If politics is show business for ugly people, then it is difficult to know what to make of this Conservative leadership beauty parade. The four remaining candidates are taking to the conference stage in Birmingham this week to proffer their case to members. Yet at this point in the contest, all that matters is Tory MPs.
That is because it is only the top two who will make it through to a ballot of ordinary party members. And so each candidate is chasing a tiny number of votes. And each is playing their part. Robert Jenrick is courting the anti-immigration right. Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly the One Nation centre. And, in attacking the apparent burden of maternity pay, Kemi Badenoch seems to be trying to alienate as many voters as possible.
But let one thing be clear: the outcome of this leadership election matters. Labour may enjoy a landslide majority, but it is built on limited enthusiasm in a nation where old party loyalties have long evaporated. And there is also a warning. Across Europe, from France to Italy and now Austria, we see how the failures of centre-right parties have paved the way for the rise of far-right parties. The Tories must get this right.
The last few weeks have demonstrated that Labour is more than capable of generating its own opposition. Yet the real pressure will come when it has to simultaneously face an opposition able not only to scrutinise the government but offer alternative policies. If Labour fails to repair the nation’s public services and return the economy to growth, then the next election will be very much up for grabs. The question is, will the Conservative Party be in fighting shape and of sound mind to capitalise?
Can Erik ten Hag hang on?
This was inevitable. After a poor season that could not be masked by an FA Cup win, Erik ten Hag was always going to face enormous pressure. At root, there is simply no goodwill left.
It is not being wise after the event to suggest that Manchester United should have parted ways with ten Hag at the end of last season. Indeed, The Standard called for such an eventuality. The team has made little progress under his management – instead it is going backwards. This season is still salvageable, if someone capable of extracting performances from a talented squad can be recruited in good time.
Manchester United may not have won a league title in over a decade, but for generations of football fans, the club still enjoys totemic stature. That will slowly fade unless those at the top can arrest and ultimately reverse the slide into mediocrity.
