TENACIOUS THERESA FINDS HER FORTE FROM THE BACKBENCHES

THERESA May is fast becoming one of Boris Johnson’s most dogged critics atWestminster. In Commons interventions on successive days this week, the former prime minister took her successor to task over cutting foreign aid and restrictions on international travel.

She accused ministers of failing to “stand by their word” on aid pledges and was scathing of the impact of flight bans on travel freedoms.

SomeTories have likened Mrs May to Edward Heath, anotherTory former premier who remained on the backbenches for years as an outspoken critic of his successor Margaret Thatcher. Heath was nicknamed “the Incredible Sulk” as a result of his behaviour.

But others are coming to admire Mrs May for the tenacity and detail of her questioning and criticism. In carving out a new role after leaving No 10, her conduct is seen by many of her colleagues as a welcome contrast to ex-premiers includingTony Blair and David Cameron.

Both rapidly exited the House of Commons soon after leaving Downing Street to try to cash in by pursuing lucrative new careers with mixed results.

For all her limitations in handling the Brexit process, Mrs May was widely admired in the country for her sense of duty and dedication to public service. She is continuing in that vein.

Sir Keir Starmer had better watch out. Mrs May is proving to be a far more probing inquisitor of the PM and the Government than the current Leader of the Opposition.