When Johnson was effectively sacked as Conservative leader and Prime Minister following the revolt by Tory MPs in July the widespread assumption was that he would leave politics and go and earn huge amounts of money as a columnist and guest speaker.

The interesting thing is that what was predicted for Boris has not actually happened and he is still there playing an active role in politics and according to insiders looking to get his old job back.

As the betting chart shows he is now the second favourite to replace Truss and that says an awful lot about a possible threat to her. She was never the first or even second choice of MPs which of itself makes her vulnerable. It is not now hard to envisage a situation in which pro-Johnson forces within the party seek to no confidence Truss and he would then hope to sweep back into power in the ensuing leadership election.

Is that what is going to happen? I don’t know but there must be a possibility. So far Truss has not delivered the reversal in the poll ratings that some, including me, were predicting.

Mike Smithson