In all seriousness, we may need Theresa May’s unflagging doggedness

Watching Dominic Raab yesterday, I felt nervous. Admittedly I was already feeling pretty nervous to begin with. But watching Mr Raab, I’m afraid, I started to feel more nervous still – simply because Mr Raab looked so nervous, too. His nerves were making my nerves worse.

Perhaps this sounds unfair. After all, in a crisis like this, exuding an air of calm isn’t exactly easy. But then, in a crisis like this, exuding an air of calm is one of the most important things a prime minister – or indeed a stand-in prime minister – can do. After all, if the person in charge seems calm and in control, it helps the rest of us to feel calm and in control. “Courage”, as Philip Larkin wrote in his poem “Aubade”, “means not scaring others”. And equally, it means helping them to feel courage, too.

Even at the best of times, however, the Foreign Secretary strikes a jumpy, jittery-looking figure. And yesterday evening, at the daily news conference from No 10, he did not look at ease. In fairness to him, you could see he was trying his best to seem composed and authoritative. But it wasn’t quite coming off. As he read out his opening statement, he sounded breathy, hesitant. You could practically hear his heart hammering against his ribs.

Then again, his words about the Prime Minister were touching, and clearly heartfelt. Boris Johnson, said Mr Raab, “is not just our boss. He’s also our friend. And I’m confident he’ll pull through. Because if there’s one thing I know about this Prime Minister – he’s a fighter”.

Mr Raab said this with real feeling. Perhaps his wording was open to misinterpretation, but I very much doubt he meant to imply that those patients who don’t pull through aren’t “fighters”. It was just his best shot at sounding hopeful and rallying the public. And I’m sure that’s how most of the public will take it.

At Mr Raab’s side was Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser. He offered something that sounded, if only very faintly, like hope. “It’s possible,” he

‘Even at the best of times, Mr Raab strikes a jitterylooking figure’

ventured gingerly, “that we’re beginning to see the start of a change where we might see numbers [of hospital admissions] flattening off. We won’t be sure about that for a week or so … But it does suggest that we might be moving in the right direction…”

Possible. Might. Suggest. Might. Start. Beginning … No, it wasn’t the firmest of reassurances. But right now, I suppose we’ll take whatever we can get.

One last thought on stand-in prime ministers. In all seriousness, the best person for the job – at least during a time like this – would probably be Theresa May. Not just because of her experience, but because of her manner.

Grim, dour, flinty, stolid – and, above all, unflaggingly dogged.

As an election campaigner, it clearly counted against her. But right now, it might be just what the country needs.