Rory Stewart is a successful podcast host, but would he make a good Oxford University chancellor? The former Tory MP is in the running to replace Chris Patten, who is retiring. Stewart is the bookies’ front runner in the race: ‘This is a very interesting idea and an amazing role,’ he said, ‘but I would naturally have to think hard about whether I am the right candidate’. Stewart shouldn’t have to spend too long thinking: he’s the wrong man for the job.
In his brief Tory leadership campaign in 2019, Stewart’s limitations became clear. His support amongst Tory MPs soon fizzled out as he failed to make a significant impression in the debates. He made clear he would not serve under Boris Johnson, left parliament at the earliest opportunity, and quit the Conservatives. The message was obvious: the Tories could either let him lead them, or they weren’t worth his time. Despite his sofa-surfing efforts, his London Mayoral campaign bombed too.
Stewart’s CV in Westminster looks shabby
This is why electing him as Oxford’s chancellor would be absurd.
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