Could the CON leadership hopes of David Davis once again be thwarted by an old Etonian?
Jacob Rees Mogg moves back to 2nd favourite in the betting
It seems a long long time ago but during the summer of 2005 David Davis looked all set to replace Michael Howard as party leader. There were other contenders but by far the strongest favourite was Davis who two years earlier had stood aside so that Howard could replace IDS without the need to go through a members’ ballot.
Then we all know what happened. Old Etonian and then shadow Education Sec, David Cameron who had only been an MP for four years came apparently from nowhere and made a conference speech that very much sealed his victory. After losing three consecutive elections to Tony Blair’s LAB the Tories desperately wanted a winner and Cameron persuaded the party that he was that person.
Twelve summers later and the Tories are once again smarting over an election that didn’t go as planned and all sorts of question have been raised over TMay who decided to make the campaign about herself almost to the exclusion of her senior colleagues.
Whether she goes early or not is still very much in the balance. Her conference speech in October is going to be a major event and she has a lot of work to do assuring her party that she still has it within her.
In the meantime once again Davis is the favourite to take over the job with sentiment moving strongly against the previous long-term favourite, BoJo.
And now another old Etonan is apparently emerging as a threat – at least that is how punters see it. Jacob Rees Mogg now a father of six.