Theresa v Boris: How May Became PM

0:00:02 > 0:00:03This programme contains strong language.

0:00:03 > 0:00:05What's your message to Michael Gove?

0:00:05 > 0:00:07APPLAUSE

0:00:07 > 0:00:10Did you betray Boris, Mr Gove?

0:00:10 > 0:00:11APPLAUSE

0:00:11 > 0:00:14MUSIC: The Man Comes Around by Jonny Cash

0:00:15 > 0:00:19# There's a man going round taking names

0:00:20 > 0:00:24# And he decides who to free and who to blame... #

0:00:24 > 0:00:25Erm...

0:00:25 > 0:00:26Erm...

0:00:26 > 0:00:29Well, from what I can remember, anyway.

0:00:29 > 0:00:31Let's just remember who the contenders actually were.

0:00:31 > 0:00:33INTERVIEWER: So we've got Theresa May...

0:00:33 > 0:00:34Thank you.

0:00:37 > 0:00:39# When the man comes around

0:00:43 > 0:00:46# The hairs on your arm will stand up... #

0:00:46 > 0:00:48Yeah, yeah - I'm starting to feel his...

0:00:48 > 0:00:51# At the terror in each sip and in each sup

0:00:53 > 0:00:56# Will you partake of that last offered cup?

0:00:58 > 0:01:00# Or disappear into the potter's ground? #

0:01:03 > 0:01:06How... How do you know this actually happened as it did?

0:01:06 > 0:01:09Have you got some of Boris's team speaking to you?

0:01:09 > 0:01:10- Yeah.- Who?

0:01:10 > 0:01:12..completely protected. I just worry that...

0:01:12 > 0:01:15I don't think Andrew was at that party, no.

0:01:15 > 0:01:18- You'd have to check that. - You're a disgrace, Johnson!

0:01:18 > 0:01:21And the strange thing is, the dafter it sounds,

0:01:21 > 0:01:24- the more true to Boris it actually is.- Yeah, yeah.

0:01:24 > 0:01:27# Voices callin', voices cryin'

0:01:29 > 0:01:32# Some are born and some are dyin'

0:01:34 > 0:01:37# It's alpha and omega's kingdom come. #

0:01:49 > 0:01:54The total number of votes cast in favour of Leave was...

0:01:54 > 0:01:58- eighty-two thousand... - WILD CHEERING

0:01:58 > 0:02:01The result will come as a hammer blow to Mr Cameron.

0:02:01 > 0:02:05Can he stay in office with his authority drained by a defeat?

0:02:05 > 0:02:09And with Britain voting to leave the EU,

0:02:09 > 0:02:11all eyes this morning are on Number 10 Downing Street.

0:02:15 > 0:02:17What's the news from behind you?

0:02:17 > 0:02:19Well, the street is absolutely packed.

0:02:19 > 0:02:22I think I can show you the pictures of not just of course

0:02:22 > 0:02:24the British press, but of course many, many members

0:02:24 > 0:02:27of the international press filling up Downing Street,

0:02:27 > 0:02:29the Prime Minister's official residence,

0:02:29 > 0:02:31this morning. Huge anticipation here.

0:02:32 > 0:02:36The big question mark is whether or not he will address

0:02:36 > 0:02:38the matter of his own departure.

0:02:38 > 0:02:41Now, senior Tories I've been talking to do not think this is the moment

0:02:41 > 0:02:43for David Cameron suddenly to say he's up and off,

0:02:43 > 0:02:47but that doesn't mean there aren't conversations going on about this.

0:02:47 > 0:02:49Boss?

0:02:49 > 0:02:51That doesn't mean he's about to come out of the door

0:02:51 > 0:02:52and resign, not at all.

0:02:55 > 0:02:56Am I doing the right thing?

0:02:58 > 0:02:59Absolutely.

0:03:17 > 0:03:19Good morning, everyone.

0:03:19 > 0:03:23The British people have made a very clear decision to take

0:03:23 > 0:03:26a different path, and as such I think the country

0:03:26 > 0:03:30requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction.

0:03:31 > 0:03:33I will do everything I can as Prime Minister

0:03:33 > 0:03:36to steady the ship over the coming...

0:03:36 > 0:03:40This, I think, had a dimension to it which is unparalleled,

0:03:40 > 0:03:43and that is that we have just campaigned,

0:03:43 > 0:03:46we have divided the family, the family has been

0:03:46 > 0:03:49at each other's throats, really, through the campaign.

0:03:49 > 0:03:50The Remainers and Leavers

0:03:50 > 0:03:53in the Conservative family, we've split apart,

0:03:53 > 0:03:56and it's such a big issue that,

0:03:56 > 0:03:58you know, the tensions and the animosities

0:03:58 > 0:04:00were very great indeed through it.

0:04:07 > 0:04:11Hello. We are live outside Boris Johnson's house...

0:04:11 > 0:04:14I remember while he was upstairs,

0:04:14 > 0:04:16I was having a shave in the downstairs loo

0:04:16 > 0:04:18opposite the front door,

0:04:18 > 0:04:21and Ben Gascoigne, one of his aides, had looked through the keyhole

0:04:21 > 0:04:23and he looked back at me and he said, "Oh, my God,

0:04:23 > 0:04:24"it's Kay Burley of Sky News,

0:04:24 > 0:04:26"and she appears to be broadcasting live."

0:04:26 > 0:04:29Could he be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?

0:04:29 > 0:04:31Certainly, could he mount a leadership challenge?

0:04:31 > 0:04:33Now, I've got my earpiece in...

0:04:33 > 0:04:36And I remember at that moment, I kind of...

0:04:38 > 0:04:40How big this was sort of dawned on us.

0:04:50 > 0:04:51CHEERING

0:04:51 > 0:04:53- MAN:- Go on, Boris!

0:04:57 > 0:04:59I think it did come as a shock

0:04:59 > 0:05:02that the Prime Minister was standing down,

0:05:02 > 0:05:04and I think from that point on, everything changed.

0:05:04 > 0:05:06The speech, I think we realised,

0:05:06 > 0:05:10became potentially the speech of the next potential Prime Minister.

0:05:14 > 0:05:17I believe we now have a glorious opportunity.

0:05:17 > 0:05:20We can pass our laws, and set...

0:05:22 > 0:05:24So, who are you going to vote for?

0:05:24 > 0:05:25Haven't thought about it.

0:05:25 > 0:05:27You know Boris is going to win.

0:05:33 > 0:05:35Gavin, you're a bit fucked now.

0:05:35 > 0:05:38- Who are you going to vote for? - I've heard it has to be Theresa.

0:05:38 > 0:05:40I wouldn't go for Theresa.

0:05:40 > 0:05:42Word is her campaign's going to be completely shambolic.

0:05:42 > 0:05:44- Really?- Well, she hasn't exactly

0:05:44 > 0:05:47been drumming up support in the tearooms.

0:05:47 > 0:05:49She's going to have a hell of a time mobilising a campaign.

0:05:49 > 0:05:51OK.

0:05:51 > 0:05:53Thanks for the advice, Jackie.

0:05:57 > 0:06:00It's Gavin. Look, if there's anything I can do to help,

0:06:00 > 0:06:02just let me know.

0:06:02 > 0:06:04And for fuck's sake, get her to stand.

0:06:06 > 0:06:09Nobody has been as plugged in at the centre or knows the party

0:06:09 > 0:06:12quite as well as Gavin because for the last couple of years,

0:06:12 > 0:06:14he has been intimately involved in dealing with

0:06:14 > 0:06:16every single person in the House of Commons.

0:06:16 > 0:06:18So for us, as a brand-new, nascent campaign

0:06:18 > 0:06:21with absolutely no flag run up the pole at all,

0:06:21 > 0:06:23we've been approached by possibly

0:06:23 > 0:06:25the most influential person who could help us out.

0:06:35 > 0:06:38So, we decided it would be left to a certain individual,

0:06:38 > 0:06:40who will remain nameless,

0:06:40 > 0:06:43to put together a meeting place for us that would be jolly secret

0:06:43 > 0:06:45and miles from anywhere and completely safe.

0:06:45 > 0:06:49Is this your idea of a top-secret meeting place?

0:07:17 > 0:07:19Boss.

0:07:20 > 0:07:22Not very discreet, is it?

0:07:27 > 0:07:30- Well?- We were wondering...

0:07:31 > 0:07:34..erm, if it's a good time to, you know...

0:07:36 > 0:07:39..isn't it make up your mind time, Theresa?

0:07:39 > 0:07:41Is it really?

0:07:41 > 0:07:44I thought there was three years still to go.

0:07:45 > 0:07:48It's just, others have already started their campaigns.

0:07:48 > 0:07:50You mean Boris?

0:07:50 > 0:07:53And George. He's been inviting people to Number 11.

0:07:53 > 0:07:56Mm, I'd heard he was using Number 11.

0:07:56 > 0:07:57What are you having?

0:07:59 > 0:08:02Look, we need to test the waters.

0:08:04 > 0:08:07Every single time we started trying to talk and Theresa tried to

0:08:07 > 0:08:10say something, somebody - our waitress - would lean in.

0:08:13 > 0:08:16- Look, I appreciate... - Croquetas.

0:08:16 > 0:08:20..your support, and I understand the risks you're running, but...

0:08:20 > 0:08:22Croquetas.

0:08:23 > 0:08:26I have to say, that was perhaps not our finest hour.

0:08:27 > 0:08:30There are a lot of people we know who want a grown-up

0:08:30 > 0:08:33as leader of the party, not a comedian or a gambler.

0:08:34 > 0:08:36And that is you, Theresa.

0:08:38 > 0:08:40- I am aware...- Gambas.

0:08:40 > 0:08:43- Sorry?- Oh, she knows. She knows.

0:08:43 > 0:08:46Oh, good, well, just give us the signal, boss.

0:08:48 > 0:08:50But as I've always said...

0:08:50 > 0:08:51Empanada.

0:08:51 > 0:08:53..not until there's a vacancy.

0:08:53 > 0:08:55- Gambas.- What?

0:08:55 > 0:08:57Not until there's a vacancy.

0:09:00 > 0:09:04She was quite clear that she was not going to prepare

0:09:04 > 0:09:05for a leadership contest.

0:09:05 > 0:09:07We were not going out trying to persuade people

0:09:07 > 0:09:10to vote for Theresa May, the forthcoming candidate for election,

0:09:10 > 0:09:11because there wasn't an election,

0:09:11 > 0:09:15and that would've been completely dissonant - it's not who she is,

0:09:15 > 0:09:17and she told us that's not what she wanted to do.

0:09:17 > 0:09:20OK, so let's NOT prepare for government.

0:09:29 > 0:09:33We started to have conversations about how the "selectorate" -

0:09:33 > 0:09:36ie the Members of Parliament - could get to know Boris,

0:09:36 > 0:09:40cos of course he hadn't been in Parliament for a very long time.

0:09:41 > 0:09:45So we had a series of curry nights to garner support for Boris.

0:09:45 > 0:09:50Everyone who went I think enjoyed the opportunity to see kind of...

0:09:50 > 0:09:54It was like Boris unplugged. So you went to his home,

0:09:54 > 0:09:56where he lives with his family,

0:09:56 > 0:09:59and it really gave colleagues the opportunity to understand

0:09:59 > 0:10:02what he was about, what sort of Prime Minister he would make.

0:10:02 > 0:10:05So, how many coming tonight for the old Boris treatment?

0:10:05 > 0:10:08Half a dozen at least.

0:10:08 > 0:10:11Poor Marina. No-one turns down a social with Boris.

0:10:12 > 0:10:14Is that the latest report?

0:10:14 > 0:10:16- Has Boris seen it? - Yeah, he commissioned it.

0:10:16 > 0:10:21- And?- It's early days, but if Boris stands in 2020,

0:10:21 > 0:10:22he wins.

0:10:24 > 0:10:25Our future PM.

