The Tory leadership election has been an unedifying spectacle for many to observe. It has been beset by typical infighting and the kind of elastic switching of allegiances that withers any remaining faith in the idea that politicians are people of conviction and not just people wishing to cash a very lucrative pay cheque.
Against the backdrop of sewage, heat, war, impending penury and the lingering effects of pandemic, the election has seemed only to amplify the message that after a very long run in power, it is hard to feel great about the upcoming parliamentary session being led by the same gang.
Equally, neither of the remaining candidates has covered themselves in glory, with hotly reported local hustings revealing the darker side of campaigning to such a specific audience. If you haven’t seen the youtube videos of vox-pops with the selectors of our next PM check them out - they’re really something,
In the light of her last minute failure to appear for a BBC light grilling, Liz Truss appears a bit more savvy than some have given her credit for. Or at least someone in her team is. When they agreed to such a late-in-the-campaign interview with Nick Robinson it was more than just kicking the can down the road. They gave themselves an option. If the campaign was flagging, she could maybe grab those last reluctant voters hovering between herself and Rishi. If, as it turns out, the path to number ten looked clear, it could be dodged. In a campaign that has seen Truss make the kind of flip-floppy gaffes some would have hoped had been taken out with the Johnson removal vans, it suggests a bit of clever strategy.
There will undoubtedly be harrumphing in some quarters, mine for sure, that Truss should never be too ‘busy’ to speak to the people she wants to lead. This apparent arrogance will do nothing to dispel the divisive Thatcher-spectre she has been conjuring. But, if on Monday she is installed as the Prime Minister, the news cycle will wash away this dodge and we will probably see more of Liz Truss and be more sound-bitten than we can bear.
So, it does matter that she dodged because it says something about her. What it says will depend very much on where you stand and who you are hoping to see walking through the doors of number 10 in the near future.
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