“Unaffected by the peculiar tendency and tenderness of the English middle class for politeness to absurdities, she raised the standard of good sense amid the smoke and confusion of a battle which most of us do not want to fight and wish to disappear, but which probably it must be fought,” he said.

However, Sir Geoffrey also praised Mr Jenrick for transforming himself from a gifted and easy-going moderate to a born-again man on a mission to tackle the migration crisis.

“Leaner, hungrier, driven by his experiences as immigration minister, he has matured into an articulate, even sometimes eloquent advocate of the need for draconian immigration controls,” Sir Geoffrey said. “Like Cassandra, his urgent warnings cannot be ignored.”

Voting for the Conservative leadership will close on Thursday night before the count on Friday, with the winner announced on Saturday.

It is expected to be staged at the Queen Elizabeth Center in Westminster, with the two contestants taking to the stage after being told the result by Sir Bob Blackmanchairman of the 1922 backbench committee which oversaw the contest.

Common sense Kemi is the best choice for conservatives

By Sir Geoffrey Cox

As so many Conservatives will have done, I struggled with the choice presented to us for the leadership of the Conservative Party. It is not an easy one. Both candidates have their merits. Stepping back and looking at the wrecked scene of the Conservative Party’s fortunes, the long and difficult road back to government, strewn with pitfalls for the unwary, makes one fear for its future.

Meanwhile, the populist sharks, patrolling the frozen seas in ever-decreasing circles, wait for the scent of blood in the water. Not since Shackleton’s famous journey from Elephant Island in South Georgia in the lifeboat James Caird to bring aid to his stranded crew has a journey so epic and improbable been attempted, in political terms.

Who, then, will lead us? Where is our Shackleton? Who will guide us through the icy currents and strong swells of the Atlantic to roost among the penguins of that island, whose recovery from Argentine military occupation inspired Margaret Thatcher to rejoice? Who will face the challenge that history demands of us at this time?