lead. Going early. A wooden leader. Mindless mantras. A despised opposition. And then collapse. The parallels are uncanny: why didn’t Crosby warn her?
Despite the outcome, our manifesto was a step in the right direction, from which we must not retreat backwards.
There is a natural path ahead: announce a resignation by the end of next week, and allow a contest to take place over the summer.
Gauke is uncorked as Work and Pensions Secretary. Truss replaces him as Treasury Chief Secretary. Leadsom is the new Leader of the House.
The Party is damned if she goes quickly, and damned if she doesn’t. And, all the while, the threat of a no confidence challenge hangs over her head.
The former MP for Croydon Central will be a calming presence after the turbulent departure of Timothy and Hill.
Davidson should have a standing invite to attend Political Cabinet, and be encouraged to speak her mind – on Brexit, the DUP and anything else.
First Timothy quits as May’s co-Chief of Staff. Now Hill, the other co-Chief of Staff, has gone too.
May understands Britain’s divisions, and has been working to address them. The campaign, however, failed to get her positive plan for the future across.
Those who are left of party centre are breaking cover to attack ‘Mayism’, whilst Brexiteers seem to be rallying around the Prime Minister.
And all this, remember, is on the assumption that she somehow gains a working majority, or is Prime Minister in a hung Parliament.
Today’s choice is between a woman who has grasped the scale and sweep of Brexit, and a man who has spent his entire career cuddling up to Britain’s enemies.
The Conservative Party has long been the natural home of libertarians and classical liberals. That relationship might be about to get less comfortable.