However disappointed or angry people are, they know that Mrs May has given it her all
A WEEK may be a long time in politics – but there’s no need to take the mick.
Events are moving fast enough to make your head spin. Since March 29, the day the UK should have left the EU, there has been a growing sense of political crisis.
Brexit wasn’t happening and the government’s impressive achievements were being lost in the fog. If government was telling people about the growing economy, unemployment falling to its lowest since 1975 or the UK attracting more inward investment in the last year than any other country in the world – no-one was listening.
Theresa May was rightly committed to building a majority in parliament for something that would at least complete the first stage of Brexit and allow a new leader to negotiate the future relationship without constant battles in parliament getting in the way.
But when she started offering concessions to Jeremy Corbyn’s far left outfitt, the mood in the Tory party darkened.
As Chairman of the Parliamentary Conservative Party - the “1922 Committee” - I had to balance two very strong demands from my colleagues.
Firstly, with the failure to exit the EU and the loss of so many brilliant councillors in local elections at the beginning of May, a majority of Conservative MPs had decided that a change of leader was essential.
Secondly, most of my colleagues also took the view that Theresa should be allowed the space to leave the stage with dignity.
However disappointed or angry people are that we are stuck in a logjam, they know that Mrs May has given it her all. Her dogged determination and absolute commitment to the service of our country have been obvious to everyone.
It was sad and painful to be there at the moment that she said she would resign as leader of the party and no one could fail to be moved by her parting words outside No10. The Conservative
Party knew that change was needed but I am glad that the process has begun with decency and respect.
Some people inside and outside parliament have talked about me being a candidate for leader. As Chairman of the 1922 Committee I would have been in charge of the election process so I stood down with immediate effect so that everything can be seen to be above board.
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I can now consider my position unconstrained. Whoever stands – and whoever wins, the task is a big one. It is nothing less than restoring the broken trust in British politics.
We have to leave the EU as we promised we would and then get back to a radical agenda to let people take back control of their lives. Politicians need to talk less about social mobility and do more to make sure that everyone in our great country can make the most of their talents.
The crucial starting point must be to reunite the Conservative Party: faced with the most extreme socialist threat that would destroy business, jobs and savings we owe it not to ourselves but to every decent hardworking citizen.
