There is an expression in Westminster: in office, but not in power. It will not have escaped readers that this expression could have been written specifically to describe the current situation at the heart of government.

Knowing Theresa May is to see close up a truly dedicated public servant.

I have rarely come across an individual with a more embedded sense of public duty. She has worked tirelessly for the Conservative Party and has done her duty to the country, as she sees it, with selfless dedication.

It is extraordinary to see the extent that an individual can dedicate their life to the service of others.

The problem is, being a devoted public servant is not the same thing as being a leader. Leadership needs vision, the ability to take people with you, the intrinsic instinct to know when to compromise or to stand fast, the ability to organise your levers of power. Sadly, these are characteristics that Theresa May lacks.

So, whilst she sits in No 10, notionally in charge of the country, the leadership campaigns are in full swing as we seek a replacement for her. The crunch time will come in a couple of weeks with the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

If it passes, Mrs May is expected to set her timetable for departure; if it fails, she will have lost that one last roll of the dice and must determine her rapid departure. So either way, we hope to have a new leader by the end of July.

For me that leader must be able to demonstrate a skill in running a No10 operation and an ability to communicate. But they must have a vision of the future.

I am looking for someone who will deliver Brexit – a Brexit that includes a long-term trading relationship with the EU that is part of a global trading strategy.

But we must also have a vision for the UK. We need renewal, an agenda for social justice, a plan to deliver world class public services, a strategy in the world that provides security and prosperity for all, a plan that allows everyone to achieve their potential.

But we need a leader who can lead. A leader who can bring this divided country together. An individual who can fill the vacuum that is currently being filled by populists. We are at a turning point in our country and we must not fail.