The Spectator

Trump and Brexit Sir: Your leading article (‘The Trump card’, 1 June) states that ‘May’s successor should seek to capitalise on Team Trump’s enthusiasm for Brexit’. President Trump — the leader of by far our most important political, economic and military ally — has always respected what most British MPs have chosen to ignore: that the British people voted to leave the European Union. Assuming that the Conservative party wants to survive, it must choose a proven vote-winning leader who is determined to leave the European Union on WTO terms by 31 October this year, unless the EU has agreed by that date to a convincing, substantial improvement to its current offer.

Leavers only, please Sir: Your leading article (‘The end of May’, 25 May) correctly calls for the Conservative party to establish itself as ‘unequivocally the party of Brexit’. The meltdown at the EU elections confirmed this is now the only course of action open to it, if it wishes to survive. Conservative MPs should show they have finally woken up to reality. They need to send the membership two candidates with impeccable Leave credentials, and who are not in the current cabinet. Placing any Remain-tainted candidates on the shortlist would display MPs’ continuing contempt for the party’s activists, supporters and donors. It would also show a curious lack of interest in their own job security.

The Tory leadership has two stages: MPs will choose two finalists from what might be more than a dozen candidates, a process that should take about ten days. Then the final two will embark on a five-week campaign to win over the 125,000 Conservative Party members.  If Boris Johnson makes it into the second stage, it is widely predicted that he will be selected by local members – making the first part of the race crucial. Coffee House will be tracking which Conservative MPs are backing which leadership candidates in the race. As the number of entrants in the field reduces, expect big swings as MPs switch their allegiances once their favourites have been knocked out.

Nigel’s nakedness Sir: Rod Liddle is right to be wary of the hubris that Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, is beginning to show (‘The Brexit party delusion’, 18 May). His wish to smash the mould of British politics clearly shows that he expects his disciples to follow him into the promised land. The Andrew Marr interview and a recent Question Time appearance showed that under close questioning Farage gets rattled and resorts to dismissing his opponents and shouting them down. When will the public realise that this emperor has no clothes? Stan Labovitch Windsor, Berks Nato expansion Sir: Alan Judd writes of the ‘allegedly broken promise not to enlarge Nato following the collapse of the Soviet Union’ (‘Disputes over Putin’, 18 May).

Theresa May's latest Brexit bill is set to come back to the Commons early next month, but already the signs are that it won't be fourth time lucky for the Prime Minister and her Withdrawal Agreement.