How could you believe me when I said I loved you when you know I’ve been a liar all my life?

“How could you believe me when I said I loved you when you know I’ve been a liar all my life?”  That used to be the longest song title in the catalogue, a while ago, but Google indicates that there are much longer contenders around today.  It came to mind when thinking about the Conservative leadership contenders and what to make of their respective manifestos to leave the EU by 31 October 2019.  Theresa May was a remainer but she said she had converted to the leave cause.  How many times did she parrot “Brexit means Brexit?”  She did not fulfil her promise.  Jeremy Hunt was a remainer but he now says he can negotiate an exit on 31 October (plus a little wriggle room for contingencies). He sounds sincere and his plans are far more detailed and developed than his rival, Boris.  But Theresa May sounded sincere and look how she turned out?  Will Jeremy revert to type when the going gets tough?  That is my nagging doubt.  Boris, on the other hand, in much more of a “big hand, small map” approach tells us we are leaving on 31 October, no ifs and no buts. Although he kept his powder dry for a while during the Referendum campaign, he eventually declared for leave and has been consistent in outlook since.  I don’t mind the lack of detail too much.  Good leaders don’t, necessarily, need nit-picking qualities provided they enjoy the gift of delegation, and Boris has certainly shown his powers of leadership in complex projects during his time as mayor of London.  But the tie-breaker for Boris, in my opinion, could be that he is much more likely to limit the damage of, nay win, an early general election, than Jeremy.

I haven’t received my ballot paper and I haven’t made up my mind, quite, but I am leaning to Boris.  Meantime, I have been invited to a top-secret location somewhere in Yorkshire and Humberside to listen to the two rivals debate.  I have submitted a question: “would you give a Cabinet appointment that involved safeguarding state secrets to Gavin Williamson?”  I would expect a simple yes or no in reply.