Like most sane people last night I didn’t watch the somewhat bizarre Tory leader TV debate – preferring the much much more interesting goings on in 19th century Halifax  – the frocks were much more frilly!.  Instead I got my fill from the following 10 o’clock news where two things were abundantly clear: Firstly,  Boris Johnson may have made a tactical error not turning up as Channel 4 was plus  the other candidates were only too happy  to empty chair him and secondly Michael Gove and Rory Stewart were in their element with the other three looking at best wooden.  Whether any of this matters is clearly something only historians will be able to answer.

So if TV performances make a different then there are only three candidates left.   Whether the next rounds of MPs voting agrees is less certain.   I wonder if in nearly 200 years time when whoever is left is watching their version of Sunday night TV will they be treated to a dramatised life of Grayson Perry or Eddie Izzard and whilst doing so ask what Brexit was and why is Boris Johnson wearing a clown outfit?