CONSERVATIVE party leadership contests and Labour Party civil war has made it a febrile week in the House of Commons. Despite all the headlines, I can reassure readers that the “business of government” is continuing as usual and notwithstanding the excitement, MPs and officials are getting on with their jobs, legislation is passing, and Parliament still sits as usual.

Of course, government happens at all levels and many of the decisions that affect us locally are made by the hard-working officers and elected members of our local councils. Often unsung, frequently criticised, they get on with delivering vital services, dealing with some of the more vulnerable in our communities and 'joining up' government on the ground to benefit all of us and I was reminded of just how hard our councillors work last Friday while attending a memorial service for Brigadier Robert Hall, former Wiltshire councillor for the Pewsey Vale, who died unexpectedly only a short time ago.

The church was packed with people to commemorate Robert who, after a distinguished military career in Royal Regiment of Artillery, served as a councillor for the Pewsey Vale from 2005 to 2013, was chairman of Wiltshire Council and also chairman of the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Robert bought enormous skill, good humour and optimism to all of the public positions he held and the thanksgiving service was a timely reminder for me, that behind all the political headlines, at all levels across the country, are people just quietly getting on with the work of government.

Of course, this leadership selection will soon produce a new Prime Minister and in some ways the job has never been more difficult.

The referendum result means we face a period of deep uncertainty in Britain that needs to be addressed head on and for that we need strong leadership and a clear sense of direction from someone ready to step in to the job immediately.

As I have written elsewhere in the paper this week, Theresa May is my strong choice as she is calm, principled, competent and far removed from the Westminster bubble where politics can be treated as a game. It is not.

Our national prosperity is at stake and tough deals will need to be negotiated with our former European partners, led by someone who can put a broad team together and lead from the front. Quite simply, she is the only person in this contest who is up to the tasks ahead and she is by far the best person for the job.