Rory Stewart is right: the shock of a no-deal Brexit would be fatal for the Tories

As a white, straight male, it’s not often that I get to feel in a minority but at the Spectator Brexit debate – as a Leave voter in favour of Theresa May’s deal – it was apparent that I’m an endangered species on a par with the white rhino. But I also found that I have an eloquent champion: Rory Stewart, the prisons minister, who gave the best case that I have heard for the deal

He was on stage with Dominic Raab, on the opposite end of the pragmatism spectrum. Raab, in effect, argued for a no-deal Brexit, while Stewart mounted a most robust defence of the May deal, vigorously taking on all-comers to modest effect. As the evening wore on, I found myself increasingly sympathising with Stewart’s plea for compromise and far less persuaded by Raab’s (to me) naive optimism. Having been an ardent Brexiteer, I found it hard to express why that should be.