As a radical paper, The Spectator has always been an admirer of Michael Gove, particularly his education reforms. He was, perhaps, a little too radical when abandoning Boris Johnson at the eleventh hour last week – but let it not be said that he lacks the steel needed to become Prime Minister. Andrea Leadsom was impressive during the referendum campaign and might be a triumph as Prime Minister. But there is only one battle-tested Brexiteer in this contest – and he is Michael Gove.
Tory MPs will today choose which two candidates they will ask the membership to choose between. The glitch in the voting system means they get to choose with only one vote. Theresa May’s many backers can rest assured that their candidate will end up in the final two: when casting their vote, MPs should ask who their second preference would be. If the answer is not Ms Leadsom, then some should cast a vote for Michael Gove.
As Mr Gove explains in an interview in today’s Spectator, his break with Boris Johnson’s campaign came only after he found the former mayor unable to do what he regarded as the basics required of a prime minister. It is hard to believe that a man who was a successful mayor for eight years could not cope with high office. But it is likely that Mr Gove did indeed act out of principle – and did not give much thought to how his change of heart would be seen. If this election was a verdict on the behaviour of candidates in the week after the referendum, then Mr Gove would lose. But if it is a question of who has the ideas, the energy and – yes – the steel to lead Conservatism into its next phase then there is only one option. The Boris-Gove ticket was our first choice; that choice has been removed. The question today is which two candidates to send forward in an open contest for No 10. The Tories should send the members the best candidates standing: Mrs May and Mr Gove.
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