I hope someone asks him if he regrets not contesting the previous one.

I still think a) he knows that had he stood, he would have beaten Michael Howard but b) he chose to step aside then because he knew the Tories would lose the general election. Why be yet another losing Tory leader?

Well, because instead of resigning after the general election, all it would have taken is a 'no-one expected us to come this close a year ago, see you in Number Ten after the next election' speech and he'd have been happily in place now, instead of wondering if he can beat someone who hardly anyone had heard of a couple of months ago.