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Hello and welcome to The Spectator Podcast. I'm Isabel Hardman. This week, as the Tory leadership

contest kicks off, who has the best shot at getting to the final two? And with Carrie Simmons,

Boris's new partner, neatening him up, I also ask, what is the role of the politician's spouse?

And last, cats, are they ruthless killers posing an existential threat to wild birds?

First up, at least 12 Tory MPs are running for the leadership contest with even more expected

to declare. But the party will whittle them down to just two, who will then be put to the membership.

So who will the final two be? And what will the coming weeks of the contest

look like? In this week's cover, James Forsyth takes a look at the runners and riders and their chances.

He joins me now together with Rob Wilson, former Tory MP, who worked for Jeremy Hunt and was also a party whip.

So James, how angry and bitter is this leadership contest going to get?

I don't think it's going to get that angry and bitter, but I think the stakes in this contest are

incredibly high because I think the Tory party is in some ways in worse shape, even though it's in

government, it is in worse shape now than it is in 1997 in terms of it is at more existential risk.

This is a question about whether the Tory party can survive. And I think, you know, the next Tory leader is either going to be remembered as the Prime Minister who takes Britain out of the EU or as the last Tory Prime Minister.

And Rob, you've got an eye on how the party works. You understand it very well.

You're also a close friend of Jeremy Hunt. How do you think he's doing, firstly?

I think that he has got off to a reasonable start. I think that there has been some confusion over what he thinks

about the no deal as against the general election balance that you have to strike as a leadership

candidate. And I think some people have interpreted that he's taking no deal off the table,

which I don't think he is. But he is making a clear play for the bulk of

the remain part of the party, because I think he sees a need to shore that up because of all the

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