0:10:26 > 0:10:28And you're looking at your new Chief Whip.

0:10:28 > 0:10:30Splendid!

0:10:33 > 0:10:35Just hope I stay the course.

0:10:35 > 0:10:38Let's hope George doesn't snatch it from us at the last minute.

0:10:38 > 0:10:40Good job we all like curries.

0:10:43 > 0:10:44Oh, here we go.

0:10:45 > 0:10:46Do your thing.

0:10:46 > 0:10:48Come in, come in!

0:10:48 > 0:10:49Hello! Nice to see you.

0:10:49 > 0:10:52The members of the House are here!

0:10:52 > 0:10:53Did you find it easily enough?

0:10:53 > 0:10:55A bit off the beaten track.

0:10:55 > 0:10:57I've always wondered where he lived.

0:10:57 > 0:10:59- Thanks for the invite.- Not at all.

0:10:59 > 0:11:02Boris has always wanted to catch up with you.

0:11:02 > 0:11:04It's important you 2015ers stick together.

0:11:04 > 0:11:07Hello! You have to come and try this.

0:11:07 > 0:11:10- Do you like curry?- I do.

0:11:10 > 0:11:11Oh, right, OK...

0:11:12 > 0:11:14- They love him.- Everybody does.

0:11:16 > 0:11:17Prepare for government.

0:11:26 > 0:11:28In this process,

0:11:28 > 0:11:29which is a very democratic process

0:11:29 > 0:11:31of a Conservative leadership election,

0:11:31 > 0:11:34all of my colleagues - whether they be the party leader,

0:11:34 > 0:11:37whether they be candidate ministers

0:11:37 > 0:11:40or the newest backbench colleagues -

0:11:40 > 0:11:41each of us has one vote.

0:11:43 > 0:11:44Nobody else in the world matters

0:11:44 > 0:11:48than the 331 Conservative MPs that there were,

0:11:48 > 0:11:51because it's their votes over the next few days

0:11:51 > 0:11:53that are going to count.

0:11:54 > 0:11:57The 111 is a slightly arcane and strange figure that just

0:11:57 > 0:11:59looks like it's plucked out of nowhere, but it's not.

0:11:59 > 0:12:02It's the number you would need to guarantee you were going to

0:12:02 > 0:12:03get into the second round of the contest.

0:12:05 > 0:12:08And all of a sudden, whatever the thoughts of 331 Conservative MPs

0:12:08 > 0:12:10in the Westminster bubble,

0:12:10 > 0:12:13they are just 331 out of several hundred thousand

0:12:13 > 0:12:15members of the Conservative Party

0:12:15 > 0:12:18who have that final say and have a vote in the leadership.

0:12:21 > 0:12:23RADIO: The question of course now is who will step into

0:12:23 > 0:12:26what is really a leadership vacuum in the immediate aftermath

0:12:26 > 0:12:28of the referendum. Well, I can tell you that

0:12:28 > 0:12:30the Home Secretary, Theresa May,

0:12:30 > 0:12:33is canvassing opinion among Conservative MPs,

0:12:33 > 0:12:34and in the coming days

0:12:34 > 0:12:37she is likely to announce that she will run...

0:12:39 > 0:12:41Morning, boss.

0:12:41 > 0:12:44So, we need to decide what we're going to do with Gavin.

0:12:44 > 0:12:46Well, he's a Cameroon, for a start.

0:12:46 > 0:12:48I say that's exactly why we need him.

0:12:48 > 0:12:52Hm. But do we need to be associated with the losing side?

0:12:52 > 0:12:55We've worked bloody hard keeping our powder dry -

0:12:55 > 0:12:56why risk wetting it now?

0:12:56 > 0:12:59I say he's tapped in, right at the very heart of it.

0:12:59 > 0:13:03Yes, but between us we have the same resources and we've got half

0:13:03 > 0:13:05the bloody whips working for us.

0:13:06 > 0:13:08- Thank you.- It's your call, boss.

0:13:10 > 0:13:14I think you've convinced me that we need him.

0:13:16 > 0:13:18- I did?- Yes.

0:13:18 > 0:13:20Well, we don't want someone like him working against us.

0:13:25 > 0:13:26PHONE LINE RINGS

0:13:30 > 0:13:34The reason it was so useful to have Gavin on board is not just that

0:13:34 > 0:13:38connection with the centre of the party. I guess it was twofold.

0:13:38 > 0:13:41First of all, you don't want that on the other side of the argument.

0:13:41 > 0:13:43I mean, you don't want that being done for somebody else.

0:13:43 > 0:13:45It's fantastic to have him there doing that.

0:13:45 > 0:13:47Even though there was a lot of capability in the room,

0:13:47 > 0:13:50you certainly don't want that happening elsewhere.

0:13:50 > 0:13:52- Gavin.- Home Secretary.

0:13:52 > 0:13:55Just calling to find out if you were serious.

0:13:55 > 0:13:57I was. Still am.

0:14:02 > 0:14:03Jesus, I'd love to!

0:14:04 > 0:14:07I was actually really surprised that

0:14:07 > 0:14:09he would go so quickly from being

0:14:09 > 0:14:13David Cameron's PPS to backing a leadership candidate.

0:14:13 > 0:14:16I'll promise you one thing - I'll get you on the bloody ballot.

0:14:16 > 0:14:18I'll need to make office, though.

0:14:19 > 0:14:21Come on.

0:14:23 > 0:14:25All right, then I have a condition.

0:14:25 > 0:14:28When we win this thing, and we bloody well will,

0:14:28 > 0:14:29I need someone gone.

0:14:29 > 0:14:30Who?

0:14:33 > 0:14:34Oh, I see.

0:14:35 > 0:14:37I won't work with him.

0:14:41 > 0:14:43He'll be here in an hour.

0:14:44 > 0:14:48Well, as we were saying, it'll be great to have Gavin on board.

0:14:50 > 0:14:54The signal to the rest of the parliamentary party that Gavin,

0:14:54 > 0:14:56who would be very highly respected

0:14:56 > 0:14:59by a lot of people... Respected might not be the word

0:14:59 > 0:15:03some people would use, either - fear perhaps, slightly, or...

0:15:03 > 0:15:06Everyone knew who Gavin Williamson was and everyone knows who he is,

0:15:06 > 0:15:07and he's a powerful character.

0:15:07 > 0:15:09To have him say, "Yes,

0:15:09 > 0:15:13"Theresa May is the person I think ought to be the new Prime Minister,"

0:15:13 > 0:15:16would...that's extremely valuable.

0:15:16 > 0:15:19I think it was a shock to all of us and we thought, right, you know,

0:15:19 > 0:15:21we're going to have a real fight on here.

0:15:26 > 0:15:28WOMAN: Boris Johnson met allies at his home today.

0:15:28 > 0:15:33It's thought he'll say he'll stand within days.

0:15:33 > 0:15:37Well, Boris asked his team to meet him at his home in Oxfordshire.

0:15:37 > 0:15:39Prior to that, he called me to say

0:15:39 > 0:15:44that he'd been speaking with Michael Gove and asked me what I thought

0:15:44 > 0:15:47if Michael was to come on board.

0:15:47 > 0:15:52And clearly, as someone who was a potential runner at that time,

0:15:52 > 0:15:54I was supportive. I said, "Yeah, let's meet him."

0:15:54 > 0:15:59So we were told that Michael would be joining us on the day.

0:15:59 > 0:16:01He said, interestingly enough,

0:16:01 > 0:16:04that Michael Gove's price for this was that Boris promised that if

0:16:04 > 0:16:07he became Prime Minister, he would make Michael Gove

0:16:07 > 0:16:09the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

0:16:11 > 0:16:15- How many?- A couple of photographers and a TV van at the end of the road.

0:16:15 > 0:16:17I'm going to go out and see if I can reason with them.

0:16:17 > 0:16:19'I was pretty shocked when I arrived

0:16:19 > 0:16:21'that there was a camera crew outside.

0:16:21 > 0:16:23'Everything we had done up until that point'

0:16:23 > 0:16:27had never, ever leaked.

0:16:27 > 0:16:28There's no respite from these people.

0:16:28 > 0:16:30I thought we'd be safe here today.

0:16:30 > 0:16:32I... Can't we just tell them to get lost?

0:16:32 > 0:16:33No, it's a public road,

0:16:33 > 0:16:35and even if it wasn't, it wouldn't make any difference.

0:16:35 > 0:16:39Right, if you go for a little walk with the photographers and answer

0:16:39 > 0:16:42a couple of questions, they'll fuck off for the rest of the day.

0:16:42 > 0:16:44It's a good idea.

0:16:44 > 0:16:46And be quick - before Gove turns up.

0:16:46 > 0:16:49Christ, if they get a picture of Gove arriving,

0:16:49 > 0:16:50they'll announce your leadership

0:16:50 > 0:16:52and we'll look like a bunch of bungling amateurs.

0:16:52 > 0:16:54And, for God's sake, before you go out, put a shirt on.

0:16:55 > 0:17:01So it was agreed with the media crew that they would take one shot of

0:17:01 > 0:17:04Boris walking - actually, he was walking with me -

0:17:04 > 0:17:06and then they would leave, but no interview would be given.

0:17:06 > 0:17:09Mr Johnson, any message of reassurance for the country?

0:17:09 > 0:17:10Morning. Good morning.

0:17:10 > 0:17:12There are millions of very scared voters at the moment

0:17:12 > 0:17:15who are just looking for a message from their leader.

0:17:15 > 0:17:18Then, after that agreement was reached, the press crew left.

0:17:18 > 0:17:22RADIO: We know that Boris Johnson is also almost inevitably going to

0:17:22 > 0:17:26put his hat in the ring this week too, with Michael Gove,

0:17:26 > 0:17:28who had been pressured by some of his colleagues to stand,

0:17:28 > 0:17:32co-chairing his campaign to become the leader

0:17:32 > 0:17:34rather than standing himself.

0:17:34 > 0:17:37His campaign will be co-chaired by Northern Ireland Minister

0:17:37 > 0:17:40Ben Wallace, who was part of the Remain camp...

0:17:40 > 0:17:42So, Michael Gove arrives.

0:17:42 > 0:17:46He had three other people with him.

0:17:51 > 0:17:52Ah, Gover!

0:17:53 > 0:17:58Erm, wanted to talk to you about how all this should work.

0:17:58 > 0:18:00I think someone should chair the meeting.

0:18:00 > 0:18:04- I thought perhaps... - I- might chair the meeting.

0:18:05 > 0:18:06Yes, of course.

0:18:06 > 0:18:08Ah!

0:18:14 > 0:18:18Hello, everyone. Thanks a bundle for coming up.

0:18:18 > 0:18:21We've got work to do but, you know, if you fancy a swim,

0:18:21 > 0:18:23a game of tennis,

0:18:23 > 0:18:25wiff waff, be my guest.

0:18:27 > 0:18:29- Right, so, shall we get started? - Of course, of course.

0:18:29 > 0:18:32But, you know, if you brought your cossie, you know, you might...

0:18:33 > 0:18:35No, good, right.

0:18:35 > 0:18:37Well, here we all are!

0:18:37 > 0:18:41The kingdom at our feet, there for the taking.

0:18:41 > 0:18:44Young hoplites, let us into battle

0:18:44 > 0:18:46and see what the enemy is made of!

0:18:48 > 0:18:50Right, who wants a drink? Beer, wine?

0:18:50 > 0:18:52Just tap water, thanks.

0:18:52 > 0:18:56Almost as soon as they arrived, really, the dynamic changed.

0:18:56 > 0:18:59I think it became fairly apparent

0:18:59 > 0:19:03that perhaps this was a team trying to muscle in rather quickly,

0:19:03 > 0:19:07having just introduced themselves as joining the team, if you like.

