Damian Green – my 70/1 longshot to be next CON leader

Damian Green – my 70/1 longshot to be next CON leader

One of TMay’s appointments that didn’t get much attention in the post GE2017 reshuffle was that of Damian Green as First Secretary of State. He’s effectively her deputy and looks set to be the safe pair of hands that gets put up to be interviewed when things look tricky. This is likely to happen a lot given the lack of a parliamentary majority.

He’s been close friend of TMay since they were at Oxford together in the 1970s and they were both at different times Presidents of the Union.

I first met him when we were colleagues at BBC news nearly 40 years ago and he was always confident in front of the microphone.

It always surprised me that it has taken until now for him to achieve a senior post.

He was a remainer during the referendum campaign but then so was his boss. Should TMay step aside he might be seen as the establishment favourite to take on BoJo who had a very poor Queen’s Speech day. He sounded barely articulate in a discussion with Eddie Mair.

I got him at 70 on Betfair – a price that has now tightened.

Mike Smithson


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