On Wednesday afternoon, moments after Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were announced as the final two candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party, a group of “red wall” MPs gathered on the terrace of the House of Commons to reflect on the result. “Is it too late to withdraw my resignation letter?” mused one MP, who held a junior ministerial role until the coup against Boris Johnson. “Shouldn’t we go back to Boris?” she said, leaving the question hanging.
Another who had joined the group to drown his sorrows suggested a more dramatic option. “I ordered a hose and I’m going home to start the car.”
Less than three years ago, they had all won seats in traditional Labor counties in the North and Midlands