‘Taciturn Theresa’ cost us the Election

from her relying on far too narrow a circle of advisers, and not listening to her own MPs. I remember a visit by her to my constituency mainly for her bizarre treatment of neighbouring Tory MP David Burrowes. Going back to her official car, she summoned David over and gave him a perfunctory and public dressing-down, saying: ‘I don’t appreciate the way you have treated my Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire.’ David was startled. He’d been urging the Government to relent on its stance on the deportation of a girl back to Mauritius during her A-levels. It was blatantly absurd to reprimand him for doing his job. To do so in public, utterly insensitive to local feelings, is plain bonkers.

Ministers expect to get a bashing if an MP is standing up for a constituent. No one expects them not to create a fuss. Except Theresa. As her taciturn Tea Room surgery showed, she was uncomfortable and remarkably hard to get to know.

Days before I was re-selected to fight Enfield North in the snap 2017 Election, the head of voting strategy said to me at Tory HQ: ‘See her up there,’ as he pointed to a picture of Theresa.

‘This Election is about her, not you, so don’t f***ing well put out leaflets about your opponent’s expenses, don’t go on about the hospital. You’ll lose. It’s all about Theresa.’ That strategy went well, then. I did as I was told. Her team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory; I got trounced.