0:19:07 > 0:19:10So...we were thinking that the best thing to do would be to set up

0:19:10 > 0:19:12an information-gathering system,

0:19:12 > 0:19:16which could be organised by one party who then filters it through

0:19:16 > 0:19:18to a second party who can then delegate these tasks.

0:19:18 > 0:19:22So Henry's been working on a master spreadsheet with all of

0:19:22 > 0:19:27Michael's intelligence, categorised into likely conversation.

0:19:27 > 0:19:29So we should probably get your data

0:19:29 > 0:19:32and start inputting onto our spreadsheet.

0:19:32 > 0:19:33What the fuck are you talking about?

0:19:33 > 0:19:35It means they want to know

0:19:35 > 0:19:39everything we've been doing for the past 18 months.

0:19:39 > 0:19:41I guess there was a little bit of suspicion,

0:19:41 > 0:19:44and they were very keen to know our data and our numbers,

0:19:44 > 0:19:46how many MPs we had on side.

0:19:46 > 0:19:48Well, why don't you show us your spreadsheets

0:19:48 > 0:19:50so we know what sort of information you want from us?

0:19:50 > 0:19:54Ah, we just thought that with Michael chairing the campaign...

0:19:54 > 0:19:56Ben's chairing the campaign.

0:19:58 > 0:20:01Michael, are you or Ben chairing this campaign?

0:20:01 > 0:20:03We are going to co-chair the campaign.

0:20:03 > 0:20:05Look, Ben's been with me a long time.

0:20:05 > 0:20:08You've obviously got a top team too,

0:20:08 > 0:20:10so let's all work together.

0:20:10 > 0:20:13OK, so, comms - who's doing comms?

0:20:13 > 0:20:16- Will, of course. - Oh, what about Paul and Dominic?

0:20:16 > 0:20:18We'd need to see what they have to say.

0:20:18 > 0:20:21Why don't we wait and see what Lynton has to say tomorrow?

0:20:21 > 0:20:23Lynton? Michael, do you know about this?

0:20:23 > 0:20:25Well, that's why we're here.

0:20:25 > 0:20:27Look, it's been a long haul for all of us

0:20:27 > 0:20:28and we've all done brilliantly.

0:20:28 > 0:20:31But maybe it's time for some fresh legs, yeah?

0:20:31 > 0:20:33We're lucky Lynton's available.

0:20:33 > 0:20:35Of course we are, but don't you think... PHONE BUZZES

0:20:35 > 0:20:37..it would've been better to have run it past everybody first

0:20:37 > 0:20:39before you just went in there?

0:20:39 > 0:20:41Not really - Lynton's not a man you muck around, I'm afraid.

0:20:41 > 0:20:43Thanks for letting us know. I owe you a drink.

0:20:43 > 0:20:46You guys have got to go. Someone's tipped off the press.

0:20:46 > 0:20:47They're on their way.

0:20:47 > 0:20:50I only just got rid of them all this morning.

0:20:50 > 0:20:53Apparently, Michael's wife got fed up with them in her bins,

0:20:53 > 0:20:55so...she sent them here.

0:20:55 > 0:20:57Thanks, Sarah(!)

0:20:59 > 0:21:01So we may have had our own style.

0:21:01 > 0:21:03It may have been a bit more relaxed.

0:21:03 > 0:21:07We may have not been quite as uptight as they were.

0:21:08 > 0:21:12I mean, I think that the teams are very different around Boris

0:21:12 > 0:21:14and Michael, and I think just generally in Westminster

0:21:14 > 0:21:16that the teams, the special advisers,

0:21:16 > 0:21:19the relationships that they strike up,

0:21:19 > 0:21:20you know, it is very important.

0:21:20 > 0:21:23The exhausting factor is that sometimes you spend as much time

0:21:23 > 0:21:25kind of marshalling or sorting out,

0:21:25 > 0:21:27you know, disputes, or who said what to whom,

0:21:27 > 0:21:29or who's briefed the media on this,

0:21:29 > 0:21:31than you do actually planning the campaign.

0:21:32 > 0:21:35- NEWS READER:- Lynton Crosby is grabbing many of the headlines.

0:21:35 > 0:21:38He is one of the most powerful people in British politics who

0:21:38 > 0:21:41you might not have heard of because he's very much a backroom boy,

0:21:41 > 0:21:45brought in by the Conservatives at a General Election because of his

0:21:45 > 0:21:47knack of being able to win elections.

0:21:50 > 0:21:51You've not met Cronus, then?

0:21:53 > 0:21:56Oh, come on. This is all a load of bollocks, isn't it?

0:21:56 > 0:21:59Well, no. Apparently, if you piss Gavin off, he puts him down on

0:21:59 > 0:22:01the desk and lets all eight legs crawl towards you.

0:22:03 > 0:22:06Pets aren't allowed in the Commons, for fuck's sake.

0:22:06 > 0:22:07You know, I'm just saying...

0:22:07 > 0:22:11This is Gavin, as I'm sure you all know.

0:22:11 > 0:22:13He'll be leading our campaign.

0:22:13 > 0:22:15Well, I'll leave him in your capable hands.

0:22:15 > 0:22:19Let's go. I need to put across the numbers in the rise in hate crime.

0:22:19 > 0:22:20Shall we get started?

0:22:21 > 0:22:25Theresa is present at the beginning of that meeting on Sunday,

0:22:25 > 0:22:26and she's basically there

0:22:26 > 0:22:30to introduce Gavin as the campaign manager for the group,

0:22:30 > 0:22:34and then after she's done that, basically she's on her way.

0:22:34 > 0:22:36Who do you want to speak to first?

0:22:36 > 0:22:38Well, we might as well tick off everyone in the room.

0:22:38 > 0:22:40That's six easy ones right there.

0:22:40 > 0:22:43Would you do the honours? Let's deal with the cliques.

0:22:43 > 0:22:46Who runs them? Can we get them on board?

0:22:46 > 0:22:48Gavin is orchestrating us, going through the entire list.

0:22:48 > 0:22:50We're sticking our hands up, saying,

0:22:50 > 0:22:52"Yeah, I'll talk to her," or, "I'll talk to him,"

0:22:52 > 0:22:54"I did this on this select committee,"

0:22:54 > 0:22:55"I've talked to them about that,"

0:22:55 > 0:22:57"They're in my flock," whatever it is.

0:22:57 > 0:22:58Well, I'm on a committee with that one -

0:22:58 > 0:23:00should be able to get him on board.

0:23:00 > 0:23:02Oh, I know him - I'll ring him.

0:23:02 > 0:23:04- I know which buttons to press. - So do I.

0:23:05 > 0:23:06If you say so.

0:23:08 > 0:23:11No, we'll just...see how it goes.

0:23:12 > 0:23:13Hi, yeah, it's me.

0:23:14 > 0:23:16Yes, yes!

0:23:17 > 0:23:18Yeah.

0:23:20 > 0:23:21Yeah.

0:23:23 > 0:23:25So... Great.

0:23:25 > 0:23:26Yes, I know. Yeah, great.

0:23:26 > 0:23:27I'll see you soon. OK, bye.

0:23:27 > 0:23:29Cheers. Bye.

0:23:29 > 0:23:31All right, he's in!

0:23:31 > 0:23:34- And he's on the phone to four others.- Well done.

0:23:35 > 0:23:37When's he prepared to tell the press?

0:23:37 > 0:23:38Ah, we didn't get onto that.

0:23:39 > 0:23:41Right.

0:23:41 > 0:23:42So that's a question mark for him.

0:23:42 > 0:23:46Date and time. And a double question mark for the other four.

0:23:46 > 0:23:47I can't do much with a question mark.

0:23:47 > 0:23:49Question marks don't tell you anything.

0:23:49 > 0:23:52I knew a question mark, turns out he'd voted for every candidate.

0:23:52 > 0:23:54Trust me - he's not a question mark.

0:23:55 > 0:23:57I've known him for 25 years.

0:23:57 > 0:23:59I'll know if I need to push him.

0:24:00 > 0:24:02OK. Good.

0:24:03 > 0:24:06We've only got 323 Tory MPs to go!

0:24:08 > 0:24:09And we did hear at a quite early stage,

0:24:09 > 0:24:13and I think it might even have been on the night, on the Sunday night

0:24:13 > 0:24:15when we were sitting there, someone said,

0:24:15 > 0:24:18"I've just seen a tweet that Boris announced he'd got his 110, 111."

0:24:18 > 0:24:20Are you going to stand for leader, Boris?

0:24:20 > 0:24:21Are you going to stand for leader?

0:24:23 > 0:24:27And, you know, that's a moment when you feel not knocked over,

0:24:27 > 0:24:30but you feel like there's a serious job to be done,

0:24:30 > 0:24:33because if somebody's automatically in the second round already,

0:24:33 > 0:24:35you know, you've got to be somebody up at that same level,

0:24:35 > 0:24:38and that's a serious challenge.

0:24:38 > 0:24:41MUSIC: Memphis Soul Stew by King Curtis

0:24:42 > 0:24:44# Give me about half a teacup

0:24:45 > 0:24:47# Of bass... #

0:24:47 > 0:24:50NEWS READER: The race to Downing Street is certainly on.

0:24:52 > 0:24:54Well, it's, you know, it's bubble gum and strings.

0:24:54 > 0:24:56Just a whole bunch of people with telephones.

0:24:56 > 0:24:59A lot of phone-calling, a lot of face-to-face meetings.

0:24:59 > 0:25:01Running around the Houses of Parliament

0:25:01 > 0:25:04and sort of having conversations in corners and talking to people

0:25:04 > 0:25:05and finding the people on their list

0:25:05 > 0:25:07and running round to PCH, Portcullis House.

0:25:07 > 0:25:11There's nothing more Machiavellian,

0:25:11 > 0:25:13lots of conversations in corners,

0:25:13 > 0:25:14than when there's a leadership contest

0:25:14 > 0:25:17involving the Conservative Party happening in Parliament.

0:25:18 > 0:25:20The most...

0:25:20 > 0:25:23The most dishonest electorate in history, basically,

0:25:23 > 0:25:26because they've no reason to be honest.

0:25:27 > 0:25:30You know, you might bump into someone and you might say, you know,

0:25:30 > 0:25:32"How do you think this race is looking?"

0:25:32 > 0:25:33and they might say one or two things,

0:25:33 > 0:25:35and if you feel that you want to sort of steer them

0:25:35 > 0:25:38towards your preferred candidate you might say,

0:25:38 > 0:25:41"Well, I'm sure Boris," or whoever it might be,

0:25:41 > 0:25:43"would want to have a chat."

0:25:43 > 0:25:44So, on the Monday night,

0:25:44 > 0:25:46Boris came to my office in the House of Commons.

0:25:46 > 0:25:50Boris actually said, "I'd really like you to back my campaign."

0:25:52 > 0:25:53Nicky.

0:25:53 > 0:25:55Yes, I know. Well, I think

0:25:55 > 0:25:58she is exactly what the party needs at the moment.

0:25:58 > 0:26:00Gavin phoned me on the Monday and he said, "Look, you know,

0:26:00 > 0:26:04"Theresa would very much like to see you and to sit down with you."

0:26:04 > 0:26:06And he just left it open.

0:26:06 > 0:26:10Well, tell me, Nicky - you know I've always got time for you.

0:26:13 > 0:26:14Good.

0:26:16 > 0:26:18Gavin, you know, knows everybody incredibly well.

0:26:18 > 0:26:20He knows every single Member of Parliament's

0:26:20 > 0:26:22inside leg measurement.

0:26:22 > 0:26:23I mean, this is a bloke who...

0:26:23 > 0:26:26who really has taken the time and trouble to know everybody -

0:26:26 > 0:26:29the ins and the outs, the good, the bad, the rumours...

0:26:30 > 0:26:33- ..and otherwise.- Yeah, and your mother, and your sister.

0:26:33 > 0:26:35Yeah, and your donkey.

