Speculative risk

Yesterday David Davis finally sat down opposite Michel Barnier to begin the Brexit talks. It was undoubtedly a moment of extraordinary significance – a day to which many have been looking forward for years, if not decades. And yet one consequence of the botched general election meant that this, alongside the shocking news from Finsbury Park, was not the only subject dominating the nation’s politics. Instead, damagingly, the fate of the Prime Minister, Theresa May, continues to occupy much attention.

We have now moved from conjecture over whether she can survive, to detailed speculation about who her successor will be. The only question missing in this political parlour game is when will the axe fall? Such distraction has all kinds of bizarre and deleterious consequences. For example, instead of thinking about the agenda of their own party, leading Tories who dream of being PM are now engaged in pinpoint calculations about where the Opposition stands, wondering whether or not sufficient Labour moderates still oppose Jeremy Corbyn to stand in the way of a second general election – one which could see Mr Corbyn do even better than a fortnight ago.

This is not good for the Conservative Party or the government of the country. The Conservatives must return as quickly as possible to a state of affairs where they are able to focus all their energies and attention on what matters most: the security of the nation and the conduct of the Brexit talks. Every day that passes is a day that somehow confirms the narrative of Mr Corbyn edging closer to power. That narrative must be challenged and reversed – now.