An alien visiting Westminster may conclude that Britain has two classes of citizen – a lay herd that elects parliaments, and a priestly caste, the Conservatives, that anoints prime ministers. That is how Boris Johnson first got the job and it is the method that will name his successor.
The candidate list was ceremonially whittled to three by Tory MPs today – Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Penny Mordaunt (Kemi Badenoch is out). Tomorrow three become two, whereupon the power of investiture is handed to 160,000 party members.
