Theresa May can give our country the strong leadership it needs

Our country has been, and is going, through an unprecedented period of turbulence.

We have had the extraordinary referendum on our membership of the European Union in which strong words were spoken on both sides of the argument. There were divisions in both the main parties and feelings undoubtedly ran high. The referendum was followed in short order by the contest for the leadership of the Conservative Party, which had its own moments of drama, both high and low. And this morning the contest for leadership of the Labour Party began.

But it will surely come as a relief to many that, while uncertainty remains over the future of the Labour Party, the leadership of the Conservative Party, and therefore the identity of our new Prime Minister, is settled. The time has therefore come for everyone in the Conservative Party to draw a line under the events of the recent past and give all possible support to our new Prime Minister.

I have no doubt that Theresa May is up to the job. She has a well-deserved reputation for determination and hard work and has been a formidable Home Secretary. That is just as well for the challenges our country faces are indeed formidable.

We need to chart a new and unprecedented course to take full advantage of the tremendous opportunities which await us and although I am very confident that we can succeed and build a better future there may well be some bumps on the road ahead. Theresa May is very well qualified to deal with all these challenges and give our country the strong and clear leadership we need.

I am happy to give her my support and I am sure I will be joined in that by everyone in the Conservative Party and I very much hope the wider electorate beyond.