There is no doubt than the men have failed their country, plunging it into political chaos at the worst possible moment. So this Blog is firmly of the view that the time has come for a handbag. Both Teresa May and Andrea Leadsom have the potential to be formidable handbaggers and whoever wins will need to be. She will need to bring her own special take on female leadership to the most inept and untrustworthy political class that this country has seen since it became a force of any merit in the world.
The ghost of Thatcher and the shadow of Merkel with follow her everywhere. Each candidate carries baggage. Mrs. May is rather, well rather intense perhaps, and has no family; a snag among voters troubled by childcare issues. Mrs Leadsom appears to have allowed spin to burnish her CV; she is not the power in the City that at least her devotees have claimed. Some connection to banking may play well with Tory members, but could be electorally disastrous in the fractured and angry country beyond.
This blog, while affirming its support for a woman to lead the country left in a mess by childish men, will remain neutral in the contest among Tory party members. I believe MPs have already had the final say, Mrs May should be in Number Ten before the end of today, and that the continuing contest is in breach of both the tradition and practice of the constitution for any political party when in power. It is fundamentally against the national interest to continue forward rudderless for a further two months and is doing significant damage to the reputation of England across the world.