THE unlikely choice for a warm-up act at the recent Conservative Party Conference somewhat stole the show when he quoted 17th century poet John Milton with a booming voice and wowed audience members with his ‘no notes’ speech, writes Zoë Uglow.

MP for Torridge and West Devon Geoffrey Cox, who rose from the backbenches earlier this year to become Attorney General, made good use of his oratory abilities, honed over many years in a courtroom — which was later likened on Twitter to that of James Earl Jones and Ian McKellan — and delivered a speech encouraging all to ‘unite behind the PM to ensure that the decision of June 23, 2016, is not set at nought by those who would have us remain with the EU.’

Throughout his speech, Mr Cox encouraged those present to get behind Mrs May during Brexit negotiations. Taking his inspiration from ‘Areopagitica’, Mr Cox bellowed: “So let us say with Milton: Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks.

“Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam.”

His speech attracted rapturous applause prior to the Prime Minister Teresa May’s own address, with bookies now setting odds for Mr Cox to become the next party leader — albeit at 100-1.

Mrs May, after acknowledging and making light of the issues she faced during last year’s conference, referenced Mr Cox’s speech calling it ‘fantastic’: “You will have to excuse me if I do cough during the speech, I’ve been up all night supergluing the backdrop — mind you if anything does happen I could just ask to borrow the voice of Geoffrey Cox. Wasn’t that fantastic!”

In response to the attention his speech garnered, Mr Cox said: “I was very privileged to have been asked to introduce the Prime Minister at the Conservative Party Conference.

“I was delighted that the conference warmly received my speech, but even more so at the reception given to the Prime Minister’s speech, which was a tour de force and set the horizon of the Conservative Party on building a future of opportunity after our departure from the European Union.”