Theresa May’s tenure set us up for an even more tyrannical premiership – the Tory leadership race is just the beginning

Candidates are demonstrating the same attitude as the former Tory leader, offering no proposals for anything of consequence aside from empty promises about their ability to better negotiate with Brussels

Two weeks ago, in an emotional statement outside No 10, Theresa May announced her intention to resign. Her departure was to be expected after a dismal European election defeat where, despite being the party in power, The Conservatives came fifth, losing to the single-issue Brexit Party. This had an eerily similar feel to David Cameron’s resignation after losing the European Referendum that set this story in motion. Europe was her way in and her way out.

Watching May tearfully address the nation behind the podium that felt much smaller and lonelier than usual, I had no sympathy – but I felt no joy either. May’s tenure as prime minister was fraught with nothing but misstep after misstep, most of which was her own doing.

She cried no tears for those who died in the all-consuming fire of Grenfell, or the wrongfully detained and deported Windrush scandal victims. There was no break in her voice when she deported LGBT+ refugees back to countries that would abuse them, or lump in her throat for the misery caused by cuts to public services.

May was the architect of her downfall, her stubbornness and inability to lead without compromise found her isolated and weathered. Like vultures, Conservative MPs have been spiralling around a destitute and defeated May, waiting for their chance to take over, and she finally gave it to them. If you’re tempted to feel sorry for May or congratulate her for demonstrating resilience, you’d be mistaken; the signs were always there. When cabinet officers regularly resign within 24 hours of appointment, there is undoubtedly something wrong.

It was exactly that sort of non-leadership of the party that opened the floodgates to the chaos of the leadership race we’re currently seeing. Her inability to draw support and unity from her party – coupled with the complexity of Brexit and its many options – has opened a leadership sinkhole, sucking anybody with any sort of opinion into it.

No man is an island, but May seems to have thought a woman should be. Childish, playground egging on from anti-Brexit newspapers parroting her “Brexit means Brexit” and “no deal is better than a bad deal” instilled impenetrable confidence in the PM. So much so, she appointed author of the infamous “enemies of the people” Daily Mail front page, James Slack, as her press secretary. May circled herself around yes-men and women that would only validate her actions rather than challenge them. And it’s that kind of arrogant decision-making that set off a series of political miscalculations, brought her reign to an end and ushered in the slew of questionable candidates we’ve seen fighting so shamelessly for control of the Conservative Party.

May’s cold, hard approach was a cornerstone of her approach to leadership, with her response to events like the tragic Grenfell Tower fire that left 72 people dead and many more homeless, a devastating example of that lack of empathy. Though she would later admit that her response was not “good enough” – as often during her premiership – she arrived at that conclusion much too late.

While opposition leaders were on the ground comforting the victims, May cooped herself up far away from where the real trouble was – a testament to her time in office. Her record on austerity and cuts to public services was nothing short of heartless. Her government oversaw a surge in foodbank usage and the shocking revelation that school children were attending classes hungry and unable to concentrate. Under the blimp of Brexit, it seems that all of this became less important as we focused on the dumpster fire that was Conservative Party infighting.

If the worsening state of social inequality wasn’t enough to anger you, then look no further to her Immigration Policy. As the architect of the “hostile environment” policy in 2012, she made life in this country a misery for many immigrants. Squeezing the life out of any “Big Society” we had left, she turned people in this country against each other by encouraging them to spy one another. After taking residence in Number 10, she doubled-down on her “tough on immigration” stance which, as we know, resulted in wrongful deportations, including the Windrush scandal. Her hardline, remorseless approach to immigration should have been a sign of what was to come. She has always remained firm and ill-advised, and this was not going to change for Brexit.

But perhaps the most significant issue with May was her belief in her non-existent popularity. Calling an election to strengthen her majority, to only end up saddled with the DUP, was the first sign of this. She pursued dangerous policies with a supportive party and cabinet for so long, without ever really feeling the fire under her feet. When things turned sour, and she was no longer taking orders, things changed.

The current leadership election feels like a free-for-all with 11 candidates vying for the top spot amid emerging scandal after scandal. The race has surmounted into a spectacle; candidates are now begin vetted about previous drug use and attempting to exploit social media through embarrassing dad-like ways as a means of becoming relatable.

MPs are going into this race with the assumption that they have sharper elbows than May, which is worrying. This doesn’t just have implications for the Brexit negotiations, but it also filters through to social and public policy. During her time as PM, May often sidelined essential issues such as poverty and austerity as a result of Brexit swallowing up all of the oxygen in the room. Candidates are demonstrating this same attitude, offering no proposals for anything of consequence aside from empty promises about their ability to better negotiate with Brussels.

The Conservative Party is in a unique position, electing a leader that will assume the office of the prime minister, not just an opposition leader. They have an unusual amount of power over the country and Brexit negotiations. Electing a Brexiteer leader could be fatal for the party, MPs will inevitably call a vote of no-confidence in the government and spark a general election that could bring the tories nearly 10-year rule to an end.

Despite knowing this, popular candidates like Boris Johnson, Esther McVey, Dominic Raab and Andrea Leadsom are threatening a no-deal Brexit. They have learned nothing from our current deadlock and are continuing the puffed-chest facade that Brussels and the British electorate have seen through so many times. Though candidates have pulled out of the race, the dust has not settled, and the hardline right of the party have a number of MPs who represent their interests.

May already set a precedent for future leaders, showing them how much you can get away with and ignore, so long as a few MPs were happy. Now, the party seems to be driven towards a more comical, likeable candidate with dangerously flimsy politics and easily swayed views. The leadership elections worry me because by keeping the right people on board this time and with Brexit a half-done job, the next leader could get away with significantly worse.