Has Rory Stewart Become The Accidental Sweetheart Of The Tory Leadership Campaign?

"Rory Stewart is in your kitchen for the next hour if you want to chat about Brexit."
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When Theresa May emotionally announced last week that she would be stepping down as prime minister, the name ‘Rory Stewart’ probably didn’t pop into your head when thinking about Number 10′s next occupant.

With party heavyweights including Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab and Michael Gove in the race for the Tory leadership, you might not even know who Stewart – who was promoted to the Cabinet just weeks ago – is.

But what the international development secretary lacks in fame, he is certainly making up for in charm.

Eschewing the typical leadership campaign, Stewart’s main tactic for gaining support appears to be wandering around the country looking for people to chat to.

Travelling between towns and boroughs giving voters the chance to “talk or challenge me”, the Rory-roadshow has already visited Barking, Borough Market, Kew Gardens and Lewisham...

Now - if anyone is around and wants to talk - in Kew Gardens - for the next hour pic.twitter.com/E45A26Y5uR

— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) May 28, 2019

In Borough Market now - come and see me anytime if you’d like to talk or challenge me! pic.twitter.com/hwD8oTUCEr

— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) May 27, 2019

I love Barking. Now moving up from McDonald’s to Costa - come and talk or challenge me pic.twitter.com/7XoCxuJl7G

— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) May 27, 2019

Someone has just driven 30 minutes to get here to talk and just found me having been searching fruitlessly in McDonalds - so if anyone is looking for me I’m now in Costa opposite Barking station

— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) May 27, 2019

Unsurprisingly, the Tory MP’s *very* enthusiastic campaign has generated some attention on Twitter...

honestly would not be shocked if i opened my bedroom door to find rory stewart waiting outside

— 𝖇𝖎𝖌 𝖆𝖑 (@alicekgb) May 28, 2019

One of the great features of this Tory leadership campaign is going to be guessing where @RoryStewartUK is going to pop up next...

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) May 28, 2019

you're being chased by Rory Stewart, he wants to debate you. you jump in a taxi and escape. you breathe a sigh of relief. the driver turns around. it's Rory Stewart

— James (@Gilofthepeople) May 28, 2019

Rory Stewart is in your kitchen for the next hour if you want to chat about Brexit

— James (@Gilofthepeople) May 28, 2019

Londoners are never more than six feet away from a Rory Stewart https://t.co/BVYSfwd0Mw

— Martha Gill (@Martha_Gill) May 28, 2019

Rory Stewart is in your fridge for the next hour if you want to talk about social mobility and healing Britain's divisions. yeah, in the eggbox, no, the other one, behind the butter, yeah, there he is

— Ben (@cinemashoebox) May 28, 2019

Rory Stewart is sat in my garden for the next hour if I want a chat. Bit unnerving

— Jamie McKelvie (@McKelvie) May 28, 2019

rory stewart about to message your flatmates whatsapp group to tell you he’s about to pop to tesco if you want anything

— pathetic frog cake (@sellottie) May 28, 2019

Perhaps Rory Stewart's campaign inspiration is in fact Michael Portillo. Surprisingly charming, yet doomed campaign, but he'll get a travel series on BBC Two out of it.

— Jack Blackburn (@HackBlackburn) May 28, 2019

As has this *excellent* moody photo of the wannabe PM:

Rory Stewart stars as Jonas Sidebøard in gripping new Scandi-drama 'Sidebøard'. A prominent philanthropist has been brutally slain. Can this be linked to the outing of Sidebøard's colleague's wife as a sex worker in the letters section of the Heråld? pic.twitter.com/CK7bXgvTFa

— Turmut Hoer (@4u5t0) May 26, 2019

Forget MI6. Has Rory Stewart ever admitted to being a member of Shed Seven? Because his resemblance to Rick Witter merits an on-record explanation pic.twitter.com/U34kOMFHUh

— Patrick Maguire (@patrickkmaguire) May 28, 2019

Rory Stewart (1772-1823) was an English poet, literary critic, and philosopher renowned as a central influence in the Romantic Movement and one of the lake poets. He was a key figure in the introduction of German idealism to the literary scene. His laudanum addiction rendered him pic.twitter.com/iDQqrvxLwH

— Alan White (@aljwhite) May 28, 2019

In “Candidate”, singer-songwriter Rory Stewart overlays sparse electronica and acoustic guitar with ironic, fragile vocals 3.5/5 (touring this week, check listings section for details) pic.twitter.com/iI2NhOp55Z

— . (@twlldun) May 28, 2019

And the fact his name is actually... Rod Stewart?!

I’m sorry but were we ever going to discuss the fact that Rory Stewart’s first name is Roderick?????

— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) May 28, 2019

Man of the people, Rod Stewart

— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) May 28, 2019

With bookies ranking Stewart’s chance of bagging the top job in the Tory Party at 16/1 (compared to Boris Johnson’s 6/4 odds), he’s unlikely to be picking his Cabinet any time soon. But we are *here for* the rest of his election campaign.

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