0:26:40 > 0:26:41I want to see the two clear frontrunners

0:26:41 > 0:26:44now that the Prime Minister has resigned,

0:26:44 > 0:26:46who are Boris Johnson and Theresa May,

0:26:46 > 0:26:50I'd like to see them come together to give some unity and stability

0:26:50 > 0:26:53for our party without the need for a leadership contest

0:26:53 > 0:26:55if we can possibly avoid it...

0:26:55 > 0:26:59So, Justine Greening and Anne Milton had organised

0:26:59 > 0:27:01a face-to-face meeting for Boris to go

0:27:01 > 0:27:03and have a chat with Theresa May.

0:27:03 > 0:27:05- I took him down there.- Morning.

0:27:05 > 0:27:08I know that he was hoping that from that meeting Theresa May would agree

0:27:08 > 0:27:13to team up with him and support him as Prime Minister.

0:27:16 > 0:27:18KNOCKING

0:27:18 > 0:27:20What's in the diary today?

0:27:20 > 0:27:23Erm, pretty key meetings with MPs.

0:27:26 > 0:27:28Sorry. New faces from the recent intakes?

0:27:28 > 0:27:31Yes, but you should recognise this one.

0:27:35 > 0:27:36Oh, yes.

0:27:36 > 0:27:39BORIS: I can imagine what she wants to discuss.

0:27:39 > 0:27:40Obvious to me.

0:27:40 > 0:27:42You're way out in front -

0:27:42 > 0:27:43she's looking to make a deal.

0:27:43 > 0:27:46Deputy PM. She's not going to have Foreign Secretary.

0:27:46 > 0:27:48I'm not giving that to her.

0:27:48 > 0:27:50Just keep her at the Home Office.

0:27:50 > 0:27:52That way she gets to follow through with immigration

0:27:52 > 0:27:54and keep tabs on her beloved constituency.

0:27:54 > 0:27:58Yeah. Yeah, definitely pay to keep her on side, yes, absolutely.

0:28:02 > 0:28:04Thank you. Erm, she's very excited to meet you.

0:28:04 > 0:28:06I hope ten minutes will be enough.

0:28:06 > 0:28:08It's just we have quite a schedule today.

0:28:08 > 0:28:10HE SIGHS

0:28:10 > 0:28:11- She's late.- Is she?

0:28:15 > 0:28:18Erm, Theresa, I've got someone outside.

0:28:18 > 0:28:20- Been waiting a while.- Oh, right.

0:28:20 > 0:28:23Do you mind? I'll think about what you said.

0:28:27 > 0:28:28Ah.

0:28:32 > 0:28:34I'm so sorry, Boris.

0:28:34 > 0:28:36The Home Secretary's not coming.

0:28:36 > 0:28:37I don't understand.

0:28:38 > 0:28:41My understanding is that although

0:28:41 > 0:28:45Ben and Boris were prepared to go and prepared to talk,

0:28:45 > 0:28:52that in fact the Team May decided that they didn't want to meet up.

0:28:52 > 0:28:54- It's a set-up.- Mm?

0:28:54 > 0:28:57Make you look like you came begging to May.

0:28:57 > 0:28:58Bring the car out the back.

0:28:58 > 0:28:59Do not park up.

0:28:59 > 0:29:01Be ready to go pronto, OK?

0:29:02 > 0:29:05There's probably half the press waiting for you out the front.

0:29:05 > 0:29:07- What?- Come on.

0:29:07 > 0:29:10I don't believe it. Are you serious?

0:29:10 > 0:29:11- Yeah.- Crikey.

0:29:17 > 0:29:19There must have been a miscommunication

0:29:19 > 0:29:20over timings, perhaps,

0:29:20 > 0:29:24but that's perhaps something you need to ask the, er...

0:29:25 > 0:29:27..team that was supporting Theresa at the time.

0:29:27 > 0:29:28I haven't got much to say,

0:29:28 > 0:29:31other than I think there was a misunderstanding

0:29:31 > 0:29:33between the two sides. It might have been at principal level,

0:29:33 > 0:29:36it might have been at aide level,

0:29:36 > 0:29:39but there was plainly a misunderstanding

0:29:39 > 0:29:43about whether there was a deal to be done and/or a meeting to be had,

0:29:43 > 0:29:46and I don't think I've anything more to say about it than that.

0:29:50 > 0:29:52Wednesday was an incredibly important day.

0:29:52 > 0:29:54Boris likes to write his own speeches.

0:29:54 > 0:30:00And he needed to get that nailed for the Thursday launch.

0:30:00 > 0:30:04There had been, clearly, an attempt

0:30:04 > 0:30:11by Michael's team to ensure that his diary was busy, meeting colleagues.

0:30:11 > 0:30:14Now, you could look at that one way and say that that's probably more

0:30:14 > 0:30:16important, but in reality,

0:30:16 > 0:30:19the important thing was that he got his speech right.

0:30:21 > 0:30:23OK, so these are the priority members here.

0:30:23 > 0:30:26Just give him a couple of hours to write the bloody speech.

0:30:26 > 0:30:28We'd love to, but he's got to see all of these.

0:30:28 > 0:30:32And he's running out of time. Just get someone else to write the speech.

0:30:32 > 0:30:33That's not Boris!

0:30:33 > 0:30:35He'll have an hour later.

0:30:35 > 0:30:38An hour? It's the effing launch tomorrow

0:30:38 > 0:30:41and with no face time, he'll never be ready.

0:30:41 > 0:30:42You're just overwhelming him.

0:30:42 > 0:30:43You don't understand,

0:30:43 > 0:30:46Boris has had hours of face time over the last couple of years.

0:30:46 > 0:30:50Curry nights, drinks parties, most of them are in the bag.

0:30:50 > 0:30:51I think you'll find they're not.

0:30:51 > 0:30:54Look, we've done this before.

0:30:54 > 0:30:55We know how to win.

0:30:55 > 0:30:57Why are you not on the same page?

0:30:57 > 0:30:59Boris is a rock star.

0:30:59 > 0:31:03We've won two mayoral elections and he was the winning face of Brexit.

0:31:03 > 0:31:04This is what I keep telling you.

0:31:04 > 0:31:08We are not dealing with the public, or even the membership here,

0:31:08 > 0:31:11but 331 Tory MPs,

0:31:11 > 0:31:14insincere, duplicitous bastards.

0:31:14 > 0:31:16In Boris's terms, Janus-faced.

0:31:16 > 0:31:19And when he sees them, he needs to focus on what matters to them,

0:31:19 > 0:31:22and get them on-side and ready to go public with their support.

0:31:22 > 0:31:25Now, whoever wants to see him this afternoon, get them booked in.

0:31:25 > 0:31:27Don't!

0:31:27 > 0:31:29He doesn't need to see anyone.

0:31:30 > 0:31:33I just didn't really trust any of them.

0:31:33 > 0:31:37You know, we had all been working together for 18 months, let's say.

0:31:37 > 0:31:39They tried to undermine,

0:31:39 > 0:31:43and take roles and power away from Boris's core team.

0:31:43 > 0:31:46They suggested that they take all of the information that had been built

0:31:46 > 0:31:51up away from Boris and his team, and they, effectively, ran it.

0:31:51 > 0:31:54- Lock stock.- We had Amber Rudd.

0:31:54 > 0:31:56Do you know how long it took us to warm that woman up?

0:31:56 > 0:31:59He lost her in 15 minutes.

0:31:59 > 0:32:01Amber is still on-side.

0:32:01 > 0:32:03I do not give a shit what your spreadsheets say.

0:32:05 > 0:32:07Thank you.

0:32:08 > 0:32:09I think the special advisers, you know,

0:32:09 > 0:32:11it's a very close relationship.

0:32:11 > 0:32:16You know, they give their all to serving their bosses.

0:32:16 > 0:32:18And they really, really care.

0:32:18 > 0:32:21So, yes, if they feel that something is going wrong,

0:32:21 > 0:32:24and it's going to have a negative affect on, you know, their team,

0:32:24 > 0:32:26absolutely, they will fight tooth and nail

0:32:26 > 0:32:28to make sure that doesn't happen.

0:32:32 > 0:32:35The Conservative Energy Minister, Andrea Leadsom.

0:32:37 > 0:32:40The truth is, there are five presidents of the EU.

0:32:40 > 0:32:42Now, can anyone name them?

0:32:42 > 0:32:44And did anyone vote for them?

0:32:44 > 0:32:47No, you didn't vote for them, because you're not allowed to vote for them.

0:32:47 > 0:32:49And you can't kick them out either.

0:32:52 > 0:32:55Well, Andrea was a very important figure in this.

0:32:55 > 0:32:58She had some support, certainly from the Brexiteers.

0:32:58 > 0:33:02She'd had a great referendum campaign, and performed well.

0:33:02 > 0:33:04And there was a potential

0:33:04 > 0:33:07that Andrea could be an outside runner for the leadership.

0:33:07 > 0:33:13So, I was very keen that Andrea came on board with team Boris.

0:33:13 > 0:33:16Ah, Andrea.

0:33:16 > 0:33:18Boris. Michael.

0:33:19 > 0:33:22- Coffee?- Yes, please.

0:33:22 > 0:33:24Great. Better make a pot.

0:33:24 > 0:33:27Now, Andrea, didn't we just show them at Wembley?

0:33:27 > 0:33:32- Yes, we did.- I loved that line of yours, what was it again?

0:33:32 > 0:33:34Can you name the six EU presidents?

0:33:34 > 0:33:36- Five.- Five, yes.

0:33:36 > 0:33:39Yes, of course. Let me try.

0:33:39 > 0:33:41Tusk, Juncker...

0:33:41 > 0:33:43Er...

0:33:43 > 0:33:44Draghi, Schultz...

0:33:44 > 0:33:45Dijsselbloem!

0:33:47 > 0:33:52Now, Andrea. You must know how much we'd love to have you on board.

0:33:52 > 0:33:55I do, because you told me a few months ago.

0:33:55 > 0:33:56You mentioned the Treasury.

0:33:56 > 0:33:58I hope you'll honour on that.

0:33:58 > 0:34:01Ah. Erm, Michael's agreed to Chancellor.

0:34:01 > 0:34:03Then Deputy PM.

0:34:03 > 0:34:06Charged with Brexit negotiations.

0:34:06 > 0:34:10Andrea had been trying to get assurances all week

0:34:10 > 0:34:12that she was part of the deal.

0:34:12 > 0:34:14That she was going to be at the top table.

0:34:14 > 0:34:18She was going to be one of the key players in a new government,

0:34:18 > 0:34:21under Boris Johnson.

0:34:21 > 0:34:24And she was given, erm,

0:34:24 > 0:34:28a lot of, "Yeah, no problem, just, you know, we'll come back to you."

0:34:28 > 0:34:31And I think by the Wednesday, the, sort of, "Don't call us,

0:34:31 > 0:34:36"we'll call you," routine had pissed her off, frankly.

0:34:36 > 0:34:40All week, you've been promising me something at the top table.

0:34:40 > 0:34:43Simple question - what?

0:34:43 > 0:34:46She had a much bigger group of supporters behind her

0:34:46 > 0:34:48than Michael Gove ever did.

0:34:48 > 0:34:51And it was much more important, in my opinion,

0:34:51 > 0:34:53to secure the support of Andrea Leadsom

0:34:53 > 0:34:55than any other of the Cabinet ministers

0:34:55 > 0:34:58who were mooted as potentially supporting him.

0:34:58 > 0:35:00Let us assure you.

0:35:00 > 0:35:03You will be a key player in any Boris government.

0:35:03 > 0:35:06Definitely one of the top three.

0:35:06 > 0:35:08Well, I have history with Michael Gove.

0:35:08 > 0:35:13And having worked very closely with Michael Gove over many years,

0:35:13 > 0:35:15I am rather more aware of his flaws.

0:35:15 > 0:35:18So, I always cautioned Andrea...

