Observation

Tim Yeo says that there are too many potential candidates for the Tory leadership. The BBC estimates that there are "at least eight candidates". One commentator in the Independent at the weekend put the figure at eleven.
Under party rules, in order to stand for the leadership a candidate must present a petition bearing the signatures of twenty MPs. MPs may not sign the petition of more than one candidate. There are currently 197 Tory MPs. 11 candidates. Do the maths.

(Incidentally, I have reams of political writing that I’m waiting to unleash on you – albeit mostly in my head rather than on my hard drive – but I haven’t got round to it due to being too busy and distracted lately. Topics include the EU constitutional treaty, the British EU rebate, the future of the euro, the G8 meeting and protests, the separation of church and state and road pricing. More on all this stuff, and more, over the coming weeks.)