A decision she made in the hills of Snowdonia

WALKING through the hills of Snowdonia with her husband Philip at Easter, Theresa May decided she was ready to fight.

Less than a year into the job as Prime Minister in April, she made the biggest decision of her political life, calling a snap election so she could win a mandate as leader of the country in her own right.

After suffering the humiliation of losing her precious Commons majority, you could forgive Mrs May for never wanting to return to the place where she chose to gamble and lost.

But over the Bank Holiday, she and her husband were back in the Welsh countryside where she says she gets the opportunity to ‘clear her mind and her thinking’. Walking through the churchyard after attending the 18th century St Mary’s church in Dolgellau on Sunday morning, Mrs May knew in her mind she had made another pivotal choice.

And soon after taking off from Heathrow on Tuesday evening for a threeday trip to bolster trade with Japan, Mrs May shared with reporters her decision, which just weeks ago would have drawn scoffs and derision. But somehow, as she returns from the summer emboldened for a new fight, some are starting to believe she means it when she says she is ‘not a quitter’ and will take the Tories through the next election in 0 . Many in the ranks had assumed she would lead the country through Brexit, which should be finalised in March 019, at an absolute maximum.

But with Tory MPs scared of the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn, many have come to realise it is better to keep quiet and back Mrs May instead of going through an ugly leadership contest that would inevitably lead to demands for another election.

As the weeks passed – and none of the leadership rumours gained any real traction – Mrs May slowly rebuilt her team, getting rid of her toxic former advisers, and renewing her Brexit strategy and policy ideas. Her confidence appears to have reemerged – just in time as she heads to the party’s annual conference.

Unlike some predecessors, who ran away when things got tough, Mrs May is not giving up without a fight.