0:35:18 > 0:35:22about what she might be told by Michael,

0:35:22 > 0:35:28what she might be offered by Michael and just to...think twice.

0:35:28 > 0:35:31And I want the offer in writing.

0:35:31 > 0:35:33A letter...and a tweet.

0:35:33 > 0:35:36- A public commitment.- Of course.

0:35:36 > 0:35:39- By 8pm tonight.- Ah, coffee.

0:35:39 > 0:35:42Actually, no, I don't think I will. I've got another meeting.

0:35:42 > 0:35:44Oh, well...

0:35:44 > 0:35:46Thank you.

0:35:46 > 0:35:48Lovely to have you on board.

0:35:49 > 0:35:53Right. That was all right.

0:35:53 > 0:35:56They shouldn't have offered a Cabinet position, though.

0:35:56 > 0:36:01- Well, yeah. I absolutely had to offer her one of the top three.- Why?

0:36:01 > 0:36:05It's very difficult for Boris to be able to promise a specific

0:36:05 > 0:36:09role, but I was pleased that Andrea was going to come on board.

0:36:09 > 0:36:11This would have really helped the campaign,

0:36:11 > 0:36:14and maybe tipped us over the number that we needed.

0:36:14 > 0:36:17That magic 111 MPs.

0:36:18 > 0:36:20There are lots of things I could tell you about Theresa,

0:36:20 > 0:36:23most of which, I'm sure you'd already know.

0:36:23 > 0:36:25Basically, I and lots of my colleagues who were involved

0:36:25 > 0:36:28in the early days of these campaigns are salesmen. That's what we are.

0:36:28 > 0:36:31There are lots of things I could tell you about Theresa.

0:36:31 > 0:36:34And the only thing a salesman needs...is a product.

0:36:34 > 0:36:37She has a mantle for a safe pair of hands,

0:36:37 > 0:36:38and for competence.

0:36:38 > 0:36:41She reaches a conclusion, it doesn't matter what it is.

0:36:41 > 0:36:42She makes a decision and that's it.

0:36:42 > 0:36:45But the one thing I can promise you,

0:36:45 > 0:36:49is that Theresa will not be holding an early election, when she wins.

0:36:59 > 0:37:00- Well...- I need a word.

0:37:00 > 0:37:03- Yes.- In private, if you wouldn't mind.

0:37:03 > 0:37:06- Can you give me that fracking report?- Of course.- Thanks.

0:37:07 > 0:37:10Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?

0:37:10 > 0:37:14Some of the others and I have some...concerns.

0:37:14 > 0:37:16Growing concerns.

0:37:16 > 0:37:18About?

0:37:18 > 0:37:19Team Boris.

0:37:19 > 0:37:21Things aren't going right.

0:37:21 > 0:37:25Time and time again, things are left half done, or not done at all.

0:37:25 > 0:37:28And there's just so much tension between everyone.

0:37:28 > 0:37:30Michael and Boris,

0:37:30 > 0:37:35it's not a team. It's not a team that I can see winning.

0:37:35 > 0:37:37And?

0:37:37 > 0:37:40Well, if this thing between you,

0:37:40 > 0:37:43Michael and Boris doesn't come off...

0:37:43 > 0:37:45I'll support you.

0:37:51 > 0:37:54We had arranged a reception,

0:37:54 > 0:37:59which was kindly being hosted at the offices of M&C Saatchi.

0:38:02 > 0:38:05This was an opportunity for one or two of the candidates to come

0:38:05 > 0:38:08and chat to potential supporters.

0:38:08 > 0:38:10He was always going to be late.

0:38:10 > 0:38:13That's it, I know. Let's just hope he turns up soon.

0:38:13 > 0:38:16Don't look now, I think our guest is here.

0:38:16 > 0:38:20- I'm not going to turn around. - Of course, he's talking to her.

0:38:20 > 0:38:24Erm... Yeah. I'll go and let him know that you're here.

0:38:24 > 0:38:26Let's hope he's got the letter.

0:38:26 > 0:38:31Well, in the meantime, shall I just go and test the water for you?

0:38:31 > 0:38:34- Good idea, but keep it low key. - I am always low-key.

0:38:36 > 0:38:38Sorry.

0:38:38 > 0:38:41Lots of Andrea's supporters were becoming very concerned

0:38:41 > 0:38:45that a joint ticket between Boris and Andrea wouldn't take place.

0:38:45 > 0:38:48He tapped this pocket and said, "It's all secure.

0:38:48 > 0:38:52"I have a letter here, with me, which confirms it."

0:38:52 > 0:38:57So, I said, "Well, fine, can I tell people that the deal has been done?"

0:38:57 > 0:38:59And he said, "You can, you can even tweet about it if you want."

0:39:00 > 0:39:03Sorry, excuse me. Sorry.

0:39:05 > 0:39:07Sorry, can I...?

0:39:07 > 0:39:09The balloon's gone up. The balloon's gone up.

0:39:09 > 0:39:11What are you on about? Have you found Boris?

0:39:11 > 0:39:13No, that's the point. Boris has gone.

0:39:13 > 0:39:15Never, he can't have, he hasn't even said hello to me yet.

0:39:15 > 0:39:17He must be here somewhere.

0:39:17 > 0:39:19He's not. I've just heard he's at the Hurlingham party.

0:39:19 > 0:39:20He left here over an hour ago.

0:39:22 > 0:39:23And he didn't give me the letter?

0:39:25 > 0:39:28The plan was always to give Andrea the letter.

0:39:28 > 0:39:31We didn't give her it at the Saatchi party,

0:39:31 > 0:39:36I'm not sure we actually saw Andrea face-to-face at that party.

0:39:36 > 0:39:38Right, enough.

0:39:38 > 0:39:40Who do they think they are?

0:39:40 > 0:39:43Hi, Tim, can you get over to mine, now?

0:39:47 > 0:39:49Had a call from Andrea.

0:39:49 > 0:39:53She told me at that stage that because various undertakings

0:39:53 > 0:39:56had just not happened, she'd put her own nomination in,

0:39:56 > 0:39:58been proposed and seconded, so I said,

0:39:58 > 0:40:00"Right, I'd probably better come around."

0:40:00 > 0:40:03I went around to her flat in Westminster.

0:40:03 > 0:40:07We all had a rather large glasses of red wine, at the ready,

0:40:07 > 0:40:12and sank down and just talked through the huge ramifications

0:40:12 > 0:40:13of what had actually happened.

0:40:13 > 0:40:17Just the fact that we've been in the pub for about four hours.

0:40:17 > 0:40:21I'm absolutely convinced that had Boris known there was a problem,

0:40:21 > 0:40:22that he would've been able

0:40:22 > 0:40:25to do something about it, if he was in a position to.

0:40:25 > 0:40:27But he wasn't made aware that there was a problem.

0:40:27 > 0:40:31She'd had a lot of people trying to get hold of her on her phone,

0:40:31 > 0:40:34not surprisingly. Particularly Michael Gove.

0:40:34 > 0:40:38So, eventually, she returned a call from Michael Gove.

0:40:38 > 0:40:41And I was listening in on that call,

0:40:41 > 0:40:45it was a very different tone from Michael Gove.

0:40:45 > 0:40:47You will ruin your career, Andrea.

0:40:47 > 0:40:50You can't do this alone. Listen to me.

0:40:50 > 0:40:52Andr...

0:40:52 > 0:40:54Fuck!

0:40:54 > 0:41:00And, clearly, he had not expected her to put her nomination in.

0:41:00 > 0:41:04Clearly, he had been trying to string things out.

0:41:04 > 0:41:09And what became clear, in the duration of that conversation,

0:41:09 > 0:41:13was things had gone awry between him and Boris.

0:41:21 > 0:41:23Right.

0:41:30 > 0:41:32Andrea's going to stand herself.

0:41:36 > 0:41:37It's over.

0:41:41 > 0:41:43Let's just go over the arguments.

0:41:43 > 0:41:44OK?

0:41:44 > 0:41:46OK.

0:41:46 > 0:41:49- Boris.- He is entirely unsuited, you know this.

0:41:49 > 0:41:51We've all known this for a long time.

0:41:51 > 0:41:52Everyone in the party knows it.

0:41:52 > 0:41:55OK, Theresa?

0:41:55 > 0:41:57She was a Remainer, Michael.

0:41:57 > 0:41:59It won't wash.

0:42:00 > 0:42:04You're the only one who believes in the manifesto of Brexit.

0:42:04 > 0:42:06Because you wrote it.

0:42:11 > 0:42:13What are you thinking, Michael?

0:42:16 > 0:42:19At that stage, he felt that, you know, he couldn't back Boris,

0:42:19 > 0:42:22he felt that actually, if I want this done properly, in a way,

0:42:22 > 0:42:24I'm going to have to do it myself.

0:42:24 > 0:42:26He'd known Boris for 30 years,

0:42:26 > 0:42:28and they knew each other in Oxford in the '80s.

0:42:28 > 0:42:31And it was only in the final two days that he realised he wasn't

0:42:31 > 0:42:36suited to be Prime Minister. I mean, I find that difficult to believe.

0:42:38 > 0:42:40It has to be us.

0:42:44 > 0:42:46Do you understand?

0:42:47 > 0:42:50- Right. Let them know. - All right.

0:42:51 > 0:42:53I'm going to call the rest of the team now.

0:42:55 > 0:43:00I suggest we start firstly with just some basics we need.

0:43:00 > 0:43:03We need social media onside. We need a team set up.

0:43:03 > 0:43:05Hi, sorry. Yeah, we're with him now.

0:43:07 > 0:43:09We're going to go ahead.

0:43:11 > 0:43:13I know. I know.

0:43:13 > 0:43:16He says it won't play well. GOVE SCOFFS

0:43:16 > 0:43:18No shit(!)

0:43:18 > 0:43:19Well, we're willing to do it.

0:43:22 > 0:43:25'Boris, have you actually been trying to sort something out...?'

0:43:25 > 0:43:27Always working hard. Take care, night, night. See you.

0:43:33 > 0:43:35'I think David Cameron's doing a brilliant job.

0:43:35 > 0:43:38'I think there are lots of other folk, including in the Cabinet,

0:43:38 > 0:43:41'who could easily be Prime Minister. I'm not one of them.

0:43:41 > 0:43:42'I could not be Prime Minister.

0:43:42 > 0:43:44'I'm not equipped to be Prime Minister.

0:43:44 > 0:43:46'I don't want to be Prime Minister.'

0:43:46 > 0:43:48'So you'd rather be Prime Minister yourself?'

0:43:48 > 0:43:50'No, the one thing I absolutely don't want to do

0:43:50 > 0:43:52'is to be Prime Minister.'

0:44:00 > 0:44:03Well, I woke up, I think, quite early on that Thursday morning.

0:44:03 > 0:44:06Actually, quite relieved that I'd made a decision, finally,

0:44:06 > 0:44:09about who I was going to back for the leadership,

0:44:09 > 0:44:12you know, expecting to... I had an engagement in the morning.

0:44:12 > 0:44:14A ministerial engagement to go back to Westminster

0:44:14 > 0:44:18and speak at Boris Johnson's launch, and I understood that Amber Rudd was

0:44:18 > 0:44:20also going to be speaking alongside me.

0:44:20 > 0:44:22We were both going to be introducing Boris.

0:44:22 > 0:44:26'By midday, we'll know who thinks they should be Prime Minister.

0:44:26 > 0:44:29'And today, the big beasts come out of their caves.

0:44:29 > 0:44:32'Boris Johnson, front man for the Vote Leave campaign,

0:44:32 > 0:44:34'will declare his intentions to stand.'

0:44:51 > 0:44:56I took a tube across to Islington, and I remember...

0:44:57 > 0:45:01I think, the train went overground briefly.

0:45:01 > 0:45:06And I got a text from Ben Gascoigne, one of Boris's senior aides.

