The revival starts here

A LITTLE known figure at the start of the Tory leadership race, Rory Stewart won legions of admirers with his energy, enthusiasm and freshness.

Indeed opinion polls suggested he was the most popular of all the candidates with the general public.

So the Mail welcomes his new initiative to swell the ranks of the Tory party membership by creating a Momentums-tyle mass movement.

Mr Stewart plans to tour the country and engage people in what he calls ‘big tent Conservatism’ through a series of rallies and meetings.

It sounds a little Blairish, but the Tories have been outflanked by Labour in recent times, especially where the young are concerned. They must demonstrate that passion for fairness and social justice is not the exclusive preserve of the Left.

With a new leader at the helm, the party has a golden opportunity for renewal.

But whoever wins, their first imperative must be to reunite the bickering Tory factions under one banner.

Equally, Tory dissidents – including Mr Stewart, who was deeply scathing of Mr Johnson and Mr Hunt during the contest – must be willing to give the new leader a fair wind. If the party is to move forward, these ‘blue on blue’ attacks must end. ENGLAND’S women did it at Lord’s in 2017. Can the men now emulate their example and lift the Cricket World Cup? Following their brutal evisceration of the old enemy Australia at Edgbaston, the most talented one-day team England has ever had goes into tomorrow’s final brimming with confidence. We have lost at this stage three times before. The whole nation is praying it will be fourth time lucky.