Mr Johnson never criticises his former protégé directly, but he does enough to make it clear that heand – should the question, perhaps, ever come up – that he could do a better job. A number of Tory MPs are highly receptive to that message and indeed think he should never have been toppled, even if for now they are easily outnumbered by those who are loyal to Mr Sunak.
The former prime minister is the best-known politician in Britain, the only one with 100 per cent name recognition in YouGov polls. He may be well placed to play a similar role to Margaret Thatcher, who never let John Major settle and was always ready to explain just how she would have done things instead.
But, if he never gets over his own departure from office, he risks ending up a Ted Heath instead, whose “incredible sulk” act tarnished his reputation for decades. It may be the bank balance that decides Mr Johnson’s future. He is raking in millions from speaking engagements and his autobiography – would he really want to give that up for the grind of being prime minister again – or, worse, leader of the opposition?
Of course not. He only ever supports himself. He’s a blight on the UK