0:45:06 > 0:45:09And I won't repeat it, but it was just one...

0:45:09 > 0:45:12Two words, it had Gove and it had another and it was an expletive.

0:45:12 > 0:45:15Under my leadership, the Conservative Party

0:45:15 > 0:45:18will be able to come back together and govern...

0:45:18 > 0:45:22I got a call from Nick Boles, to say,

0:45:22 > 0:45:24"Look, there's been a change of plan."

0:45:24 > 0:45:28At which point there's a pause, and a, kind of, "What do you mean?"

0:45:28 > 0:45:31I get a phone call from Jake Berry.

0:45:31 > 0:45:34And said, "Get over to the campaign offices."

0:45:34 > 0:45:37I said, "What's wrong?" He said, "You're not going to believe it."

0:45:37 > 0:45:40Boris negotiating Europe. I seem to remember last time he did a deal

0:45:40 > 0:45:43with the Germans, he came back with three nearly new water cannons.

0:45:43 > 0:45:45LAUGHTER

0:45:45 > 0:45:48Right at the very end of the speech, suddenly I could see journalists

0:45:48 > 0:45:51looking at their phones, one or two beginning to run out.

0:45:51 > 0:45:53There was plainly something...

0:45:53 > 0:45:55Something was going on.

0:45:56 > 0:46:01So, I remember walking into work, Ben Wallace phoning me, and saying,

0:46:01 > 0:46:04"Michael Gove has done the dirty."

0:46:04 > 0:46:07Thinking this was some sort of joke.

0:46:07 > 0:46:09He told me, I thought he was joking.

0:46:09 > 0:46:13I said, "No way. Michael is not running himself.

0:46:13 > 0:46:16"It's a ludicrous assertion."

0:46:16 > 0:46:18And he said, "No, I'm being deadly serious. Get over here."

0:46:24 > 0:46:28Wow. I mean, I'm still picking my jaw up off the ground.

0:46:28 > 0:46:31Everyone here is utterly stunned.

0:46:31 > 0:46:35And, you know, this is Michael Gove plunging the dagger into the back,

0:46:35 > 0:46:39front, side, head of Boris Johnson.

0:46:39 > 0:46:43Outside Boris Johnson's north London home, the calm before the storm.

0:46:43 > 0:46:49I got off the tube and headed by cab to Boris's house.

0:46:50 > 0:46:53You know, it's fair to say, he was...

0:46:53 > 0:46:55stunned. Just shell-shocked.

0:46:55 > 0:46:57A man of 25 years standing as a friend,

0:46:57 > 0:47:00had just knifed him very publicly.

0:47:00 > 0:47:04Expectations of a Johnson-May battle,

0:47:04 > 0:47:09except his own campaign chief had just betrayed him.

0:47:09 > 0:47:12"Et tu, brute?" as a classic scholar might say.

0:47:12 > 0:47:14You're a disgrace, Johnson!

0:47:17 > 0:47:20It takes a very special sort of person

0:47:20 > 0:47:25to knife one of your best friends for 25 years in the back.

0:47:25 > 0:47:27In fact, I can't think of anybody

0:47:27 > 0:47:30who would have done something like that.

0:47:33 > 0:47:36When I got there, Lynton was there, and his team,

0:47:36 > 0:47:38and a lot of shocked people.

0:47:38 > 0:47:41And we decided pretty quickly that the first thing we needed to do,

0:47:41 > 0:47:44given the fact that Michael had declared that he was going to run

0:47:44 > 0:47:47himself, is we needed to shore up our own support,

0:47:47 > 0:47:50and ring the MPs that had come out and pledged for Boris.

0:47:54 > 0:47:58So, it was a morning of frenetic activity, which involved, really,

0:47:58 > 0:48:02speaking to as many people on our list of supporters as possible,

0:48:02 > 0:48:04and asking, in the light of the news,

0:48:04 > 0:48:10which by that point had broken all over television, the radio,

0:48:10 > 0:48:12and on the internet, in light of that news,

0:48:12 > 0:48:14whether they would still support Boris

0:48:14 > 0:48:16in his bid to become leader of the Conservative Party.

0:48:16 > 0:48:18Where's Boris?

0:48:18 > 0:48:20Doing his thing. Trying to keep morale up for the troops.

0:48:20 > 0:48:23There's a debrief in two minutes, how's it looking?

0:48:23 > 0:48:25It's near, to a count.

0:48:25 > 0:48:28Not good. Lynton's going fucking mental.

0:48:28 > 0:48:30Keep me away from all that, then.

0:48:30 > 0:48:34There are a lot of people who I would have liked to have thought

0:48:34 > 0:48:37would have continued to support Boris.

0:48:37 > 0:48:39I'm not going to name names.

0:48:39 > 0:48:41They know who they are.

0:48:41 > 0:48:43That, you know, that's politics.

0:48:43 > 0:48:47I sort of thought, "Well, what am I going to do?" Really.

0:48:47 > 0:48:51I'd been supporting Boris, and so I thought about it.

0:48:51 > 0:48:56I had one of my special advisers in the car was talking to them.

0:48:56 > 0:48:59I thought, "Actually, I'm going to back Michael."

0:48:59 > 0:49:01I followed him into the Education Department.

0:49:01 > 0:49:05You know, he is somebody who is a great social reformer.

0:49:05 > 0:49:09And, although we are on different sides of the referendum campaign...

0:49:09 > 0:49:12So, I texted Michael and said, you know, "Count me in."

0:49:15 > 0:49:19Nicky's defection didn't come as a great surprise.

0:49:19 > 0:49:23She came with Michael, if you like, so that wasn't a huge surprise.

0:49:27 > 0:49:29Oh.

0:49:29 > 0:49:32Be strong, sayeth my heart.

0:49:32 > 0:49:35I am a soldier, I have seen worse sights than this.

0:49:35 > 0:49:37I need that number for someone else.

0:49:37 > 0:49:43He was clearly quite shocked, probably even shaken by the news.

0:49:43 > 0:49:46I would think he probably didn't really understand

0:49:46 > 0:49:49why anyone would behave in this way.

0:49:49 > 0:49:50It's not good.

0:49:50 > 0:49:52He's really fucked us.

0:49:52 > 0:49:55We've got about 50, 55 left, as it stands.

0:49:56 > 0:49:58It's enough to probably get you through the first round.

0:49:58 > 0:50:00And we'll win with the membership, you know that.

0:50:00 > 0:50:02That could be a lot worse, then.

0:50:04 > 0:50:06Actually, it's down to just under 40.

0:50:09 > 0:50:11Gentlemen, I...

0:50:12 > 0:50:15I rather think I should have a moment with Marina.

0:50:19 > 0:50:20Gentlemen.

0:50:27 > 0:50:29Views were proffered as to what he should do,

0:50:29 > 0:50:32but I should stress that it was his decision and Marina's decision.

0:50:32 > 0:50:34They were left to discuss it for quite a while.

0:50:34 > 0:50:39And we came back in, and he told us what the decision was.

0:50:39 > 0:50:42And we respected that.

0:50:42 > 0:50:45Sam Lyon from Lynton's team, and a few other people, and I,

0:50:45 > 0:50:47helped him rewrite the end of his speech,

0:50:47 > 0:50:50as much as you ever rewrite the end of anything with Boris.

0:50:50 > 0:50:51He does it all himself.

0:50:51 > 0:50:53Has Michael Gove betrayed you?

0:50:54 > 0:50:57Has Michael Gove, your friend, let you down?

0:50:57 > 0:51:00- He says he doesn't trust you. - Come on, let's have it.

0:51:00 > 0:51:01Come on.

0:51:07 > 0:51:08There are a lot of excited people.

0:51:08 > 0:51:11There was a lot of chitter chatter, obviously,

0:51:11 > 0:51:13because Michael had done the dirty on him.

0:51:13 > 0:51:16Still quite a lot of anger in the room, but the room was full.

0:51:18 > 0:51:21Good morning, everybody. Good morning.

0:51:24 > 0:51:27And then when Boris appeared, he seemed rather, sort of,

0:51:27 > 0:51:30struck by a sense of confusion.

0:51:30 > 0:51:33He wasn't, perhaps, as, sort of,

0:51:33 > 0:51:37boisterous or energetic as he often is.

0:51:37 > 0:51:39And it was clear that something was amiss.

0:51:39 > 0:51:43Somebody from my office came in and said, "Boris is now on television."

0:51:43 > 0:51:46We put the television on. We watched what appeared to be the speech

0:51:46 > 0:51:48that was going to launch his leadership campaign.

0:51:48 > 0:51:54Last week, the people of this country voted to take a new path,

0:51:54 > 0:51:56and a new direction for Britain.

0:51:56 > 0:51:59And others may have been listening with bated breath to what he was

0:51:59 > 0:52:02saying. I was just acutely conscious of not having a nomination,

0:52:02 > 0:52:06and so we tried to contact Boris to make sure that his office was aware

0:52:06 > 0:52:07that this hadn't happened.

0:52:07 > 0:52:09I wasn't sure how it was going to go.

0:52:09 > 0:52:14I know that Graham Brady had been phoning my office,

0:52:14 > 0:52:19telling my intern that...Boris hadn't put his nomination papers in.

0:52:19 > 0:52:22So, I was beginning to fear the worst.

0:52:23 > 0:52:27This is our chance to build a Britain not just with a dynamic...

0:52:27 > 0:52:29I realised, about halfway through his speech,

0:52:29 > 0:52:32what was going to happen.

0:52:32 > 0:52:38Because I saw a text message from the chairman of the 1922,

0:52:38 > 0:52:42to Ben Wallace, who was Boris's campaign manager.

0:52:42 > 0:52:45Saying, "Where are Boris's nomination papers?

0:52:45 > 0:52:47"You're about to run out of time."

0:52:47 > 0:52:52..and make this our moment to stand tall in the world.

0:52:52 > 0:52:55It was the most incredible speech to give,

0:52:55 > 0:52:58given what had just happened to him an hour or so,

0:52:58 > 0:53:00a couple of hours beforehand.

0:53:00 > 0:53:04It took some incredible character to get that speech out

0:53:04 > 0:53:07without the emotion that could have come to the front.

0:53:09 > 0:53:12Well, I must tell you, my friends,

0:53:12 > 0:53:17you who have waited faithfully for the punch line of this speech...

0:53:18 > 0:53:22..that having consulted colleagues and,

0:53:22 > 0:53:25and in view of the circumstances in Parliament,

0:53:25 > 0:53:29I have concluded that person cannot be me.

0:53:32 > 0:53:36My role will be to give every possible support to the next

0:53:36 > 0:53:39Conservative administration....

0:53:39 > 0:53:44When he delivered that line, "And that person will not be me,"

0:53:44 > 0:53:47you could almost feel the whole air in the room being sucked out.

0:53:48 > 0:53:51..everybody around the country

0:53:51 > 0:53:54who supports our vision of a better Britain.

0:53:54 > 0:53:57Thank you all very much.

0:53:57 > 0:53:58APPLAUSE

0:54:07 > 0:54:10Everybody who saw Boris's speech will tell you how shocked many

0:54:10 > 0:54:12people were in that room.

0:54:12 > 0:54:14It was incredible drama.

0:54:15 > 0:54:19You know, looking back, it was probably one of the political

0:54:19 > 0:54:21moments of the last decade.

0:54:21 > 0:54:25'For Mr Johnson's supporters, tears and disbelief.'

0:54:25 > 0:54:28'You look absolutely devastated.'

0:54:28 > 0:54:29Yeah, well, erm...

0:54:32 > 0:54:34I've worked with him for ten years in London.

0:54:34 > 0:54:37I know he's quality. I stand by everything I said about him.

0:54:38 > 0:54:41Obviously, the circumstances over the last couple of days have been

0:54:41 > 0:54:43very, very turbulent, caught a lot of us by surprise.

