Ministers urging May to play for time to usher in Tories’ next generation

Theresa May is being urged by cabinet ministers to stretch out the contest for her successor to give the new generation a chance.

British PM Theresa May makes a point during an address to parliament on the latest Brexit deadlock. Picture: AFP

British Prime Minister Theresa May is being urged by cabinet ministers to spin out the contest for her successor as long as possible to give the new generation a chance to take over.

Senior Conservatives believe Mrs May could engineer a generational change by ensuring fresh faces are brought to the fore. This would allow figures such as Health Secretary Matt Hancock, 40, or MPs outside the cabinet such as James Cleverly, 49, or Rory Stewart, 46, a shot at the top job.

One cabinet minister said: “There’s an overwhelming feeling in the party that this needs to be as long as possible. What happened last time was a mistake. We need time and space to explore all the strengths and weaknesses and the implications for Brexit and the country’s future.”

An influential MP said: “The PM could facilitate a generational change. We want her to enable promising MPs like Tom Tugendhat or James Cleverly, perhaps by putting them in the cabinet and then parading them in front of the membership in the autumn.”

Early indications from No 10 suggested that if Mrs May’s deal did pass, there could be a Tory leadership contest soon after May 22. This could be spun out over several months, however, coming to a head during the October Tory conference or later.

More than a dozen Tory MPs could run, with the timing of the race and each of their proposals for Brexit likely to be integral to the process. Tory MPs will whittle the candidates down to the last two after hustings. They will then be put to a vote of the 124,000 members­ in an online ballot.

If the contest is held quickly, former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, 54; ex-Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, 45; Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, 52; and Envir­onment Secretary Michael Gove, 51, are regarded as the main contenders. Many moderate figures in the party pin their hopes on Mr Gove, one of the faces of Vote Leave who backs Mrs May’s deal and impressed many with his recent­ performances at the dispatch box. His aides were keen to play down suggestions at the weekend that he could be an interi­m prime minister, in a sign of an ambition to be Mrs May’s permane­nt successor.

A split between two of the biggest Brexiteers likely to run for the leadership arose on Wednesday night. Mr Johnson told a meeting of the hard-Brexit European Research Group that he was switching to support Mrs May’s deal.

One source in the room said: “I knew from his shifty body language­ he was going to rat. It was a weak, waffle effort and his hands were gratifyingly shaky. He got a respectable round of applause­, in terms of numbers. But it was tepid clapping.”

The night before, Mr Johnson faced heckling at an event for Telegraph readers.

Mr Raab left the ERG meeting early without commenting. MPs following Mr Raab’s campaign say that he does not want to be seen “following” Mr Johnson.

Chief Whip Julian Smith has been sending a message to potential candidates that they must back the withdrawal agreement if they hope to get the job. “The message … is that if you stay in the lobby with the 30 refuseniks, you’ll never get on the ballot,” said one MP involved­ in the process.

The ERG, which holds meetings for about 80 Tory MPs, is now deeply split on Brexit. ERG chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg is backing the deal along with Mr Johnson and is now likely to back the former foreign secretary for leader.

ERG deputy chairman Steve Baker indicated at the group’s meeting that he was so angry at recen­t events he was prepared to lose the Tory whip, which opens the possibility that he would move against the government in a vote of no confidence.

The ERG is likely to be unable to agree on a single candidate after the events on Wednesday night, meaning its endorsement is less likely to be as valuable as it was.

Shadow boxing for the leadership contest will start immediately, with potential contenders taking every opportunity to set out their stall. Treasury Chief Secretary Liz Truss, 43, will appear at the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference in a last-minute addition­, alongside David Lidington, 62, the de facto deputy prime minister. Think tanks and pressure groups are offering platforms to potential candidates.

The Times