Those responsible for explaining and defending the intentions of our new prime minister, whoever he may be, to the press and through it to the public are going to have an impossible job

The only story in British politics, now and for the next few weeks, is the Conservative leadership election. Out there on the hustings a sort of crazy circus is being staged for the benefit of the Conservative Party membership, in the course of which the two candidates to be the next prime minister of this country successively undercut each other with the implausibility of the undertakings they are prepared to offer.

The two men are whirring hither and thither across the country in their respective helicopters, pursued by the accompanying press, both of them scattering promises on every side, putting forward their vision for Britain and for Brexit, and both giving every impression – at least – of the utmost sincerity. It is like an updated version of Thomas Middleton’s Jacobean satire A Mad World, My Masters, an amoral and ruthless battle of wits (and twits) featuring characters such as Sir Bounteous Progress, Mr Follywit and Master Harebrain.

But the most extraordinary thing about this political drama is that it is being conducted on terms which imply that the outcome will provide a resolution of our political crisis, despite the fact which has been demonstrably evident for many months, that it is going to do no such thing.