0:54:43 > 0:54:47I am shocked. It looks like a, sort of, student political game,

0:54:47 > 0:54:50when the country needs direction, needs clarity,

0:54:50 > 0:54:52needs a sense of maturity.

0:54:52 > 0:54:55I am shocked and surprised that people should behave in this way.

0:54:55 > 0:54:59'What do you want to say to Michael Gove?'

0:54:59 > 0:55:02We ushered him through the kitchens,

0:55:02 > 0:55:05and into a side room at the hotel, and then into the car.

0:55:05 > 0:55:07But the press had seen where we were.

0:55:07 > 0:55:08And so we were mobbed.

0:55:08 > 0:55:10We stopped at a red light outside Scotland Yard,

0:55:10 > 0:55:15where the red light seemed stuck interminably on red.

0:55:15 > 0:55:17And we whisked away. I got dropped off

0:55:17 > 0:55:20and he headed off with Marina to his house in Oxfordshire.

0:55:20 > 0:55:22It was a fairly surreal feeling,

0:55:22 > 0:55:26walking back to campaign headquarters, thinking, "That's it."

0:55:26 > 0:55:29I think I was as gobsmacked as anybody.

0:55:29 > 0:55:31When he actually finally went, finally,

0:55:31 > 0:55:33he suddenly turned around and said, "Well, actually,

0:55:33 > 0:55:35"I'm not going to run."

0:55:35 > 0:55:38That's been the very focus of all of us since March.

0:55:38 > 0:55:42And suddenly, there it was, blood all over the floor,

0:55:42 > 0:55:46and he'd gone. So, yes. I was pretty surprised.

0:55:52 > 0:55:55We literally went back to Greycoat Place,

0:55:55 > 0:56:00packed up computers and boxes, and headed back to the Commons.

0:56:00 > 0:56:03That was it. As you probably wouldn't imagine,

0:56:03 > 0:56:06as we were walking out, team May was walking into the building.

0:56:06 > 0:56:08You couldn't really make that up either but, you know,

0:56:08 > 0:56:11that's politics. These things are brutal and you move on.

0:56:13 > 0:56:17'Today's completely tumultuous events helped Theresa May,

0:56:17 > 0:56:20'the Home Secretary, very significantly.

0:56:20 > 0:56:24'Her goal today, long thought about, was to appear calm, sober,

0:56:24 > 0:56:25'to convey authority.

0:56:25 > 0:56:29'Frankly, she did that even before she'd opened her mouth.'

0:56:34 > 0:56:38MUSIC: Come And Get Your Love By Redbone

0:56:38 > 0:56:44# Hey, hey What's the matter with your head?

0:56:44 > 0:56:47# Yeah

0:56:47 > 0:56:50# Hey, hey

0:56:50 > 0:56:54# What's the matter with your mind and your sign? #

0:56:54 > 0:56:58Boris had a long-standing commitment to support a number of colleagues in

0:56:58 > 0:57:01the West Country. And again, it shows you the measure of the man,

0:57:01 > 0:57:05that on the day that he'd been knifed, he carried on,

0:57:05 > 0:57:07business as usual.

0:57:07 > 0:57:09Good morning. Good afternoon, rather.

0:57:09 > 0:57:12We had a drink, and tried to mull it over,

0:57:12 > 0:57:13and tried to make some sense of it.

0:57:15 > 0:57:19And we agreed that, you know, in light of the fact that he'd been,

0:57:19 > 0:57:21sort of, the leading figure in the Leave campaign,

0:57:21 > 0:57:25it would look pretty odd for him not to support Andrea.

0:57:25 > 0:57:28I guess, at that point, that, you know,

0:57:28 > 0:57:32he probably would have supported anyone other than Michael Gove.

0:57:32 > 0:57:35'Boris Johnson who's, of course, out of the race,

0:57:35 > 0:57:38'has made public his support for Andrea Leadsom.'

0:57:38 > 0:57:39She's positive, she's dynamic,

0:57:39 > 0:57:43she's got the right way forward for the country.

0:57:43 > 0:57:46I hope she does very well. Thanks, everybody. See you.

0:57:46 > 0:57:50The 1922 Committee, the organising committee for the backbenchers,

0:57:50 > 0:57:51lays on a hustings.

0:57:51 > 0:57:54What we did was make sure the hustings

0:57:54 > 0:57:57were run again in as fair a way as we thought possible,

0:57:57 > 0:57:59A maximum of five minutes to speak,

0:57:59 > 0:58:02followed by five minutes of questions.

0:58:02 > 0:58:05A group of MPs fired hostile questions at her

0:58:05 > 0:58:08to prepare her for the onslaught.

0:58:08 > 0:58:12Andrea, You're the least experienced in terms of Cabinet,

0:58:12 > 0:58:14and in parliamentary terms,

0:58:14 > 0:58:17don't you think you're going to be a little out of your depth here?

0:58:17 > 0:58:19Here's the question, how are you going to answer?

0:58:19 > 0:58:22Then someone'll say, "Don't answer it like that cos it looks like

0:58:22 > 0:58:24"you don't know what you're talking about. Answer like this."

0:58:24 > 0:58:28I mean, somebody who says, "OK, I've been told to leave,

0:58:28 > 0:58:31"so I'll leave with no enthusiasm," is very different from someone

0:58:31 > 0:58:35who absolutely sees the sunlit uplands of leaving the EU.

0:58:36 > 0:58:38Sunlit uplands, eh?

0:58:40 > 0:58:44So, she went into that final hustings and she pulled it off.

0:58:44 > 0:58:46She delivered a pretty good speech,

0:58:46 > 0:58:49took some good questions and people thought it was great.

0:58:50 > 0:58:53Hey, I know your game.

0:58:53 > 0:58:55- You didn't vote for us last time. - Yes, I did.

0:58:55 > 0:58:58You bloody didn't. Do you know how I know?

0:58:58 > 0:59:01The numbers didn't add up, that's why.

0:59:01 > 0:59:04It's very difficult to grind the lists for the numbers.

0:59:04 > 0:59:07And to know for certain when somebody says they're with you,

0:59:07 > 0:59:11- are they really with you. - Maybe I was being harsh on myself.

0:59:11 > 0:59:13I counted them again, and again.

0:59:13 > 0:59:16Like I used to in my pop factory.

0:59:16 > 0:59:20And I kept coming up one short. Didn't I?

0:59:20 > 0:59:23You will have my vote next time, OK?

0:59:23 > 0:59:25Yes. I bloody well.

0:59:27 > 0:59:31And just so I know, you'll take a fucking photo of your ballot paper,

0:59:31 > 0:59:33and send it to me.

0:59:33 > 0:59:37If you don't, I'll fire you, then I'll fucking castrate you.

0:59:37 > 0:59:39All right?

0:59:39 > 0:59:41Meantime, we're going to go in,

0:59:41 > 0:59:45and laugh at Theresa's joke like it's funny, OK?

0:59:47 > 0:59:49'Could you talk through your memories

0:59:49 > 0:59:51'of the hustings in general?'

0:59:51 > 0:59:53Not really, because I couldn't stand going.

0:59:55 > 0:59:58I, and several of us, sat out on the terrace.

0:59:58 > 1:00:01We could hear all the banging of desks and the harrumphing,

1:00:01 > 1:00:03and the shouts, and the hurrahs, and the whatevers,

1:00:03 > 1:00:05and the deathly silences as well.

1:00:05 > 1:00:08SCATTERED APPLAUSE

1:00:09 > 1:00:12The real story of the last husting, was the story of Michael Gove.

1:00:12 > 1:00:16It was the complete collapse, really, of his performance.

1:00:16 > 1:00:21Which of you would like to hear a real controversial text message?

1:00:21 > 1:00:22Michael Gove has just said

1:00:22 > 1:00:25that people should not be voting tactically.

1:00:25 > 1:00:28But I have here a text message from his campaign manager

1:00:28 > 1:00:29which would suggest otherwise.

1:00:31 > 1:00:36It was basically an e-mail that started off, "You are my friend..."

1:00:36 > 1:00:40It was asking Theresa's voters to vote for him,

1:00:40 > 1:00:43just to stop Andrea Leadsom getting into the final.

1:00:43 > 1:00:45And people don't like that kind of stuff.

1:00:45 > 1:00:47It really rankled with people.

1:00:47 > 1:00:53It was one of the Yorkshire MPs who delivered the fatal blow,

1:00:53 > 1:00:55basically saying, "Michael, I've always respected you,

1:00:55 > 1:01:01"but what has happened in the last few days, with the knifing of Boris,

1:01:01 > 1:01:04"and the e-mail which came out as well,

1:01:04 > 1:01:08"you are not fit to be the leader of the Conservative Party."

1:01:08 > 1:01:12It was a fatal and cutting blow.

1:01:13 > 1:01:16There was a real sharp intake of breath in the hall

1:01:16 > 1:01:18when the question was asked.

1:01:18 > 1:01:24It was as close to a car crash at a hustings as I've seen at any time.

1:01:24 > 1:01:27Michael Gove, 46 votes.

1:01:27 > 1:01:30Andrea Leadsom, 84 votes.

1:01:30 > 1:01:33Theresa May, 199 votes.

1:01:33 > 1:01:37Therefore, Michael Gove, having the lowest number of votes,

1:01:37 > 1:01:39has been eliminated from the ballot.

1:01:39 > 1:01:41'Here's Michael Gove.'

1:01:41 > 1:01:44'Why have you lost, Mr Gove? Was it the text?'

1:01:44 > 1:01:46'Whoever the next Prime Minister of this country will be,

1:01:46 > 1:01:49'it will be a female Prime Minister.

1:01:49 > 1:01:51'And I know, whichever one of the two wins,

1:01:51 > 1:01:54'they will lead this country well.'

1:01:54 > 1:01:59And our candidate, now, was in that final round.

1:02:03 > 1:02:06Tim, what's the news?

1:02:06 > 1:02:08I spoke to Andrea, went through the result.

1:02:08 > 1:02:11Oh, fantastic, wow.

1:02:25 > 1:02:27Andrea, it so happened,

1:02:27 > 1:02:29had to go back to her constituency that night,

1:02:29 > 1:02:33because Boris Johnson was coming up to Northamptonshire

1:02:33 > 1:02:35to do a fundraising rally.

1:02:35 > 1:02:38Congratulations to both the candidates

1:02:38 > 1:02:40who got through to the final.

1:02:40 > 1:02:44Particularly, by Andrea Leadsom, thank you very much.

1:02:48 > 1:02:50Good of you to come and support me.

1:02:50 > 1:02:53Think nothing of it. I know it's close to your heart.

1:02:53 > 1:02:56It should have been you going to the membership, not me.

1:02:56 > 1:02:59Ha! We know who put paid to that.

1:02:59 > 1:03:01Andrea, this is great news.

1:03:01 > 1:03:03We are about to elect a female Prime Minister

1:03:03 > 1:03:05for the second time in history.

1:03:05 > 1:03:08Frankly, you've got all the right, positive,

1:03:08 > 1:03:12confident leadership qualities this country needs.

1:03:12 > 1:03:15At least, that's what I just told the press mob outside.

1:03:17 > 1:03:19Come on, Andrea. Let's go and wow them.

1:03:19 > 1:03:21We're going to need the votes.

1:03:22 > 1:03:25Ladies and gentlemen...

1:03:25 > 1:03:28It was a huge success, and wherever Boris goes,

1:03:28 > 1:03:32it's like taking a rock star into an event.

1:03:32 > 1:03:37It went down fantastically well. He spoke great on behalf of Andrea.

1:03:38 > 1:03:41- Can I have a minute?- Of course.

1:03:41 > 1:03:42Alone.

1:03:43 > 1:03:44Gentlemen, do you mind?

1:03:49 > 1:03:51Thank you.

1:04:12 > 1:04:14And there's more.

1:04:18 > 1:04:20And it's a little worrying,

1:04:20 > 1:04:23because we know that Leave was incredibly well motivated.

1:04:23 > 1:04:26They've just scored an extraordinary political victory.

1:04:26 > 1:04:30They've got their tails up, there is this, I think, total myth,

1:04:30 > 1:04:33but a belief amongst certain parties that it has to be a Leaver,

1:04:33 > 1:04:34to run the party.

1:04:46 > 1:04:49One of the stories that came back to us is that they had been two

1:04:49 > 1:04:54researchers working around the clock on trawling through every word she'd

1:04:54 > 1:04:59ever said, written, going back years on social media and other things.

1:04:59 > 1:05:01I have no idea if that was going on or not.

1:05:01 > 1:05:05But all I can tell you is it's a normal part of politics to make sure

1:05:05 > 1:05:08that you know everything about your opposition.

1:05:08 > 1:05:10That's just... That's politics.

1:05:14 > 1:05:17Did you want to have children?

1:05:17 > 1:05:19Yes.

1:05:19 > 1:05:22Has it affected your outlook as a politician?

1:05:22 > 1:05:24I don't think so.

1:05:24 > 1:05:27Has it affected your outlook as a person?

1:05:29 > 1:05:31Of course we were both affected by it.

1:05:31 > 1:05:35When you see friends with, now, grown-up children.

1:05:35 > 1:05:38But you accept the hand that life deals you.

1:05:40 > 1:05:42Well, it's actually a bit of a business as usual day

1:05:42 > 1:05:45in the constituency. I've got a surgery this afternoon,

1:05:45 > 1:05:48which is quite packed. And I've got a few meetings this morning.

1:05:48 > 1:05:50So, I'd been discussing, for several weeks,

1:05:50 > 1:05:52doing an interview with Andrea Leadsom,

1:05:52 > 1:05:54and this seemed the natural week

1:05:54 > 1:05:57to actually go ahead and do the interview.

1:05:57 > 1:05:59Having told her to go home and just get her head down

1:05:59 > 1:06:01and not do any interviews,

1:06:01 > 1:06:04somebody on the campaign had arranged

1:06:04 > 1:06:06for her to do two newspaper interviews.

1:06:06 > 1:06:07How very nice to meet you.

1:06:07 > 1:06:10- You too.- Thank you for coming all this way.

1:06:10 > 1:06:12It was done in a cafe somewhere.

1:06:12 > 1:06:14You know, there was nobody with her.

1:06:14 > 1:06:16There was no press officer there.

1:06:16 > 1:06:18These are all no-nos, it should never happen.

1:06:18 > 1:06:20I asked her what the main differences

1:06:20 > 1:06:22were between her and Theresa May.

1:06:22 > 1:06:25It was a soft opening question, really.

1:06:25 > 1:06:27It wasn't, in any way, a kind of trap.

1:06:27 > 1:06:32Oh, gosh. Well, I don't really know Theresa very well.

1:06:32 > 1:06:35I'm sure she's really, really sad that she doesn't have children.

1:06:35 > 1:06:38But, genuinely, I feel being a mum

1:06:38 > 1:06:42means you have a very real stake in the future of our country.

1:06:42 > 1:06:45A tangible stake, you know.

1:06:45 > 1:06:48She possibly has nieces, nephews, you know, lots of people,

1:06:48 > 1:06:50but I have children.

1:06:51 > 1:06:55I am so sorry, Rachel, but I've got a car waiting outside.

1:06:55 > 1:06:58But it was just this sense of somebody who wasn't quite prepared

1:06:58 > 1:07:01for the spotlight she was going to find herself in.

1:07:01 > 1:07:05- Thank you.- Thank you. Thanks, I think it went very well.

1:07:13 > 1:07:14Hello, a very good evening to you.

1:07:14 > 1:07:17Andrea Leadsom, one of the two candidates in the fight to become

1:07:17 > 1:07:21the next Conservative leader, has suggested to the Times newspaper

1:07:21 > 1:07:24that she would be a better Prime Minister than Theresa May

1:07:24 > 1:07:26because she's a mother.

1:07:26 > 1:07:28I think this thing had been set up,

1:07:28 > 1:07:32because you had Theresa giving a lifestyle interview,

1:07:32 > 1:07:34which is something Theresa hasn't really done.

1:07:34 > 1:07:36That's not Theresa's style.

1:07:36 > 1:07:40Where she had actually instigated this whole comment about her regrets

1:07:40 > 1:07:41that she'd not had children.

1:07:41 > 1:07:45And that was latched onto by a journalist.

1:07:45 > 1:07:48That was a story she wanted to get.

1:07:48 > 1:07:53And Andrea, out of naivete, walked straight into it.

1:07:53 > 1:07:55I can absolutely promise you, there was no set up.

1:07:55 > 1:07:58This wasn't a story I was going out to get.

1:07:58 > 1:08:01To try and catch her out. I simply asked her what were the main

1:08:01 > 1:08:04differences between her and Theresa May and she raised family.

1:08:04 > 1:08:07Morning.

1:08:07 > 1:08:09And then the reaction to it was not right either.

1:08:09 > 1:08:12I don't want to drag up all these things, but sometimes,

1:08:12 > 1:08:14when you're in a hole, the answer is always stop digging.

1:08:14 > 1:08:17I am disgusted at the way this has been presented.

1:08:17 > 1:08:21Various colleagues, people she counted as friends,

1:08:21 > 1:08:25were quoted openly, saying, "This is disgraceful.

1:08:25 > 1:08:28"She's not fit to be the leader."

1:08:28 > 1:08:32And some really personal, inappropriate, vicious attacks

1:08:32 > 1:08:37on her by people who were strong supporters of Theresa May.

1:08:40 > 1:08:44'It's clear Andrea Leadsom wasn't trying to be cruel to Theresa May,

1:08:44 > 1:08:49'but it has shown her inexperience, and some say, her lack of judgment.

1:08:49 > 1:08:51'So crucial if you want to be Prime Minister.'

1:08:54 > 1:08:58I think she saw it for the political difficulty it was for Andrea Leadsom,

1:08:58 > 1:09:00rather than anything else.

1:09:00 > 1:09:03And, you know, plainly, it wasn't a good time for Andrea.

1:09:03 > 1:09:06And I think she had a very tough two or three days.

1:09:07 > 1:09:09OK.

1:09:10 > 1:09:12Yes, yes.

1:09:12 > 1:09:16There were a number of conversations with a number of colleagues.

1:09:17 > 1:09:19Including Boris.

1:09:19 > 1:09:22I thought that bubbles evening we did the other day went really well.

1:09:23 > 1:09:26I mean, I think the membership would just love to see two committed

1:09:26 > 1:09:29- Brexiteers...- 'Absolutely, Andrea.'

1:09:29 > 1:09:34Absolutely. The only thing is, it can't be for a few weeks.

1:09:34 > 1:09:36Marina's given me the three-line whip.

1:09:36 > 1:09:39It's been a long time since we had a break.

1:09:41 > 1:09:44Right. OK.

1:09:46 > 1:09:49No, no, that's fine. I quite understand.

1:09:49 > 1:09:50Yes. Yes.

1:09:50 > 1:09:52You won't even notice I'm not there.

1:09:52 > 1:09:53All right.

1:09:53 > 1:09:56I'm with you in spirit, yes?

1:09:56 > 1:09:58All right. Bye, then. Bye.

1:10:14 > 1:10:16And there's just a huge buzz, you know.

1:10:16 > 1:10:18There's all sorts of stuff going on, left, right and centre.

1:10:18 > 1:10:20Loads of work. Lots of planning going on.

1:10:20 > 1:10:22And the TV's on in the background.

1:10:30 > 1:10:31Fine, liaise with Fi.

1:10:31 > 1:10:34Have we sorted out the bloody battle bus yet?

1:10:34 > 1:10:37- We're just waiting for a price... - Shh! Turn it up.

1:10:37 > 1:10:42'There is no greater privilege than to lead the Conservative Party

1:10:42 > 1:10:47'in government. And I would have been deeply honoured to do it.'

1:10:47 > 1:10:52I have, however, concluded that the interests of our country

1:10:52 > 1:10:56are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong

1:10:56 > 1:10:59and well supported Prime Minister.

1:10:59 > 1:11:03I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election,

1:11:03 > 1:11:07and I wish Theresa May the very greatest success.

1:11:07 > 1:11:10'Despite making it to the final short list of two last week...'

1:11:10 > 1:11:13Yes, I was smiling. Of course I was smiling.

1:11:13 > 1:11:17I'd had a pretty hard three or four weeks, and it was...

1:11:17 > 1:11:19Yeah, it was a pretty special moment.

1:11:19 > 1:11:23'Following the decision of Mrs Andrea Leadsom to withdraw from the

1:11:23 > 1:11:25'Conservative leadership contest,

1:11:25 > 1:11:30'the Right Honourable Mrs Theresa May is the only remaining candidate.'

1:11:30 > 1:11:32CHEERING

1:11:39 > 1:11:41Brexit means Brexit.

1:11:41 > 1:11:44And we're going to make a success of it.

1:11:44 > 1:11:46- ALL:- Here, here.

1:11:55 > 1:11:56'Listen to this quote.

1:11:56 > 1:12:00'The Prime Minister is running scared of a general election.

1:12:00 > 1:12:03'Now, that was Theresa May said about Gordon Brown when he failed

1:12:03 > 1:12:07'to call a general election after taking over from Tony Blair.

1:12:07 > 1:12:09'Fast forward several years,

1:12:09 > 1:12:10'and Theresa May herself has said

1:12:10 > 1:12:13she will not be calling a general election.'

1:12:13 > 1:12:19# An awful collection of enemies and friends

1:12:19 > 1:12:21# Congratulations to you... #

1:12:21 > 1:12:24Straight through, please, Boris.

1:12:26 > 1:12:31# I'm tired of the old shit Let the new shit begin. #

1:12:31 > 1:12:34KNOCKING AT DOOR Come in.

1:12:36 > 1:12:38Ah, Boris.

1:12:38 > 1:12:41- Sit down.- Thank you, Prime Minister.

1:12:47 > 1:12:50You know it could have been you sitting behind this desk,

1:12:50 > 1:12:53- and me in that chair. - Yes, well...

1:12:53 > 1:12:55Yes, well, it isn't.

1:12:55 > 1:13:00- No.- I'd like to make you Foreign Secretary.

1:13:02 > 1:13:04You seem surprised.

1:13:04 > 1:13:06Yes. Somewhat.

1:13:06 > 1:13:09- But you'll accept?- I do.

1:13:09 > 1:13:11I'm creating a new post,

1:13:11 > 1:13:14Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

1:13:14 > 1:13:17- Oh.- David Davis. - Ah, well...

1:13:17 > 1:13:19Excellent choice, Prime Minister.

1:13:19 > 1:13:23And Liam Fox will be the new Secretary for International Trade.

1:13:24 > 1:13:26I see, Prime Minister.

1:13:26 > 1:13:29Well, thank you for coming in, Boris.

1:13:39 > 1:13:44MUSIC: Come And Get Your Love by Redbone

1:13:53 > 1:13:56# Hell, hell

1:13:56 > 1:13:58# What's the matter with you?

1:13:58 > 1:14:03# Cos you're fun and you're mine and you look so divine

1:14:03 > 1:14:08# Come and get your love. #

1:14:08 > 1:14:10- OK, that's amazing. - Anything else...?

1:14:10 > 1:14:13- No, it's all right. - Perfect. Yeah.- Good stuff.

1:14:13 > 1:14:15- Yes.- That was funny.

1:14:15 > 1:14:17- I'm done, OK?- Bless you.

1:14:17 > 1:14:21- Thank you so much.- A pleasure. - Thanks for coming in.

1:14:21 > 1:14:23- OK.- Thank you very much.- A pleasure.

1:14:23 > 1:14:25# Hell, hell

1:14:25 > 1:14:28# What's the matter with you feel right? #